A Real Mold Case: What Actually Works

In the thirteenth episode of The Healing Terrain, Dr. Emily Hernandez sits down with traditional naturopath and mold educator Sinclair Kennally to explore what a thoughtful, real-world approach to mold can look like.

For Kennally, mold work began with her own health crisis. She became so ill that she went to the emergency room convinced she was having a heart attack. The testing did not reveal an explanation for what she was experiencing, and she eventually returned home without answers.

“It took us eight years to figure me out and pull me back from what felt like the jaws of death,” Kennally said.

At her lowest point, she was down to three foods and struggled to read an email or write a sentence. Along the way, she received diagnoses that included Lyme disease, Hashimoto’s, fibromyalgia, GERD, SIBO, rheumatoid arthritis, tinnitus, anxiety, and depression.

Her experience taught her to keep asking what may be driving those symptoms—and to respect symptoms as information from the body.

The Body Burden Can Build Quietly

Kennally describes mold exposure as something that can accumulate over time. A person may feel relatively well while the body continues to compensate.

“The body burden’s getting bigger,” she explained. “So we think we’re fine. This little whisper is like, ‘Oh, I’m a little more sensitive than I used to be, a little more tired.’”

Eventually, that burden may reach a threshold. When the body can no longer compensate in the same way, the decline can seem sudden.

Looking back, Kennally recognized possible exposures throughout her own life. Her childhood bedroom had mold. A basement flooded regularly. A college bathroom had visible black mold. She also drove a moldy car while living in rainy Portland.

“It’s not just, ‘Has your house had water damage?’” she said. “It’s all these other aspects to be thinking about.”

For practitioners, that means asking about both present and past environments: childhood homes, dorms, workplaces, cars, basements, bathrooms, and any location with recurring moisture or water damage.

Why Mold Can Be Difficult to Recognize

Kennally calls mold “the ultimate masquerader” because the symptoms can look different from one person to another.

“You could have a family of five in a house, and each one has different presentations,” she said.

One child may have eczema, skin issues, or anxiety. Another may experience digestive problems or trouble concentrating. One parent may struggle with fatigue, joint pain, or depression, while the other experiences reproductive or inflammatory concerns.

Because the symptoms do not always look alike, family members may never suspect that the same environmental burden could be affecting everyone.

That is why Kennally encourages practitioners to look for patterns. When symptoms involve several systems—or when multiple people connected to the same environment are struggling—it may be worth asking deeper questions about moisture and mold.

Past Exposure Still Counts

As awareness of mold grows, practitioners are becoming more likely to ask about a patient’s current home. Kennally believes the history needs to go further.

“Prior exposure counts as well as current exposure,” she said.

A current home inspection can be important, but it may not explain the full burden a person has carried. Kennally’s approach considers the accumulation of exposures along with the patient’s present symptoms, resilience, drainage capacity, and ability to eliminate what the body no longer needs.

This broader history can help practitioners understand why someone may remain symptomatic even after leaving one environment—or why a relatively small new exposure may create a much larger response.

Begin With a Careful Mold Inspection

When a person suspects mold in a home, Kennally recommends starting with a thorough visual inspection.

“First, check what you can see with your eyes because it’s free, and we’re looking for moisture damage,” she said.

She encourages people to look for subtle signs such as:

• Swelling beneath windows
• Warped or lifted floorboards
• Drywall screws beginning to pop
• Water stains or discoloration
• Recurring condensation
• Evidence of roof or plumbing leaks
• Moisture in attics, crawl spaces, and basements

Mold is not always visible, and many molds do not have an obvious odor. It can grow behind drywall, beneath flooring, and around wallpaper glue or other cellulose-based materials.

“Think about how water moves around your house and through your house and potentially into your house,” Kennally said.

Moisture meters and infrared cameras can add another layer of information and help identify areas that deserve closer attention.

Build the Picture in Layers

Kennally does not rely on one piece of information. Her process builds a picture through the patient’s history, symptoms, internal testing, home inspection, and environmental testing.

She often recommends a properly collected Environmental Relative Moldiness Index, or ERMI, dust sample. She emphasizes following the collection instructions carefully and selecting the additional option that checks for Fusarium.

If an ERMI result suggests a problem, a trained mold-detection dog may help identify the location of contamination before a patient commits to extensive and costly remediation.

“This is gathering layers of information,” Kennally said, “versus spending $10,000 upfront, crossing your fingers that this person isn’t going to take advantage of you.”

On the internal side, she may use urine testing to see which mold-related compounds are being excreted. The goal is not simply to look for a red result.

“We’re looking for: Did anything show up at all?” she said.

Kennally considers the full pattern, including how many markers appear, which types are present, the person’s symptoms, and how well the body appears to be releasing them.

Why Urine Markers May Rise During Detox

Dr. Hernandez noted that urine markers can initially appear low and then rise after drainage and detoxification support begins.

