What Is A Naturopath?
By Corinne Leach
When you think of ‘naturopathy’, what first comes to mind? For some people it may be restrictive diets, juice cleanses and buying 100% organic produce. For others it may be living more ‘naturally’ and in tune with our bodies. What if I was to tell you that improving your overall health with natural medicine doesn’t have to entail an “all or nothing” approach?
Naturopathy is holistic care, taking into consideration the physical state of the body, as well as a person’s emotional, social, spiritual and behavioural needs. Individualised client treatment plans are formulated after taking a thorough case history, and encourage the body’s biological mechanisms of healing. My approach is gentle and nurturing, and my intention is to support you to make changes that are both achievable and maintainable.
My clients are primarily (but not limited to) women and mothers, and I am passionate about supporting them to better manage their stress levels, which may be ongoing. This may involve the help of herbal or nutritional medicine, and appropriate dietary and lifestyle modifications. Additionally, I strongly support the collaboration of natural medicine and conventional medicine for the best health outcomes for the individual person.
Clinically my ethos is to test instead of guess, and as a result I strongly utilise pathology testing and functional testing where indicated. These results help to guide me towards the underlying causes of persistent health issues. Individual symptoms are pieces of a puzzle, pieces that are part of a whole picture (you).
The changes I recommend will overall be non-restrictive and maintainable, small changes which can be built on, while you still enjoy the food you love, with some simple tweaks. There are time when dietary restrictions may be necessary, but they will generally be short term. All dietary and lifestyle changes will be well-explained so that you understand why they need to happen. Education plays a major role for myself and my clients in practice, as I feel if you understand why the change is necessary, you will be better equipped on your path to optimal health.
I am here to support you, not shame you. I don’t expect you to be perfect, and I will meet you where you’re at on your health journey right now. From here, I will guide you with the tools required to improve your health. I understand change can be hard, and I am committed to encouraging you throughout the process.