Healing in a New Frequency: Dr. Jill Carnahan on Creating an EMF-Friendly Clinic

On the most recent episode of The Wave Forward podcast, our host Michaela sat down with functional medicine doctor and environmental health expert, Dr. Jill Carnahan , for a powerful, encouraging conversation about what it takes to really heal in today’s world.

From toxic load to EMFs, Dr. Jill offers a refreshingly honest and science-backed approach to modern wellness. She also recently created the first ever EMF-friendly medical clinic! Read on to discover what that means and how Dr. Jill’s background has shaped her journey with holistic medicine. 

Dr. Jill grew up on a farm filled with organic produce, a nurse for a mother, and an early belief in the body’s natural ability to heal. Her original plan did not involve practicing conventional medicine, but as she puts it, she “accidentally infiltrated the system” by becoming an MD.

What she quickly realized was this: while conventional medicine is great for emergencies and trauma, it falls short when it comes to chronic illness and things like autoimmunity, hormone imbalances, fatigue, and those mystery symptoms that never seem to go away. That’s where functional medicine really shines.

Here’s something Dr. Jill explained that really stuck with us: in conventional medicine, it can sometimes take 30 years of research before something becomes the standard of care. But in functional medicine? If something is low-risk and early studies show promise, doctors like Dr. Jill may implement it right away. After all, who wants to wait three decades to feel better?

This especially applies to EMFs, which is something the United States is slow to address, even though other countries already have stricter guidelines in place.

Dr. Jill isn’t just speaking from a place of research and observations – she’s lived this. At age 25, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, becoming one of the youngest patients at the time. This experience flipped the script for her as she went from doctor to patient and came face-to-face with the complexities of healing.

Things have only gotten more complicated since then. In the early days of her practice, people would often feel better in a few months with some gut support and lifestyle changes. Now? The layers run deeper. After all, we’re exposed to thousands of chemicals daily in our air, water, and the products we use. Hormone disruptors, heavy metals, nano-particulates, polluted air, contaminated water, and EMFs all contribute to a toxic load that leaves people feeling unwell.

“We’re drowning in a toxic soup,” Dr. Jill said. “We don’t know why we don’t feel well.” For many patients, they don’t even realize how bad they’ve been feeling until they start to feel better. And when we feel better, that’s the new standard – it’s how we want to feel.

As our host Michaela pointed out, the U.S. tends to follow a “safe until proven harmful” mindset when it comes to EMFs. Other countries across the globe take a more cautious approach, especially when it comes to children. However, a growing body of research points to potential health effects from EMF exposure. And when the body’s toxic bucket is already full? EMFs could be the tipping point.

However, EMFs are an inescapable part of modern life. So what’s the answer for mitigating our exposure?

Many people jump straight to EMF blockers as the solution. Dr. Jill shared a story about a long flight to Australia, during which she was concerned about the prolonged, concentrated EMF exposure present on airplanes. She covered herself in a reflective silver blanket, only to wake up in terrible pain. A fellow doctor helped her make the connection that her blanket may have acted like a tin roof, trapping the radiation around her. The takeaway? EMF blockers aren’t always the best solution.

Instead, Dr. Jill uses Aires in her clinic. Aires devices aren’t blockers, they clean up the electromagnetic environment by creating a coherent field that is more biologically friendly, helping support the body’s rhythms. They’re also a great conversation starter with her patients who’ve never thought about how EMFs could be affecting them.

When it comes to designing her space, Dr. Jill focuses on more than the decor. She pays attention to lighting, air quality, materials – and yes, the electromagnetic environment. Her goal is to give patients the best possible chance at healing by creating a space that feels safe, emotionally and physically. Because healing doesn’t happen unless the body feels safe.

When someone walks into Dr. Jill’s office with complex symptoms, the first thing she does is listen. She asks: “When did you last feel well?” Then, she builds a timeline of their life by looking at past traumas, environmental exposures, major events like moving, infections, gut health, hormone levels, and more. She reflects her patients’ stories back to them in a way that makes sense. She gives a roadmap for her patients to go back and reverse those symptoms.

And when asked what her go-to starting point is for patients who are overwhelmed with symptoms but can’t come in for the tests, her response was simple, yet powerful:

Clean air, clean water, clean food, clean mind, clean body. 

Dr. Jill’s new book, Unexpected, and her documentary Doctor Patient (available to stream on Amazon Prime and YouTube TV), go deeper into the emotional side of healing . She shares her own story and follows three patients as they navigate chronic illness, trauma, and recovery.

She shares an important truth: you can detox your body all day long, but if there’s old trauma stuck in your system or you don’t feel safe in your own skin, true healing won’t happen.

For healthcare professionals also trying to bridge traditional and holistic care, Dr. Jill says: don’t throw out conventional medicine. Expand it. Use the toolbox that conventional medicine gives, and add more tools. Functional medicine is all about critical thinking, problem solving, and pattern recognition. It comes down to understanding the big picture of each patient’s unique life.

“It’s about empowerment. The more empowerment we give to our patients, with things they can do, that they own, that’s where healing starts. Not some pill or procedure. Those can be lifesaving measures at certain times, but giving people the knowledge they can make a change? That’s empowerment.”

-Dr. Jill Carnahan

The more you understand your environment, the more you educate yourself on the impact of environmental exposures, the more empowered you are to take action. Visit Dr. Jill’s website for a wealth of free resources to explore, and check out her book, Unexpected, for more on her journey to finding resilience through functional medicine, science, and faith.

Hear more about Dr. Jill’s story from her first interview on The Wave Forward podcast!