Functional Brain Health
A Whole-Body Approach to Better Brain Health
When mental health challenges affect mood, focus, behavior, sleep, or cognition, it may be time to look beyond symptoms and ask what may be driving them.
I help adults, children, and families investigate potentially overlooked root causes and biological contributors to mental health challenges, then create a personalized strategy for better brain health.
Virtual Functional Brain Health Care with Dr. Kris Dorner, DNM, CFMP
A deeper look
There May Be More to the Story
Maybe symptoms are new and you are trying to understand what is happening. Maybe you have been struggling for years. Or maybe you already have a diagnosis, but you still do not feel or function the way you want to.
Some people come to Dr. Dorner because medication has only helped so much. Others are looking for more natural and comprehensive ways to support the brain and body. Some simply want to understand why they feel the way they do.
The goal is to look deeper, test when appropriate instead of simply guessing, and identify the missing links that may be contributing to your symptoms.
What may be affecting the health and function of your brain, and what can we do to help improve it?
A different way to look at the problem
Symptoms Matter. But They Are Not the Whole Story.
Conventional mental health care often begins by identifying patterns of symptoms and using tools such as therapy and medication to help manage them. Those approaches can be valuable and, in some situations, essential.
Functional brain health asks an additional question: what may be happening in the brain and throughout the body that is contributing to how a person feels and functions?
Why the whole body
Supporting Brain Health Means Looking at Both the Brain and the Whole Body
Brain health depends on more than one system. The brain needs adequate nutrients, oxygen and circulation, healthy inflammatory balance, stable metabolic function, restorative sleep, and the biological building blocks involved in normal neurotransmitter function.
At the same time, the brain is connected to the rest of the body. Digestion, hormones, immune activity, blood sugar regulation, stress, environmental exposures, medications, infections, and neurological history can all influence how the brain functions and how a person feels.
Dr. Dorner's approach looks at both: supporting the foundations of healthy brain function while investigating root causes and biological contributors throughout the body that may be influencing mood, focus, behavior, sleep, and cognition.
Brain Health Foundations
Nutrients, oxygen delivery, circulation, inflammatory balance, and the biological building blocks involved in healthy brain function.
Nutrition & Nutrient Status
Dietary patterns, nutrient insufficiencies, food quality, and individual needs.
Sleep & Circadian Health
Sleep quality, timing, breathing concerns, and restorative rhythm.
Gut & Digestive Health
Digestive function, food reactions, the gut-brain connection, and possible hidden infections or microbial imbalances when relevant.
Metabolic Health
Blood-sugar regulation, energy, insulin-related patterns, and metabolic function.
Stress & Nervous-System Load
Chronic stress, resilience, trauma history, and daily demands.
Hormonal & Endocrine Factors
Thyroid, hormonal, and other endocrine considerations when relevant.
Environmental Exposures
Mold and water-damaged environments, heavy metals, chemical exposures, and overall toxic burden.
Inflammation & Immune Patterns
Relevant inflammatory, autoimmune, infection-related, and immune-system history.
Medications & Supplements
Current and past medication response, side effects, interactions, and supplement use.
Head Injury & Neurological History
Concussion, traumatic brain injury, seizures, and other relevant neurological history.
Who this is for
Brain & Mental Health Conditions and Concerns
The goal is not simply to name the condition, but to better understand the factors that may be affecting brain function and contributing to the symptoms that matter most in daily life.
Support may be appropriate for adults, children, and families navigating concerns such as:
Anxiety
Persistent worry, panic, physical tension, or difficulty feeling calm.
Depression
Low mood, reduced motivation, fatigue, or loss of interest.
ADHD / ADD
Challenges with focus, organization, impulse control, and executive function.
Autism
Whole-body support for neurodevelopmental, sleep, digestive, and related concerns.
OCD
Obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviors, and related challenges.
Schizophrenia & Psychosis-Related Concerns
Adjunctive whole-body support alongside appropriate psychiatric care.
What makes this different
Not a Quick Fix. A Clearer Path Forward.
Complex brain-health concerns rarely come down to one simple answer. We start by understanding your situation, identifying what deserves attention first, and building a plan you can realistically follow.
