Dr. Zub graduated from Boston University School of Medicine and completed her Internal Medicine Internship and Residency at The Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA. Practicing throughout Massachusetts, she has held positions at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge where she also served as Associate Medical Director of the Geriatric-Psychiatry Unit and was an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She later worked at Community Primary Care in Medway, Chadwick Medical Associates in Worcester and as an Internal and Functional Medicine physician at Visions Healthcare in Needham. She is also a Reiki Master and trained in Full Spectrum Healing. She has completely all of the coursework offered by the Institute for Functional Medicine and will be sitting for their certification exam when it is next offered in 2017.

I’ve had the eye-opening privilege of being on both the “traditional” and “integrative” sides of healthcare. I started my career path in medicine with very solid academic training in Boston after which I settled into a busy Internal Medicine practice. Although I was successful at diagnosing and treating a variety of illnesses, I quickly became disenchanted with the “modern” practice of medicine. Over time I recognized a pattern of patients improving for a while, only to return and require more medications for their illnesses which continued to progress. I agonized over the pressure of seeing more patients in shorter amounts of time cutting down on my ability and desire to know the whole person in front of me.

I sought a better fit moving through several different practice settings, to no avail. During this time, I pursued my personal interests in nutrition, lifestyle changes, and energy medicine. This journey exposed me to the notion of “Functional Medicine”. I immediately resonated with the paradigm of identifying the root cause of symptoms and supporting the body’s ability to heal as the type of medicine I was meant to practice. I now enjoy the privilege of learning and mastering this science-based interconnected approach of medicine and teaching my patients how to get and stay better. I offer hope to patients who have either failed or grown frustrated with the traditional approach and to those who seeking an alternative one. Time after time I see patients who’ve become used to miserable symptoms reduce and reverse them living longer, healthier, more vibrant lives. Medicine the way I was meant to practice!

Sophia DaRosa, NP, has been working in medicine for over 20 years. She graduated with honors from the University of Massachusetts Boston where she received her Master of Science as an Adult Nurse Practitioner.  She also holds bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and in Nursing.

She has spent the last 15+ years working in integrative and functional medicine settings. These included the Marino Center for Progressive Health, Visions HealthCare, and The Rothfeld Center for Integrative Health.

She is currently working on certification from the Institute of Functional Medicine and has completed Basic and Advanced courses in Allergy and Immunology from the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy and has also completed training in Inhalant Allergies and Food Sensitivities from the American Academy of Environmental Medicine.  Sophia has extensive experience with environmental allergies and food sensitivities, as well as a strong interest in gastrointestinal issues, adrenal fatigue, thyroid disorders, and autoimmune conditions.

She has worked in various medical settings, which include assisted living/rehab centers, a liver transplant floor, outpatient clinics including dialysis treatment, and an allergy clinic.

Sophia cares deeply about connecting with patients—making sure they feel heard and are at ease while working through various chronic medical conditions. She values the whole picture of health and wellness and how it relates uniquely to each person.

In Sophia’s words

“From a personal perspective, I understand what it is like to suffer from debilitating symptoms. For year, I missed important events when I was overcome with a storm of symptoms. In time I understood that food played a big part in these reactions. Sugar, dairy, and processed foods would exacerbate my already serious sinus symptoms.

Understanding this helped my overall health tremendously. However, I was also allergic to many environmental allergens. Through Sublingual therapy, I was able to calm my immune system by desensitizing myself to many of the identified. Today, I am no longer triggered endlessly by dander, dust, and pollens.

I am so excited to share with patients the important lessons I learned through personal experience.  Understanding what my specific burdens were, has put me more in control of my life and increased my quality of living. I want that for my patients too. I find personal satisfaction in helping patients uncover the root causes of their symptoms and helping them boost their immune system and overall resiliency by using different approaches. There is no one size fits all approach, so I try to recommend the least invasive and least costly methods first.

