The path to establishing wellness naturally is one many are choosing to take, but too often the journey becomes overwhelming when attempting to sift through the abundance of information available to us (especially online). Whether you’re seeking an improvement to current health conditions or advice around maintaining wellbeing, Naturopathy is a widely practiced natural health care system to consider.
As a holistic modality for health and healing, Naturopathy focuses on discovering the root cause of dis-harmony or imbalance within the body. It recognizes and supports the body’s innate ability to restore and rebalance itself.
But what exactly is a Naturopath?
Naturopaths are natural health practitioners that have obtained Naturopathic and Herbal Medicine qualifications through formal training. They empower individuals with knowledge about their bodies and help to increase vitality, support overall well-being and reach specific health goals using natural solutions.
It’s a whole-istic approach!
A Naturopath considers the whole person when investigating their current state of health, including physical function (organs and organ systems), psychological/emotional wellbeing, spiritual beliefs or practices, and environmental factors such as dietary and lifestyle habits.
It is a completely individualized form of health care, where one is not simply reduced to their symptoms or diagnosed medical condition. Symptoms or existing disease is the body giving us obvious signals that something deeper is out of balance. A Naturopaths's role is to take these clues, as well as all other information gathered from the individual, and formulate personalized recommendations that will facilitate restorative healing.
A Naturopath's tool kit.
Drawing from both traditional knowledge and current scientific research, A Naturopath may recommend any of the following;
- Herbal Medicine
- Dietary advice
- Functional and nutritional supplementation
- Homeobotanical and flower essence remedies
- Lifestyle adjustments
- Specialized testing
What health concerns can Naturopathy support?
At Huckleberry, our qualified in-store Naturopaths offer support and advice that may provide symptomatic relief and work towards addressing the underlying cause/s of many acute health concerns (those which have come on recently or suddenly) such as;
- Winter ills and flu
- Gastrointestinal discomfort – reflux, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, etc.
- Stress, low mood, anxiousness
- Physical injury or musculoskeletal pain
- Sleeplessness
- Skin complaints – eczema, rash, acne, cuts and wounds
- PMS, menstrual cramping
Empowering individuals with information about their health is another cornerstone of Naturopathic practice thus, our Naturopaths are a great resource for those wanting to know more about;
- Dietary requirements or nutritional advice
- Preventative health care (eg building immunity through winter or supporting cardiovascular health)
- Pre, during, post-conception requirements
Scope of practice in a health store setting.
To ensure recommendations are not only effective but also safe for an individual, Huckleberry Naturopaths do not formulate plans to support complex, chronic or on-going medical conditions. As time spent with each customer is limited, our Naturopaths do not conduct full consultations that would allow a deep dive into health history, current prescribed medications or test results.
As safety is our main priority, individuals presenting with conditions that require further information gathering and evaluation will be referred to a clinical Naturopath, GP, body work therapist or mental health practitioner (psychosynthesis, counselling).
We look forward to welcoming you in-store soon, to offer any dietary, nutritional advice, or supplement support you may need.
-Article by Naturopath Kate Dalliessi