Comprehensive
We begin with your full story: history, symptoms, medications, previous care, and existing testing.
Personalized
Testing and recommendations are chosen for your circumstances, not a one-size protocol.
Prioritized
You won't leave with 30 equally urgent recommendations. We start where it matters most.
Whole-Person
We look at brain health alongside nutrition, sleep, metabolism, digestion, stress, and environment.
Ongoing
Your plan can evolve as we learn what helps, what doesn't, and what deserves attention next.
Collaborative
Designed to complement your medical, psychiatric, psychological, neurological, and therapeutic care.
How it works
From First Story to Ongoing Support
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Tell Me Your Story
Complete a comprehensive intake and upload relevant previous labs, testing, and records.
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Functional Brain Health Evaluation
A 60-minute virtual visit covering your history, symptoms, previous care, medications, and goals.
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Identify What Deserves Investigation
We name the areas that appear most relevant and whether additional testing may help.
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Begin the Foundations
When appropriate, start initial nutrition, sleep, lifestyle, or supplement steps while testing is completed.
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Results & Strategy
Once results are available, we review what we found and set clear priorities for your plan.
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Ongoing Support
Continued follow-up to monitor progress, adjust the plan, and work through priorities over time.
Dr. Kris Dorner, DNM, CFMP Doctor of Natural Medicine · Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner
Meet Dr. Dorner
Dr. Kris Dorner, DNM, CFMP is a Doctor of Natural Medicine and Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner with a special focus on functional brain health.
His connection to this work is both professional and personal. Serious mental health challenges have affected members of his immediate family, giving him firsthand experience with how deeply these conditions can affect both the individual and the people around them.
Combined with his training in naturopathic and functional medicine, those experiences shaped the way he practices today: looking beyond symptoms and diagnoses, investigating root causes and whole-body contributors, and helping clients take a natural, holistic, and more comprehensive approach to better brain health.
Start here
Start With a Functional Brain Health Evaluation
$597
60-minute virtual evaluation
Designed for adults, children, and families looking for a deeper, natural, holistic, and more comprehensive approach to persistent brain and mental health challenges.
Your evaluation includes
- Comprehensive review of your health history and current concerns
- Review of medications and supplements
- Review of previous labs and records you provide
- Discussion of your symptom timeline and relevant contributing factors
- Initial nutrition, lifestyle, and supplement guidance when appropriate
- Recommendations for additional testing when appropriate
- A clear roadmap for your next steps
- A follow-up Results & Strategy visit after relevant testing is available
Laboratory testing and supplements are separate unless specifically stated otherwise.
What makes Dr. Dorner's approach different?
Dr. Dorner looks beyond symptoms alone to investigate root causes and biological contributors that may be affecting brain health, including brain-health foundations and whole-body factors like nutrition, sleep, digestion, hormones, and inflammation.
Is this a replacement for my doctor, psychiatrist, therapist, or other healthcare provider?
No. Functional brain-health services are designed to complement appropriate medical and mental-health care, not replace it.
Do you prescribe or change psychiatric medications?
No. Dr. Dorner does not prescribe medications or direct clients to start, stop, taper, increase, or decrease prescriptions. Medication decisions remain with your prescribing clinician.
Do you work with children?
Yes. Dr. Dorner works with both adults and children. For minors, a parent or legal guardian participates in the care process.
Are laboratory tests included in the $597 evaluation?
No. Testing is recommended individually, based on your history, goals, existing records, and budget. It's billed separately.
Is functional brain health care covered by insurance?
Functional Brain Health services are generally private-pay. Some plans may offer partial out-of-network reimbursement, but coverage varies by plan and is not guaranteed.
What happens after the evaluation?
You may begin foundational recommendations while completing any agreed-upon testing. Once relevant results are available, we meet for your Results & Strategy visit to review findings and refine your plan.
What if I'm not sure this is right for me?
Schedule a 15-minute Discovery Call. We can talk through what you're looking for and whether a Functional Brain Health Evaluation appears to be an appropriate next step.
You Don't Need Another Random List of Things to Try.
You need a clearer understanding of what deserves attention, what can wait, and what your next steps should be.
Start by looking at the bigger picture.