DEFINITION
What is CIRS and Mold Illness Program?
This program is led by Dr. Jonah Yakel, DC, a chiropractor and functional health specialist who has dedicated his practice to Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) and mold-related illness. Dr. Yakel operates independently through his own practice and coaching program, "The CIRS Brain Solutions."
Patients work directly with Dr. Yakel — he is your primary point of contact for this program. You can reach him and start with a free discovery call at drjonahyakel.com/cirs.
GWCIM's role is to provide medical oversight and support. Dr. Mikhail Kogan, MD — GWCIM's Medical Director — serves as the collaborating physician, making sure program participants have access to any necessary lab work, imaging, and prescriptions through a shared patient portal. The broader GWCIM team of integrative specialists is also available to participants for any health concerns that extend beyond the scope of the CIRS program.
If you are already a GWCIM patient, you are welcome to bring up CIRS or mold-related concerns during any appointment with Dr. Kogan. He can advise you and, where appropriate, connect you with Dr. Yakel's program.
What Is CIRS and Mold Toxicity?
Many people living with CIRS have spent years cycling through diagnoses — chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety — without ever getting a satisfying explanation for what's actually happening in their bodies. Some have been told their labs are normal and there's nothing wrong. For a significant number of these patients, the real culprit is mold toxicity or Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS).
Mold toxicity occurs when the body is exposed to toxic substances produced by certain molds — the kind that grow in damp, water-damaged buildings. Most people's immune systems clear these toxins without incident. But roughly 25% of people have a genetic predisposition that prevents their bodies from doing so. In those individuals, toxins accumulate, triggering a persistent and wide-ranging inflammatory response known as CIRS.
The symptoms can mimic dozens of other conditions, which is why CIRS so often goes undiagnosed for years. The frustrating part is that it responds well to treatment once properly identified.
Qualifications & Background
Dr. Jonah Yakel is a certified Shoemaker Protocol specialist — meaning he has completed formal training in the diagnostic and treatment framework developed by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, the physician who identified CIRS and created the clinical protocol for treating it.
What makes Dr. Yakel unusual is that he has lived this. He spent years battling unexplained chronic pain, debilitating fatigue, and cognitive impairment without knowing why. He worked with top doctors, followed strict diets, tried every supplement he could find — nothing worked. It wasn't until he was evaluated for CIRS and began the Shoemaker Protocol that he started to recover. He got his life back. That experience is now the foundation of his clinical work.
Dr. Yakel has been affiliated with GWCIM for over ten years and continues to collaborate closely with Dr. Kogan and the GWCIM team.
INDICATIONS
What conditions does it help with?
ADVANTAGE
Why Seek This Through GWCIM?
The partnership between Dr. Yakel and GWCIM is deliberate. CIRS treatment requires more than coaching — it requires prescription medications, specialized labs, and medical oversight. By working alongside GWCIM, Dr. Yakel's patients have a physician actively in their corner, available to order tests, adjust medications, and coordinate care.
All providers share one patient portal, so nothing falls through the cracks. And if something comes up that's outside the scope of CIRS treatment — sleep issues, hormonal concerns, mental health — the full GWCIM integrative team is available for consultation without starting from scratch somewhere else.
APPROACH
How This Program Works?
The foundation of this program is the Shoemaker Protocol — a rigorous, step-by-step clinical framework developed over decades of research into biotoxin illness. Dr. Yakel has built his "CIRS Brain Solutions" program around this protocol, with a particular focus on cognitive recovery and brain health.
The program runs for 12 months and is delivered via video consultations and online modules — which means you can participate from wherever you are. It combines structured education, individualized medical guidance, and ongoing community support.
The first step is always a free 30-minute discovery call with Dr. Yakel. This call helps determine whether the program is a good fit before any commitment is made.
Identify the Source
Treatment can't succeed while ongoing exposure continues. Identifying and removing the source of mold — whether at home or at work — is the essential first step.
Follow the Protocol
The Shoemaker Protocol is a specific, sequenced clinical process. Skipping steps or treating symptoms in isolation doesn't work. Dr. Yakel guides patients through each stage systematically.
Medical Integration
CIRS is a medical condition. Prescription medications (such as cholestyramine or Welchol, which bind and remove mycotoxins from the body) are often a key part of treatment. Dr. Kogan's involvement ensures this is handled properly and safely.
Brain Recovery
Many CIRS patients experience significant cognitive symptoms — brain fog, memory issues, difficulty concentrating. Dr. Yakel's program specifically addresses brain health as a central treatment goal, not an afterthought.
