November at AndyND
On Gratitude, Belonging & Growing |
A Letter from Dr. Andy
Dear community,
As we enter this season of gratitude, I've been reflecting on what it really means to belong, to care for one another, and perhaps most importantly, to allow ourselves to receive that same care.
Last month, we held our first all-gender Moon Circle, and something about that evening has stayed with me. People showed up with vulnerability, courage, and kindness. Some arrived early to help set up, others stayed afterward to clean up, and throughout the evening, I witnessed people caring for one another in ways both big and small.
I've spent much of my life building community, creating spaces for connection, and encouraging others to recognize that we were never meant to do this alone. I believe deeply in the healing power of belonging.
But that evening, I realized something about myself.... I've spent so much time creating spaces where others can feel held that I haven't always allowed myself to be held, too.
I'm practiced at giving, at showing up, at taking responsibility for making sure everyone has what they need. But receiving help, allowing myself to rest, and trusting others to share the responsibility? That's something I'm still learning.
At the Moon Circle, I experienced what it felt like to be part of the community I've worked so hard to create. Not just as its organizer or facilitator, but as another human being equally deserving of care, connection, and belonging.
I wonder how many of you know that feeling.
How often do we offer others compassion and understanding while expecting ourselves to keep pushing through? How often do we recognize the needs of everyone around us while quietly setting our own aside?
I've been sitting with these questions a lot lately, particularly as I navigate the realities of building an independent healthcare practice. I'm carrying anger and grief about systems that make it so difficult for us to care for ourselves and one another. And I'm recognizing the ways I've participated in those same expectations, believing that if I just worked harder, gave more, or sacrificed a little longer, I could somehow make it all work.
I'm learning that creating something different also means allowing myself to live differently.
It means recognizing that my needs matter, too. That rest isn't something we have to earn. That asking for help isn't a failure. And that a truly caring community must nurture everyone who makes it possible, including those who have spent their lives caring for others.
This realization is shaping some important changes at AndyND and inspiring a much bigger vision for what we might create together.
As we move into November, I'm feeling especially grateful for this community, not only for the ways you allow me to be part of your healing, but for the ways you're teaching me about my own.
Thank you for reminding me that belonging isn't something we have to earn through what we give. It's something we all deserve.
With love and gratitude,
Dr. Andy
Growing Our Community of Care
One of the beautiful things about learning to share the responsibility of caring for others is discovering what becomes possible when we welcome more people into the work. I'm so grateful to introduce two people who are helping AndyND grow into something more than I could create on my own.
Welcoming Dr. WendyLeigh White
I'm delighted to welcome Dr. WendyLeigh White, a naturopathic doctor specializing in nervous system regulation through craniosacral work and the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP).
With nearly 20 years of experience, Dr. WendyLeigh brings a gentle, compassionate approach to helping people reconnect with their bodies and cultivate a greater sense of safety and ease.
Her offerings include craniosacral work, a subtle, hands-on approach that invites relaxation and body awareness, and Safe and Sound Protocol, a listening-based intervention designed to support autonomic nervous system regulation.
Beginning this November, her services will be available at AndyND through our equity-based Pay from the Heart model.
I'm so glad to have her warmth, experience, and unique gifts becoming part of our community.
Gratitude for Kristine
And behind the scenes, another wonderful person has been helping this little practice find its footing.
Kristine, our Operations Manager and consultant through Amaare Partners, has been an incredible source of support as AndyND grows. She brings not only her organizational wisdom and experience, but genuine care for the people and purpose behind this work.
I've spent so much of my life believing I needed to carry everything myself. Having Kristine alongside me has been a beautiful reminder that asking for help doesn't diminish what we're creating. It makes room for something more.
I'm deeply grateful for her partnership and for the care she brings to this community.
A Dream Taking Shape
When I started AndyND, I wanted to create a place where people felt truly heard, cared for, and supported in their health. I had a vision for what healthcare could feel like, but I didn't yet know all the ways this little practice, and the people who became part of it, would shape that vision.
As I've been learning to make room for others to share in this work, I've started to imagine what might be possible if we carried that same spirit of care into something bigger.
I'm calling this dream The Tending House.
I imagine a shared home where AndyND grows alongside other healthcare providers, small businesses, and community offerings that nurture women, children, and families. A place where people can find not only the care they need, but connection, belonging, and a community that celebrates them for who they are. And where the people providing that care feel just as valued and supported as those receiving it.
With WendyLeigh and Kristine now part of this journey, that dream is already beginning to take shape. We're starting to work through the bigger logistics, including finding a space to rent in Portland.
But perhaps the part that excites me most is that I don't know exactly what it will become. While this dream began with me, I hope it will grow through the ideas, gifts, and care of many others. I want to invite people not just into the space, but into the dreaming and creating of it.
Help The Tending House take shape
If you know of a potential rental, have connections to investors or others who might help bring this vision to life, or have something of your own you'd love to contribute, I'd be so grateful to hear from you.
I'm excited to see what we might tend to, together.
To get in touch with Dr. Andy - call our clinic 971-366-3308 and leave a message. If you are a current patient, reach out via ChARM messaging!
As I learn to honor my own needs while continuing to care deeply for yours, I'm making some difficult but necessary changes at AndyND.
Beginning January 2027, insurance-based follow-up visits will be reduced from 60 minutes to 30–45 minutes.
This decision comes with grief. I deeply value our time together, but insurance reimbursement simply doesn't support the spacious, thoughtful care I believe you deserve or the sustainability of this practice.
We're also updating our Pay from the Heart rates for new self-pay patients only. Current self-pay patients will keep their existing rates through December 2027.
My commitment to accessible, relationship-centered care hasn't changed. But I'm learning that caring for others must also include caring for myself. I believe we all deserve a healthcare system that values both patients and providers.
I've shared more about the grief, hope, and reflection behind these decisions in a personal letter.
Read My Reflections on Healthcare, Worth & Choosing Something Different
New Moon Circle | November 116:30–8:00 PM | 2410 SE 10th Ave. Portland, Oregon
Our Moon Circles welcome all genders and anyone interested in exploring or connecting with the divine feminine. You don't need any prior experience with circles, meditation, or spiritual practice. Simply come as you are.
Together, we'll make space to slow down, listen inward, reflect, and connect with one another.
Tickets: $25 general admission | $15 BIPOC/OHP
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Have a Community Event to Share?One of the ways we can strengthen our community is by showing up for one another.
If you're hosting an upcoming event that aligns with our values of healing, inclusion, connection, and collective wellbeing, I'd love to help spread the word.
Email us your event details by the end of each month for consideration in the following month's newsletter. We send newsletters at the beginning of each month, so early submissions help us include your announcements. |
With Gratitude |
As I look toward what's next, I'm feeling a mixture of excitement, uncertainty, and gratitude. There is so much I hope to create, and so much I'm still figuring out along the way.
But one thing I'm beginning to understand is that building a different kind of healthcare doesn't mean I have to have all the answers or carry it all myself. It means learning to trust that we can create something more caring and sustainable when we make room for one another.
Thank you for trusting me with your care, for supporting this little practice, and for reminding me that I belong to this community just as much as you do.
I'm grateful to be figuring it out together.
With love and gratitude,Dr. Andy Turner, NDAndyND LLCIndividualized care for collective wellbeing.www.andynd.com |
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