Naturopathy – Naturopathic medicine is a healthcare system that focuses on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease using natural therapies. Mel’s focus is to spend enough time with patients to fully understand what is going on for them. She then makes a comprehensive assessment aided by testing, physical examinations and combined with evidence based research to provide the basis for establishing individually focused treatment plans to fulfil health goals of each patient.
Mel aims to treat the underlying cause of illness so she considers physical, mental, social and environmental health when considering treatment possibilities.

Many people come to see a naturopath because they seek alternatives to medical treatment; they have exhausted medical options and come in despair, or they want to work with both their GP and a naturopath to gain or maintain wellbeing. But you don’t have to be unwell to visit Mel as preventative health solutions are the key to wellbeing.

Sadly, many of us accept a decline in health and just put it down to “getting old” or “ being a woman isn’t easy” or some other idea of acceptance. Mel would like you to reconsider that type of thinking, as in many cases improvements can be made so you don’t have to live with symptoms that have become normal for you. Because we all deserve great health, and Mel will help you see how you can achieve this for yourself.

Medical herbalism – This is using plants, seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark or flowers for medicinal purposes. But don’t worry, you don’t have to eat any these things. You will receive yours in a bottle. Herbalism has a long tradition but is becoming more mainstream as advances in clinical research show the value of herbs in treating and preventing disease. If you are taking medication Mel will check any herbal prescription against your medical prescription and ensure they will not interfere with one another.

“Herbs are natures healers,.” un named.

Homeopathic remedies – Mel stocks homeopathic medications that can be prescribed to stimulate a particular biological function to address a symptom or illness. They are very popular as they are easy to take and help the body recover its biological balance gently.

“the highest ideal of cure is the speedy gentle and enduring restoration of health by the most trustworthy and least harmful way” Samuel Hahnemann founder of homeopathy.

Nutrition & dietary planning – “let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food” hippocrates . Supplements are great to fill a gap and help bring a balance back, but longer term Mel likes to work with food to maintain great health with people. As a part of your treatment plan Mel will work with you to devise some different ways of looking at food, but always within parameters that you are happy with. Dietary planning covers not only what you eat, but when you eat, being conscious of how you eat and beginning to understand how your choices affect how you feel. Nutrition for Mel is not about diets but about exploring different healthy food options and incorporating the ones you like into everyday living to help you feel great.

“I thought I already ate well, but it was more about when and how I chose to eat as much as it was about the food choices I made. I always ate on the run, never slowing down to enjoy it and often skipped meals altogether. I selected a couple of foodie things that Mel suggested and it really started to make a difference to my energy and how I felt. The big thing is it was quite easy when you know how!” N.A

Supplement prescription – When there are symptoms or illness there are often nutrient deficiencies that need correcting in order to help the body heal. By improving our diets we can then become less reliant on supplements to fill in the gaps. However there are many reasons why our bodies become nutrient depleted. Briefly these include; food no longer containing the nutrients it used too, poor food choices and preparation methods, poor digestion, environmental toxins, stress and hormonal imbalances. To help you rebalance your nutrient stores Mel stocks a range of practitioner only supplements offering her clients the best available on the New Zealand market. Mel checks each supplement to ensure they do not interact with your medications.

“When clients are unsure about supplements, I encourage them to take then and then stop, and feel the difference…..outcomes speak for themselves.” Mel

Infertility & preconception care – this is a personalised programme for prospective mums and dads. It is about getting yourselves into tip top shape to make the best baby you can. Based on work from leading practitioners from around the world, this programme has seen incredible results ending in many happy families. It requires a commitment of lifestyle changes, detoxification and supplements and herbs for a minimum of 4 months prior to conception. If there are health issues to address first, this lead in period will be longer. This programme can work in conjunction with assisted methods to increase success rates.

Foresight the world leader in this field has conducted 3 research projects with Surrey University to highlight the success of preconception care. Here is the first of them to highlight the results gained from the programme.
367 couples following the programme over 18 months. This group included women from 22 – 45 years and men from 25-59 years. 59% of the couples sought help for infertility with their history of infertility (37%), previous miscarriage (38%), therapeutic abortion (11%), still birth (3%), birth defects (2%). The remaining 41% had no reproductive concerns, with some of this group being in the older age group.

The results
89% of couples had a child with 81% of those in the infertile group
38.5 was the average birth age with no births before 36 weeks
average weight – male (3305g), female (3232g)
no evidence of miscarriage, perinatal deaths, birth defects or stays in intensive care
Compared to a normal population (no preconception care and no known infertility issues) it would be expected to result in;
70 miscarriages
12 birth defects
There are further studies to read about on the resources page – Preconception Care – research.

Every child deserves the right start, and that begins before conception.
A free chat prior to committing to this programme is available to ensure this is the right option for your family. Call Mel to learn more about this programme or check out the resource page for more information.

“It is the biggest buzz in the world when want to be parents call and tell me they are pregnant. They always sound surprised, but I’m not, as I know how powerful the programme is!”. Mel

Other Modalities - Mel has a network of other practitioners that she is happy to refer you too if your treatment is outside her scope of practise. She will also work with your GP to offer a collaborative solution to your treatment and health goals.