What inspired you to become a naturopath, and how did your journey lead you to Santos Organics?
When I was in high school I contracted Glandular Fever (Epstein-Barr virus). My throat was in so much pain I could not even appreciate a beautiful sunset. It was then I realised if I don't have my health I have nothing. Health and well-being are our no.1 priority and foundation. When we are healthy we can appreciate, contribute, and experience joy. Without health, even wealth is meaningless. This led me to working in health food stores and eventually to study Naturopathy. I have now been with the Santos family for almost 8 years.
What are your credentials, and how long have you been practicing naturopathy?
I have a Bachelor of Naturopathy from Southern Cross University and have been a practicing naturopath for 8 years.
Which modalities do you use in your practice?
As a Naturopath, I am trained in a range of modalities including nutrition and herbal medicine. Each person requires and individualised approach depending on their needs.
What areas of naturopathy do you specialise in, and how do you apply your expertise to support well-being?
Naturopathy is holistic, which means we treat the person, rather than the condition. This incorporates the whole body as well as social, environmental and emotional factors. As holistic practitioners, naturopaths don't usually specialise as we see all parts of the person, within their environment, as connected. My passion is to help people find and address the areas that are needing the most attention and support.
For example, during the pandemic and the floods, the Santos Organics naturopaths we were able to offer herbal, nutritional and energetic support for immunity, as well as for anxiety and emotional upset. We were also able to bring awareness about post-flood mould and what people can do to prevent and treat mould related illness. During these times of turmoil I really felt gratitude from our community. Connected community is healing in and of itself and part of what we aim to facilitate. Folk were able to find at Santos a familiar, friendly face to come and talk to and connect with, share their fears and their tears, and get some help and support.
What holistic approach do you use to promote overall wellness?
As an over-the-counter consultation is a brief encounter, I rely not only on verbal information, but also my senses and intuition (my own and my client's) to guide me on how best to help. Most illness is caused by either toxicity, deficiency, inflammation or a combination of these. My goal as a naturopath is to help clients identify which of these factors is most relevant to their condition and well-being. If toxicity is a major factor, we need to identify the cause and support detoxification using nutrition, herbs, and other lifestyle factors such as sauna. If our client is deficient and depleted we need to find out why and support their assimilation of nutrition through gut healing, herbs, and nutritional advice. If our client is inflamed we need to find the cause and address it.
