As a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist- and Naturopath- my approach to healthcare is based very much on the understanding that the body has an innate ability to heal itself. Our bodies are amazing. Just think what it is has to put up with on a daily basis! But it will always try to revert to a healthy state (our temperature regulation is a simple way of thinking about this).

Without realising it, we may be subjecting our bodies to years of improper diet, an overload of toxins, poor body structure, excess stresses, but it quite happily keeps going until one day the balance is tipped and symptoms start to appear.

With any client I meet I am looking to understand the underlying route causes- not simply looking at the presenting symptoms- and to seek ways to support the body to help restore balance and health. I look at the whole person and not just a set of symptoms or a named disease.

Naturopaths recognise that an imbalance, deficiency or overload on one level will inevitably cause compensatory repercussions on all other levels. This might mean that emotional disturbances may affect organs or muscles, that spinal problems may affect digestion, that poor nutrition may affect our emotional state and so on.  An area that is really coming to the fore now is “Mind-Body” (psychoneuroimmunology) but it is really what Naturopaths have always considered for hundreds of years.

Naturopathic protocols are gentle, supportive and non-invasive. The key factors I consider are lifestyle, diet, structure and environment and I will take all of these factors into consideration when developing a plan with a client.  With this in mind, I focus on nutrition, bodywork Hydrotherapy and other supportive approaches like Bach Flowers or herbs. I refer on (to herbalists, homeopaths, mind therapies or bodywork specialists) where I can see a need for this.

And underlining all of this is the principle that my most important role is as "health educator" and I spend time with my clients on agreeing a realistic plan toward a lifestyle that is health-promoting. I remain up-to-date on current developments to be able to provide accurate, informed, reliable and appropriate answers to clients' queries.

What some clients find difficult is that there is no such thing as a ‘magic pill”. We would all love that to be the case! Unlike many therapies clients must ultimately do the work themselves by taking ownership and personal responsibility for their health. But I aim to provide the understanding/justification, inspiration and encouragement plus always lend a supportive ear.