"Outlaws" in Holistic Health? With Dr. Brandon Drabek, ND

In this episode, we sit down and chat with Dr Brandon Drabek about Traditional Naturopathy, his story about how he got to where he is professionally, what's happening currently in Ohio that can affect the practice of naturopathy on a state and national level, what it's like to be a male practitioner in a female-dominated industry, and how men and women differ in how they approach care, the difficulty of insurance vs cash pay practices (and why clients benefit from paying out of pocket).

Brandon Drabek, ND, is a ninth-generation Geauga County resident raised in Parkman, Ohio, where his connection to the land and to community-based care began early. He was first inspired by his grandmother’s knowledge of plants and trees, by a great-uncle who practiced medicine after establishing his office on the family farm, and by the D.O.s who served as his family physicians in childhood. Together, those influences shaped his respect for a model of care that values nature, prevention, clinical discernment, and the whole person. 

​As Clinical Director of Geauga Holistic Rehabilitation Institute (GHRI) in Chesterland, he oversees a holistic rehabilitation approach focused on restoring function, improving resilience, and helping patients move out of recurring cycles of fatigue, metabolic dysfunction, and stress-related decline. His clinical work combines detailed case review and lab-informed insight with personalized lifestyle strategy, nervous system regulation, appropriately scaled movement, and targeted natural therapeutics.

​With 15+ years of experience and more than 10,000 post-graduate clinical hours, Brandon is recognized for meeting patients where they are, clarifying complex clinical patterns, and creating practical care plans that can be implemented in real life.

Education & Professional Formation

Great Lakes School of Integrative Medicine (2014) — Multi-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner. Advanced whole-person training grounded in a wellness framework that blended hands-on bodywork, movement practices, nutrition support, and reflective dialogue promoting balance across mind, body, and spirit. Emphasis in somatic-psychology–informed coaching, evidence-informed functional nutrition, medical herbalism, corrective movement foundations, and restorative bodywork, supported by extensive mentored practicum hours applying integrative wellness methods in real client settings.

Trinity School of Natural Health (2020) — Doctor of Naturopathy. Comprehensive training in human anatomy & physiology and organ systems, functional client analysis, and consultation/assessment skills designed to support individualized, natural health recommendations. Education and coursework include botanical medicine, acid-base and physiologic balance, and traditional observational assessment techniques. Training also included the core principles of lifestyle therapeutics, with focus in nutrition, hydra