Want to know a secret?

Despite my belief in and praise for alternative therapies, I, too, wonder if they work and are worth the money.

I wonder if the yoga mantras and deep breathing are enough to eliminate the high amount of stress I feel right now.

I wonder if the $200 I just charged to my AmEx for "therapeutic grade supplements" will translate into hormone balance and decreased risk of cancer.

I wonder if I should regret the time I spent visiting my chiropractor three times a week in the hopes of having a natural birth after a Cesarean. (Considering I ended up with a C-section any way...)

I wonder, like my brother (who posed the question over Thanksgiving dinner), should I even spend time concerning myself over diet and lifestyle when we "all die anyway?"

And sometimes I feel like a fraud and a fake for writing about therapies of which I don't have any more than anecdotal proof that they work.

And sometimes I am shamed into silence by the friend who tells me a modality didn't work for her.

And sometimes I have to tell a community member or a colleague that a particular therapy didn't work for me.

Does this mean that alternative medicine is bogus?

100 percent NOT.

I am one person. One mother. One community member. One investigator. One person on "the path" with a medical history and an opinion.

I am fortunate to have discovered alternative therapies that made a difference for my family. I feel grateful that I have the platform on which to share this with you. But it doesn't mean that I don't continue to question and to explore and to challenge.

You should, too.

Just as you should walk into a doctor's office with a list of questions and the determination to wait around until your questions are all answered, you should bring with you the confidence to ask a holistic health practitioner for an explanation on how the modality works and referrals from patients who have seen success.

Just as you wouldn't write off the entire medical profession after an appointment with one bad egg, you shouldn't snub your nose at alternative medicine as a whole just because you've been told it's all quackery and voodoo.

Just as you would fill a prescription and shell out a co-pay for a medication you've never heard of but is supposed to relieve your pain, I invite you to consider taking a chance and spending money on an alternative therapy that might make as much of a difference, if not more, than that pill you've just popped.

Neither conventional medicine, nor alternative, requires your 100 percent commitment or allegiance. Trust me, I know.

I've learned to count on, and be grateful for, both.

But I've also learned that scientific study is not the only indicator for whether or not a treatment will work. And I've discovered the true value of a glowing testimonial.

I've opened my mind to possibilities for wellness I formerly thought implausible.

And the only way I could have done this was to respectfully listen to my doubts … and to choose anyway.