The First 5 Integrative Questions Every NP Should Add to Their Intake

Small shifts that change everything.

Most NPs assume they need more certifications before practicing integrative or root-cause medicine. In reality, the simplest way to become a more integrative clinician is to change the questions you ask. A single conversation can reveal more insight than a full panel of labs—and it can instantly set you apart as someone who sees your patient as a whole human, not a collection of symptoms.

These five questions fit naturally into any intake or follow-up visit, whether you're in primary care, functional medicine, mental health, telehealth, or a hybrid model. They help you uncover the “why” behind symptoms, identify patterns, and bring lifestyle medicine into the clinical conversation in a way that feels supportive, not overwhelming.

1. “When did this begin—and what was happening in your life around that time?”

Symptoms don’t appear out of nowhere. They appear in context.
This question uncovers:

• Life stressors or emotional triggers

• Sleep disruptions

• Hormonal changes

• Relationship or job strain

• Acute or chronic trauma

• Lifestyle shifts

It gently leads the patient into a story-based timeline rather than a symptom checklist. You’ll often identify root cause contributors with this one question alone.

2. “What makes the symptom better, and what makes it worse?”

Integrative medicine is pattern-based medicine.
This question reveals:

• Food triggers

• Stress reactivity

• Environmental contributors

• Movement patterns

• Social dynamics

• Nervous system responses

Patients often already know the answers—they just haven’t connected them yet. Helping them see the patterns builds empowerment and clarity.

3. “How are you sleeping?”

Sleep quality underpins nearly every chronic condition we treat.

You don’t need to be a sleep specialist to begin assessing integrative sleep factors. Ask about:

• Bedtime and wake-time consistency

• Light exposure

• Screen use

• Nighttime rumination

• Alcohol use

• Shift work

• Stress recovery

A two-minute sleep question routinely opens the door to gut issues, anxiety, metabolic concerns, hormone imbalances, and nervous system dysregulation.

4. “What is one area of your health you’d most like to improve right now?”

This question:

1. Centers the patient’s own goals

2. Prevents overwhelm

3. Creates an actionable starting point

Instead of offering a five-part lifestyle overhaul, you focus on the one shift that feels most meaningful to them. This is where momentum begins.

5. “What does stress look like in your body?”

Not “Are you stressed?”
Not “Do you have anxiety?”

Integrative medicine recognizes stress physiology as a major driver of chronic symptoms. This question invites somatic awareness:

• Chest tightness

• Jaw tension

• Racing thoughts

• Digestive changes

• Pain flares

• Fatigue

• Insomnia

Once they can name the pattern, you can offer tools that match their physiology—breathwork, meditation, boundaries, sleep support, herbal formulas, or nervous system regulation.

Why These Questions Work

They’re simple, fast, and instantly shift the visit from symptom-focused to whole-person-centered.
They move you from:

• Symptom → story

• Data → meaning

• Prescription → partnership

• Overwhelm → clarity

• “What’s wrong?” → “What’s possible?”

This is where integrative practice truly begins.

If this approach resonates with you and you’d like support integrating it into your practice, reach out—I'd love to work with you.