Today we are focusing on what you can expect when you work with me as your Naturopath, and how it is a transformative process of education, empowerment, and healing. Naturopathy is unlike any other form of health care that you might embark upon, and there are several wonderful reasons for this. Let us start by looking at what you can expect from your first consultation with me.

What does it mean to work with a Naturopath?
Your initial consultation with me will be a warm, caring, and in-depth experience for you. We take approximately one hour together. This means we have the time for you to fully explain your health history, and for me to ask the questions necessary to form a complete picture of what is happening with your current state of health. I may also examine your eyes, skin, nails, and tongue for any signs of imbalance. If this is not conclusive enough, we can order any necessary pathology tests to get to the bottom of what’s happening in your body.

During this process, I am always mindful of what your personal health goals are, and you will be involved and consulted every step of the way. This allows you to make decisions from a fully informed point of view, which is a hugely important part of this process together.

Empowered treatment plans

After your initial fact-finding consultation, I will formulate a treatment plan based on both your health goals and what I have ascertained that your body needs to recover and come back into balance.

We will have the opportunity to discuss this treatment plan in full together. This is so that you can learn not only about your health and what it currently needs but also about the proposed treatments and the effects they can have on your body. This process is not about me telling you what to do; it is about you becoming educated on what your body needs right now, and then choosing how to proceed from this place of being informed and knowledgeable about your own body.

Treatment options

The treatment components that I most often integrate into healthcare plans include:

Herbal medicine
Nutritional medicine
Dietary changes, using food as medicine
Stress reduction practices
Spiritual and emotional integration practices
Lifestyle changes as necessary, such as looking at your sleeping patterns and exercise behaviours and changing these if needed.

These changes can be deeply personal, which is why it is important to discuss the proposed treatment and any available options with you. You get to choose what is going to fit best into your life. There is no blindly following of instructions when we work together; instead, you take the lead in decision making and I support you to have your desires and needs met whilst also making sure your health needs are covered.

Once we have settled on a treatment plan, we go through the process of your healing journey together. You may have return consultations monthly or fortnightly, and these go for approximately 30 minutes each. These consultations are a chance for us to talk about how your treatments are creating change in your body, and to tweak them if necessary. There is no set period for working together, but my patients usually see good changes in their health within a 3-month time frame.

In conclusion, the true valuing of seeing a Naturopath for your health care is in having the opportunity to be truly listened to and heard. Together we go through your health history and uncover the root causes of your current state of health. This is not something that is easy to find in today’s healthcare space. We then work together to formulate the best treatment plan for your needs, based on what is going to fit into your life, be achievable and feel good to you. Having empowerment over your healthcare is a wonderful thing, and I will be beside you every step of the way to guide and support your progress.

Self-empowerment and Naturopathic Health Care