I have seen the impact of end stage illness and its impact on individuals and their families, and I’ve always felt honored to help care for and support patients and families through this transition. I wanted to understand how to help people avoid getting to that point.  A chronic illness diagnosis often involves numerous medications. Some are necessary and at times lifesaving. But I thought, there has to be a better way to support the body than adding more and more medications to the picture.

I sought out clinics that used a more integrated health approach. I feel so fortunate to have been mentored by some extraordinarily talented and passionate providers. Most recently, I’ve had the privilege of working with Dr Rothfeld for the last 7 years; a man who dedicated his career to helping individuals find the root cause of their illness.

I feel strongly that it is important to understand and meet each person at a place where they can start making meaningful changes. Small persistent changes can lead to life changing results.”

(*For patients who are following Sophia from a prior practice, please click on the “health history” link below)

To inquire about an appointment, call 508-625-1807 Or fill out your health history using our online intake form HERE

She has a bachelor’s degree in Science from Fitchburg State University and master’s degree in Nursing with a sub-specialty in Education from UMass Graduate School of Nursing. She received her Post Master’s Certification in Holistic Health from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Lisa has vast experience in Ob/Gyn, Primary care and Auto-Immunity disorders. She has taught on the faculty at Umass Graduate School of Nursing, Mass College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and MassBay Community College and is a Veteran having served as Army Nurse during Desert Storm.
She continued studies through School of Applied Functional Medicine and Institute for Functional Medicine offering her the training to create 4 Better Health and utilizing Functional Medicine with her patients. She is considered an expert on Gluten by completing the Certified Gluten Practitioner certification and as a Celiac herself. Lisa also mentors other practitioners who are motivated to learn and utilize Functional Medicine in their practice through the 4 Better Health’s Practioner Programs and at the School of Applied Functional Medicine.

I know the misery and fear of IBS. I lived it and I’m now living FREE of all symptoms. I can get ready for work or a party and go on long car rides without worrying what might happen. I can go on a run with my kids and vacation with my husband. My belly no longer controls my life!

All my life I suffered from miserable IBS. Bloating led to gas pains which would leave me doubled over (one time laying on a blanket in tears on vacation in Utah at an outside festival!). I missed Christmas Eve drives with my dad and siblings while they delivered presents to family. I had days of barely making it to a bathroom or weeks of wanting so badly to empty but… not needing a bathroom. I had Heartburn and Hemorrhoids. I endured upper and lower GI testing… and told to eat high fiber cereals, guzzled water with fiber powders and take over the counter pills to stop the symptom(s) of the day. My life changed at 37 when I was diagnosed as Celiac.

Along with Celiac, a cascade of nutrient deficiencies were uncovered. ONE MONTH after diagnosis and dietary changes; 90% of my headaches, heartburn, bloating, abdominal pain, joint pain, constipation, diarrhea and horrible fatigue were gone. This ignited a fire of frustration “Why is food and nutrients not a major part of medicine?” “Why is it ok for a patient to suffer so long without anyone suggesting eating a different diet might help?” “Why was I sent on my way because routine testing was normal yet no-one had ever mentioned testing for gluten sensitivity or Celiac?” “Why had no-one ever tested my nutrient levels?” “Why was there no discussion about Auto-Immunity when I was diagnosed (except the old adage ‘the biggest risk of Auto-Immunity is having one)?” Oh no! I was not about to wait for the next Auto-Immune disorder to hit me.

My NP career shifted from helping people to being a PASSIONATE advocate to reverse and resolve symptoms. I poured my heart into studying Nutrition and Functional Medicine. While I was studying, My Mom was slowly drifting away. She went from being our beautiful, 6 foot tall, regal and funny 64 year old Mom (and Nana to 13) to needing help with eating, drinking, dressing and speaking. Dementia was robbing us all and there was ‘nothing’ medicine could do. NOT ONCE did the medical professionals discuss nutrition (even though when we took away her artificial sweetener drinks she functioned better). I was now angry and determined to educate and empower my patients in the root cause of disease instead of just treating it. LISTEN to the patient to find and fix the underlying reason our body breaks down so they can enjoy their families, savor a walk on the beach and grow old with their loved ones.