You're Not Imagining It
CIRS is real, measurable, and treatable. Many patients come to this program after years of being dismissed. That's not the experience here.
Care Options
Free Discovery Call with Dr. Yakel
The starting point for all new patients. Schedule at drjonahyakel.com/cirs.
"The CIRS Brain Solutions" 12-Month Program
Dr. Yakel's full coaching and treatment program, including modules, Q&A, and 1:1 sessions.
Medical Oversight via GWCIM
Dr. Kogan provides the medical support layer — labs, prescriptions, and physician collaboration — coordinated through the GWCIM patient portal.
GWCIM Integrative Consultations
Available to program participants for any health needs beyond the CIRS program scope.
Mold Inspection
For patients who need their home or workplace assessed, we recommend Dr. Sogonov at InSitu EcoTesting (for DMV).
Home Mold Testing
A direct-to-consumer option is available through EnviroBiomics.
EXPERTISE
Recommended Providers
Jonah Yakel, D.C.
Functional Health Practitioner
Mikhail Kogan, MD
Integrative and Functional Medicine Physician | ReCODE Program | Chief Medical Officer
Mikhail Sogonov, PhD
Affiliated Provider | Environmental Indoor Inspections
Sharon DeMocker, MD
Integrative Medicine Physician
Misty Embrey, MD
Integrative Psychiatrist
LEARN MORE
What to expect as a patient
- Free Discovery Call: Before anything else, you'll have a no-obligation conversation with Dr. Yakel to discuss your symptoms and history and determine whether CIRS is a likely factor.
- 1:1 Consultations: Individual sessions with Dr. Yakel to review your lab results, imaging, and progress — and adjust your plan as you move through the protocol.
- 12 Step-by-Step Video Modules: A structured curriculum covering every dimension of CIRS, including neuroinflammation, hormonal imbalances, detoxification, dietary approaches, and brain recovery strategies.
- Weekly Live Q&A: Regular group sessions where you can ask questions, troubleshoot, and hear from Dr. Yakel in real time.
- Medical Support via GWCIM: Dr. Kogan serves as the collaborating physician. He orders and reviews labs, manages prescriptions, and provides medical oversight — all coordinated through a shared patient portal.
- Community Support: Access to a members-only group where you can connect with others navigating recovery from mold-related illness.
- Discounts: Reduced pricing on lab tests and supplements.
FAQ
Common Questions
To join the CIRS Brain Solutions program, contact Dr. Yakel directly:
👉 Schedule a free discovery call at drjonahyakel.com/cirs
If you're an existing GWCIM patient or prefer to start at GWCIM:
You're welcome to raise CIRS or mold-related concerns during any appointment with Dr. Kogan. He can evaluate whether the program is appropriate for you and make a warm introduction to Dr. Yakel.
📞 GWCIM: 202-833-5055 | info@gwcim.com New Patient Inquiry Form
You contact Dr. Yakel directly to start the program. Begin with his free discovery call at drjonahyakel.com/cirs. If you're already a GWCIM patient, you can also raise this during an appointment with Dr. Kogan, who can connect you with Dr. Yakel.
GWCIM provides the medical layer. Dr. Kogan acts as the collaborating physician — ordering lab work, reviewing results, managing prescriptions, and providing medical oversight. The full GWCIM integrative team is also available to participants for any concerns beyond the CIRS program itself.
GWCIM provides the medical layer. Dr. Kogan acts as the collaborating physician — ordering lab work, reviewing results, managing prescriptions, and providing medical oversight. The full GWCIM integrative team is also available to participants for any concerns beyond the CIRS program itself.
No. Dr. Yakel works with patients via video consultations. Some in-person visits at GWCIM may be needed for labs or physician appointments, but much of the program can be completed remotely.
It is a comprehensive, research-based clinical framework developed by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker for diagnosing and treating CIRS. It involves a specific sequence of steps — environmental remediation, prescription binders, dietary changes, supplements, and ongoing monitoring. Dr. Yakel is a certified Shoemaker Protocol specialist.
CIRS is diagnosed through a combination of symptom history, physical exam, specialized blood work, and sometimes visual contrast sensitivity testing. The free discovery call with Dr. Yakel is the first step in figuring out whether CIRS is a likely explanation for your symptoms.
Not necessarily. Mold exposure is common, and most people don't develop CIRS. Those who do typically have a genetic predisposition that prevents their immune system from clearing biotoxins. The discovery call and testing can help determine whether that's what's happening in your case.
Treatment is significantly less effective if ongoing exposure continues. Identifying and remediating the mold source — or relocating — is considered an essential first step in the protocol.
EDUCATION