People often ask why I became a naturopath. The truth is, I don't think there was ever one defining moment.
I've always been fascinated by the natural world. Not in a vague "I love nature" kind of way. In a stop-on-a-hike-to-photograph-a-mushroom kind of way.
I've always been curious. Curious about how microbes can transform cabbage into sauerkraut or milk into yoghurt. Curious about how a tiny seed somehow carries the blueprint for an entire tree. Curious about how medicinal plants create compounds to protect themselves, and in turn, us.
I don't think I've ever met a food, place or idea I wasn't willing to explore.
That curiosity has taken me through travel, living in different places, learning from people with different perspectives, making things with my hands, asking questions, years of study... and eventually into clinical naturopathy.
I still spend much of my spare time making and creating. Feeding my sourdough starter, growing medicinal herbs, crocheting, making creams, herbal teas and natural perfume oils. If you can grow it, ferment it or infuse it, I've probably had a go at making it.
Looking back, I realise the questions I was asking about nature were the same questions I was asking about people.
Why do some bodies thrive while others struggle? Why can two people have the same diagnosis but feel completely different? What gets in the way of health, and what creates the conditions for it to return?
That same curiosity is what I bring into every consultation.
One of the things that drew me to naturopathy was that it asks questions that often don't fit neatly into a standard consultation. Rather than simply asking "What symptom do you have?", I'm interested in understanding how your health history, diet, stress, sleep, environment, digestive function, nutrient status and lifestyle interact to shape the bigger picture.
My desire is to help people make sense of their own health, by cutting through the noise of conflicting wellness advice and creating an individualised plan that actually fits the person sitting in front of me.
