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What is a Naturopath? | Why See a Naturopath? | Find a Naturopath Near Me
Naturopaths are experts in personalised healthcare and natural medicine, discover the benefits of visiting these healthcare professionals and what to expect from a consultation.
The thought of seeing a Naturopath for the first time can feel quite daunting when you don’t know what to expect. Rest assured, hundreds of thousands of Australians visit Naturopaths every year and experience exceptional health outcomes across a broad range of health issues, from gastrointestinal issues to stress and reproductive health. Seeking treatment from a Naturopath has proven to be life changing for a lot of individuals due to their comprehensive and holistic treatment approach that supports long term health and wellbeing.
Often patients who seek out natural healthcare practitioners are frustrated with ongoing or chronic symptoms that are getting worse, either seeking a resolution or simply drawn to a more holistic approach to their health.
What is a Naturopath and What do They do?
Naturopathy is a health practice that has been around for more than 100 years based on seven principles from the teachings of Hippocrates (the “Father of Medicine”). There are the key to understanding the philosophy that underlies how a Naturopath views and treats a person:
- First, do no Harm: Choose the most gentle, effective and non-invasive strategy to achieve the desired health outcome for the patient. For this reason, a Naturopath is also educated on herbal medicine safety, drug interactions and contraindications.
- The Healing Power of Nature: The role of the Naturopath is to support, facilitate and augment the powerful, innate bodily mechanisms to heal and restore health.
- Treat the Cause: Naturopathic care includes identifying and addressing the underlying cause of the condition or disease, along with any aggravating factors. Naturopaths do not simply manage the symptoms, though symptom management strategies are often included in their plan to improve quality of life.
- Docere (latin word meaning ‘to teach’): A naturopath seeks to educate people, providing guidance on health and various factors that influence their wellbeing. This practice aims to empower individuals to be capable of maintaining their own health.
- Treat the Whole Person – Each individual is unique and the way an illness presents is different from one person to another, therefore treating the entire person (not just a specific organ) is paramount in naturopathic practice.
- Prevention: A leading objective is to prevent disease and attain optimal health, to promote a healthy lifestyle, adopt interventions and assess various environmental and external factors to avoid the development of disease.
- Wellness: Foster a state of being healthy and well, for an individual to experience and feel a true state of wellness and optimum health.
As Naturopaths treat the whole person, it is essential that a thorough consultation and investigation is undertaken to find the underlying cause of a patient’s presentation in clinic. This includes discussing individual and family health history, diet and nutrition, sleep quality and energy levels. It also usually includes determining any health goals you are looking to achieve. Treatment is holistic and uses the healing power of nature and the fundamental principle that the body has the inherent ability to heal itself, given the right environment and tools. These include herbal and nutritional supplements, dietary counselling and lifestyle recommendations, to address the root cause and not just treat the symptoms.
The Gut is the Cornerstone of Healthy Bodies & Minds
Naturopaths practice with the knowledge and understanding that all health begins in the gut. Therefore, a thorough understanding of digestion, bowel function and dietary habits is paramount to determine the relationship between the gastrointestinal tract, other systems and the overall health of the body.
Why See a Naturopath?
Naturopaths seek to determine and address the underlying cause of disease rather than just managing and treating symptoms. By doing this, Naturopaths look to resolve illnesses that in some cases, people have suffered with and endured for many years. Often patients feel relieved they are finally able to get to the bottom of their long-standing symptoms. To a Naturopath, being healthy is not just about the absence of disease, it’s about patients feeling well and thriving as the best version of themselves. With this approach, Naturopaths seek to help people with;
- Digestive issues such as constipation, urgency, reflux, bloating and pain.
- Stress, anxiety & mood disorders
- Sleep issues & insomnia
- Immune health challenges including allergies
- Pain management & inflammatory conditions
- Reproductive issues and fertility support
- Metabolic disease and weight management
What Should I Expect in my First Consultation with a Naturopath?
It is common practice for Naturopath’s to offer a ‘discovery call’ – a short, free of charge phone conversation to gauge suitability of what they offer, talk about your health concerns and understand their treatment strategies. After filling in a patient questionnaire, an initial consultation with a Naturopath can take anywhere between 60-90 minutes. In this session, they will undertake a detailed assessment of you looking into various areas of body function, symptoms, dietary assessment, current medications and main health concerns as well as your medical history. A physical assessment including examining your tongue and fingernails, as well as iridology (a study of the eye’s iris) may be included, which can show signs of health predispositions or nutritional deficiencies. In some cases, Naturopaths may send patients for pathology testing to understand their nutritional status, food intolerances or toxin exposure, as contributing causes to your current health situation.
At the end of your consultation, a detailed treatment plan is outlined which may include a prescription of nutritional and herbal medicines, specific dietary recommendations – what to eat or avoid, as well as lifestyle modifications. The cost of seeing a Naturopath varies widely depending on their level of experience, fields of specialty and location, with an average cost being $150 to $250 per consultation. Often there are programs available alongside a payment schedule which can help you stick to your personalised plan to get the most out of seeing a Naturopath.
Choosing a Naturopath
Ensure your Naturopath is fully qualified and accredited by a Professional Association, such as the Australian Natural Therapists Association (ANTA) or Naturopaths & Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA), among others. Having been accredited by Professional Association ensures they adhere to a standardised code of practice and meet qualification criteria for membership (such as an Advanced Diploma in Naturopathy or a Bachelor of Health Science Naturopathy as a minimum). Naturopathic practitioners blend science-backed, evidence based natural health strategies with rich traditional knowledge, and demonstrate a thorough and in-depth understanding of human biology and physiology. They work with you to create a plan that will suit your lifestyle and cater to your personal situation, helping you achieve optimal health outcomes.
To find a Naturopath in your area, visit our Find a Practitioner page and enter your postcode.