For Kennally, this shift can reflect a change in the body’s ability to release its burden.

“What you’re measuring is the body’s ability to let go right now,” she said.

When drainage pathways begin to function more effectively, more may appear in the urine for a period of time. Kennally does not automatically see that as a setback.

“It’s nothing to be scared about if those numbers are going up for the first few months,” she said. “That’s a sign your body is back on board.”

The person’s experience still guides the pace. Kennally wants patients to tolerate the process rather than feel overwhelmed by it. Changes in symptoms and test results help the practitioner determine whether more preparation, drainage, or energy support is needed.

Start With the Human First

Environmental remediation can be a long process. Renters may need to work with landlords. Homeowners may face significant repairs. Some people cannot move immediately.

Kennally believes support should begin while the environment is being evaluated.

“We start with the human first,” she said. “We’re focusing on internal support the full time while we’re evaluating the space and what needs to be done.”

Foundational support may include energy production, mitochondrial function, drainage, elimination, sleep, and nervous system regulation. She may also introduce appropriate air filtration and ventilation while the source of the environmental problem is being investigated.

The purpose is to create more stability in the body so the person has greater capacity for the decisions and interventions ahead.

Stop the Water at the Root

When mold is connected to ongoing water damage, the first environmental priority is to stop the moisture source.

“Thing number one is, if it is related to water damage and there’s an ongoing leak, how can we stop that?” Kennally said. “Stop it at the root.”

Cleaning visible mold without addressing the water problem does not resolve the conditions that allowed it to grow.

Kennally also warns patients not to begin tearing apart contaminated areas themselves. Disturbing affected material can spread particles and create a much larger exposure for someone who is already depleted.

She advises against making bleach the default answer.

“Let’s step away from the bleach,” she said.

Depending on the source and the extent of the problem, the environmental plan may include professional remediation, appropriate fogging, air filtration, ventilation, and removal of affected materials or belongings.

Create a Sleep Sanctuary

Kennally places special emphasis on the bedroom because sleep is essential for repair and regeneration.

“Sleep sanctuary—huge for mold detox,” she said.

Creating a more supportive sleep space may involve removing a rug from beneath the bed, using an air filter in the bedroom, washing or replacing linens, evaluating the mattress, and improving ventilation.

She also encourages reducing nighttime environmental stressors so the body can focus its energy on rest, drainage, and recovery.

Even when a person cannot immediately change the entire home, improving the bedroom can create a cleaner and more restorative space for a large portion of each day.

The Order of Operations Matters

Kennally emphasizes that mold protocols need to be introduced in the right sequence.

“Foundational support matters, mitochondrial support matters, the quality of binders matter,” she said.

If a patient reacts strongly to a binder, Kennally does not necessarily conclude that it is the wrong tool. The response may indicate that the body needs more preparation before moving forward.

“It means you need some preparatory energy support, drainage support,” she explained.

The goal is to work with the body rather than force it through a protocol it is not ready to manage.

Support Can Begin Before a Patient Moves

Kennally pushes back on the idea that practitioners should refuse to help until a patient has completely left a moldy environment.

“Making big sweeping judgments about this is, I think, irresponsible,” she said.

The right decision depends on the person’s symptoms, sensitivity, exposure, finances, housing options, and family circumstances. Some people may temporarily sleep in a tent, stay with a friend, or use another room because they feel better there. Others need time and support before they can make a major change.

Kennally believes people deserve help during that process.

Air filtration, ventilation, a cleaner sleeping space, foundational support, drainage work, and binders—when tolerated—can help create momentum while the person works toward a longer-term environmental solution.

Nervous System Support Is Part of the Whole

The conversation closes with the relationship between mold and the nervous system.

Kennally sees nervous system support as an important part of recovery, but not as a reason to dismiss the body’s response to an environmental burden.

“The body doesn’t make mistakes,” she said.

Breathing practices, stress regulation, sleep, and other forms of nervous system care can help the body feel safer and better able to move through a detoxification process. Those tools work alongside environmental changes, drainage support, and other physical interventions.

“Let’s use the nervous system support to up-regulate detox, but not to ignore or dismiss your body’s very real needs,” Kennally said.

Her final message is one of encouragement. A protocol that did not work may simply mean the person needs better sequencing, different tools, more individualized support, or a practitioner willing to ask more nuanced questions.

“Please don’t give up on yourself,” she said. “Your body’s not making a mistake.”

Listen to the Full Episode

A Real Mold Case: What Actually Works is available on DrTalks, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Health Problems: Mold. Updated February 25, 2025.

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Mold, Testing, and Remediation. Updated February 25, 2025.

3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mold Cleanup in Your Home. Updated 2026.

4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Should I Use Bleach to Clean Up Mold? Updated 2026.

This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.