Although Smith & Co is a solo practice, I really don’t work alone. I have a referral network of trusted professionals that help you and I navigate the drivers of your presentation.
Naturopathic medicine has diagnostic limitations and General Practitioners (GPs), specialist sonographers, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, osteopaths, and exercise physiologists are important adjunct supports that may be suggested as part of your treatment plan.
Naturopathy is a comprehensive system of health care that encompasses all aspects of a person’s health: physical, psychological and spiritual. It is underpinned by naturopathic principles - supporting the healing power of nature, finding the root cause of ill health, first do no harm, treating the whole person and ‘doctor’ as teacher.
Person-centred care is widely recognised as a foundation to safe, high-quality healthcare. It is respectful and responsive to the needs and values of the individual patient. Smith & Co is centred on partnerships - fostering trust, establishing mutual respect and working together to share decisions around care. In my practice, treatment modalities focus on herbal medicine, wholefood nutrition and nutritional supplementation.
Herbal medicine, or botanical or phytomedicine, refers to the use of a plant's seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark, or flowers for medicinal purposes.
The raw material may be used directly e.g. the use of dried leaves, flowers and stems in a herbal tea, or manufactured to identify a herb's constituents to exert a therapeutic effect.
Wholefood nutrition is the use of foods in a state that resembles the form in nature, with minimal processing, but preparation and cooking that enables access to maximum nutrition. It is not a diet. It is ideally a simplified approach to making decisions about what you put into your body and capitalising on the characteristics that certain foods have, to improve one’s health.
It should be simple, but information overload confuses the issue.
Michael Pollan said it best: “Eat food, mostly plants, not too much.”
Smith & Co’s driving motivation is centred around empowering woman through education to understand the various symptoms that may arise during adolescence through to beyond menopause.
This includes:
• Balancing the female endocrine system to support Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).
• Uncovering the causes of abnormal uterine bleeding – heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia) and intermenstrual bleeding and conditions including endometriosis, adenomyosis and pelvic congestion syndrome.
• Investigating anovulation and oligomenorrhoea causes such as ovulatory dysfunction, hypothalamic amenorrhoea, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
• Breaking the cycle of urinary tract infections by understanding the drivers and ensuring thorough holistic investigations.
• Preconception care and continuity of care through pregnancy and the post-partum period
Naturopathy is uniquely placed to support conditions involving the nervous system. There is an emerging and compelling evidence base for the efficacy of herbal and nutritional medicine for depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
Strengthening of the immune system to reduce the frequency of infections and understanding the importance of a balanced immune system in the development of autoimmune conditions, are important considerations at Smith & Co.
Naturopathy offers significant benefit for patients with a wide range of gastrointestinal symptoms including bloating, heartburn, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea. These symptoms are often shared by multiple conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease, infections and liver insufficiency. Support includes dietary modification using wholefood nutrition, herbal medicine and nutritional supplementation.
Skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and acne are common conditions supported at Smith & Co. Acne can be a complex condition but is very receptive to dietary changes and herbal medicines. Considerations when assessing the origins of acne include the role of the gut and skin microbiota, hormones, inflammation and nutritional imbalances.
Naturopathy can assist with the identification and assessment of thyroid disorders, such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and post-partum thyroiditis. Assistance with convalescence and fatigue involves comprehensive assessment of the demands placed on the adrenal glands and can be supported with a specific class of herbal medicine known as adaptogens.
Naturopaths are the fabric of preventative health care. Poor metabolic health, characterised by increased waist circumference, increased triglycerides levels, decreased HDL levels, increased glucose and hypertension are drivers of systemic inflammation. Modifying inflammation and identifying the drivers is a paramount treatment goal.
In addition to a speciality in Women’s Health, a significant proportion of Smith & Co referrals are men. Their specific reasons for presenting involve mental ill health, digestive complaints, metabolic inflammation and impaired fertility.
Simply make a booking online, call or email me to start working with Smith & Co Naturopathic Medicine.
During your initial consultation I will get to know you better through case-taking, investigations and assessment.
Once we've assessed your condition and health, we will work together to co-create the best treatment goals and plan, designed just for you.
Your health is important to me. We'll arrange for ongoing review consultations and adjust your treatment plan along the way.