Hello

Every patient who walks through our doors has a story, and so do I. Sanctuary Functional Medicine was not born out of frustration alone, but out of a deep conviction that healthcare could be more than rushed visits and temporary fixes. Before I share how I found functional medicine, I want to offer a glimpse into the calling, experiences, and providential moments that shaped my journey and ultimately led me to create Sanctuary.

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me and hear what first drew me to functional medicine. Many people ask why I stepped away from conventional medicine, and this is that story.
 

Early in my career, I worked in a variety of traditional medical settings, clinics, hospitals, and group practices. Over time, I became increasingly uncomfortable with the pressure to see more patients in less time and rely heavily on medications that often failed to produce lasting results. I knew deep down that this was not the kind of medicine I was called to practice.
 

Eventually, I reached a point where I could no longer participate in care that felt incomplete or ineffective. Around that same season, three pivotal events began shaping my path out of insurance-driven conventional medicine and into functional medicine.
 

First, I attended a medical business conference that showed me how a clinic could operate outside of insurance constraints. Second, I met a Christian physician at that conference who introduced me to natural and functional approaches I had never been taught in my formal training. Finally, a family member came to me after years of unanswered questions and ongoing chronic health issues, despite seeing multiple doctors.
 

God used those three moments to lead me off the well-worn path of conventional medicine and onto a road less traveled. From there, I began planning what would eventually become Sanctuary—a clinic where I could practice medicine without the constant pressure of insurance restrictions or rushed appointments, and where patients could be treated with intention and depth.

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As I stepped away from the confines of “Big Medicine,” I immersed myself in functional medicine. I studied relentlessly, attending dozens of conferences and dedicating hundreds of hours to research and continuing education. With each step, I discovered better ways to help patients who had been told there were no answers left for them.
 

Now, after more than 1,500 patients and years of hands-on experience, I am grateful to see the fruit of that journey. Through Sanctuary, I have watched families reclaim their health, children recover from debilitating conditions, and individuals return to lives they were told were beyond repair. Though the road was difficult, leaving conventional medicine was one of the wisest decisions I’ve ever made.
 

My own family has walked this journey as well. After experiencing mold exposure, we now live in a safe, carefully monitored home, and we continue to see our health improve year by year. God has been faithful—not only in restoring our physical health, but also in healing the emotional trauma that can accompany chronic illness.
 

I would be honored to be a part of your story as you pursue a healthier, more abundant life. At Sanctuary Functional Medicine, we offer hope to those who have been told there is none, and a path forward for those ready to heal. My prayer is that God grants you clarity, restoration, and the answers you have been seeking.
 

Blessings,
Dr. Eric Potter