April Blake, ND, LM

I am heartbroken that I can no longer afford to see April because she is no longer covered by my insurance (hope this changes — One Medical are my heroes for viewing naturopathic medicine as a comparable choice to MDs but big insurance didn’t agree). I did want to give her the stellar review she deserves though, a little late in coming, so that others can benefit from her skill.
April is an extremely warm, kind-​hearted, open-​minded and knowledgable ND and healer. She was compassionate about the emotional toll of being sick, and skilled about practical steps to address all aspects of illness. I felt extremely safe in expressing my concerns and loved her holistic approach to health. She has an excellent bedside manner and sense of humor which helped relieve some of the heaviness of facing confusing health challenges. I strongly felt she was on my side during this journey. Despite my disappointment with the fee changes (not One Medical’s decision) April did not hesitate to recommend a trusted colleague which she thought would be a good match. During our time together, her support, validation and advice were healing in and of themselves. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking an integrative, knowledgeable and compassionate ND. Thank you April!

April has the heart and soul of a healer. She’s interested in the patient, and is thorough in her examinations. She also used to practice midwifery, so if you’re struggling with any pregnancy discomfort or postpartum issues, April has a fix for you.

Dr. April Blake is a true caring professional. I highly reccommend if you are looking for a practitioner who listens to you then with great expertise guides you through her diagnosis and is willing to answer all questions. You are never rushed, she gives her full attention, I am so confident in her and feel truly blessed to have her as my doctor

I have seen April twice and both times she was helpful and informative. She was able to help me manage my medical concerns and make sure I was on the correct prescriptions. I don’t actually like taking medications, but for 2 concerns I have it has become unavoidable. She was willing to work with me and find the best fit while listening to my past experiences in dealing with my issues and the things I’ve tried in the past.
She promotes natural choices and is overall very supportive, knowledgeable, and willing to help.
I only have 2 negative points, the first was in my first appointment, which was a «getting to know you» visit, where all I really needed was an updated prescription for my birth control; so we had a fair amount of time to chat about my history and other issues, just to get them on file. At the end of the visit she gave me a list of «Dr. April’s Top Recommendations» which I appreciated… I was disappointed after reading the list however that multiple recommendations on the list were to take some form of pill or «supplement». I realize for most people this might be beneficial, but I prefer to get those «supplements» from their natural sources, as well discussed in my appointment, and I think the list would have been more helpful to me if it recommended ways to improve my diet to get those things naturally, instead of just buying more pills to pop.
My second issue is along the same lines, when I went in last time with different concern. April offered 2 natural supplements that might help; which were appreciated since I’m currently on a narcotic medication to deal with it; but when I researched these options I learned that it would cost me over $ 50 per month to implement these changes; where as the current option (the narcotic) costs about $ 4 per month. To be fair, this was only just recently, so I haven’t had a chance to follow up with her on the more natural approach to see if there’s a more affordable option available.

Great doctor. Very helpful

I’ve seen April Blake during one of my urgent visits to Redwood Medical (she is part of that great practice — see Unilocal reviews)
There was another Naturopath that I was seeing and had a reaction to herbals that she had prescribed. I couldn’t reach this other Naturopath (she was closed on Fridays) and I remembered there was a newly hired Naturopath @ Redwood Medical (where I go for conventional care).
I called and luckily was able to get in to see April only a few hours later. She was knowledgeable, confident and very friendly. She immediately understood the situation and was able to take care of the issue. She also followed up with me personally by email over the weekend to see how I was doing & invited me to email/​call anytime if I had any concerns. Her knowledge, personalized care and willingness to follow-​up on her own time was exceptional. I will go to her in the future when I need a Naturopath.
April also has a practice in Santa Rosa and is a licensed midwife as well. I know outside of Redwood city she sees kids and continues midwifery services, so she can handle most any needs you may have.
Hopefully soon Redwood medical will switch from Internal Med to a Family Practice office — all the practitioners are family practice so they have the training and knowledge, they just need the business/​administration side of things to catch up.
The fact that Redwood Medical bills insurance, their practitioners are reachable after hours if needed (unlike the other Naturopath I was seeing — she had no way of contacting her outside of office hours), and their practitioners spend more time with you and seem much more interested in your overall needs and concerns, makes me feel much more confident that this practice can fully meet my needs and is the right one for me. I highly recommend April & Redwood Medical.