OUR MISSION
To provide outside-the-box thinking to treat all aspects of a child’s health.
To authentically listen to patients – the child and family often hold the answers.
To connect children and family to the right resources at the right time.
To bridge the worlds of conventional and alternative medicine to provide a new standard of care where children benefit from the best of both, safely.
Integrative Medicine
Integrative medicine takes a holistic approach to child healthcare, considering various aspects such as environment, community, relationships, nutrition, sleep, exercise, spirituality, social interactions, cognitive abilities, emotions, and behavior. Embracing the notion of a “whole child” is fundamental among pediatricians. However, what distinguishes this approach today are two key factors. Firstly, extensive training in modalities and perspectives beyond conventional medical education, acquired over several years. Secondly, a practice model that allows for more time with patients, acknowledging the importance of time in delivering effective healthcare, as aptly expressed by Dr. Marian Bouchard: “Time is medicine… and good medicine takes time.” Finally, Dr. Arruda acknowledges the rapid evolution of medicine and science, particularly in fields like genomics, which are reshaping healthcare. She understands that she doesn’t have all the answers and patiently navigates the translation of these advancements into practical benefits. Dr. Arruda remains open to exploring new approaches guided by evidence of safety, promoting responsible innovation in healthcare.
Dr. Arruda collaborates with primary pediatricians when helpful. While her practice model does not include well-child checks and vaccinations presently, she fully supports both aspects of child healthcare.
about dr arruda
A Stanford-trained pediatrician and Mom-of-3 who brings heart, authenticity, and creativity to help kids be their best, Dr. Arruda has provided integrative medical consultation to pediatric patients with developmental and behavioral concerns since 2019.
After residency in general pediatrics, Dr Arruda completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Integrative Medicine at Stanford under the mentorship of Drs. Ann Ming Yeh (Pediatric GI), John Mark (Pediatric Pulmonology), Dana Gerstbacher (Pediatric Rheumatology), Brenda Golianu (Anesthesia, Pediatric Pain), and Sandy Newmark (UCSF Neurodevelopmental Clinic). In tandem, she completed the 2-year Fellowship in Integrative Medicine through the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. Additional training included a 6-month advanced clinical experience with the Stanford Pediatrics Pain Clinic where she partnered to provide multidisciplinary team evaluations for children and adolescents with pain and learned the importance of mind-body interventions, talking to the child (not about the child), and looking beyond physical signs to determine how to help a child.
While in training, Dr Arruda published on the integrative approaches to pediatric nausea and designed and ran a clinical trial pilot study assessing the feasibility of Yoga as a therapeutic intervention for youth with Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis (inflammatory bowel disease). Most recently, she co-authored the chapter on integrative medicine in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, 5th Edition, Elsevier, the preeminent textbook for pediatricians completing fellowship in development and behavior. test link.