Naturopathic Philosophy & Education
What do Naturopathic Practitioners study?
To be an accredited naturopath is to undertake rigorous 4 year fulltime study or up to 7 years parttime. With over 400 hours of clinical experience.
Subjects include; Health sciences, communication, naturopathic philosophy, nutrition, herbal medicine, professional practice, safe practices with specialisation units including homoeopathy, traditional diagnosis, massage, counselling and first aid.
Naturopaths are trained in several modalities including nutrition, herbal medicine, homoeopathy, iridology, massage etc.
Upon graduation, it is up to individual practitioners to decide which modalities they practice; every naturopath does not practice every modality.
It’s best to contact the practitioner directly to find out their specialisation. For a list of naturopaths in your area contact the ATMS 02 9009 6800 info@atms.com.au or visit atms.com.au
How do I find the right practitioner?
Like any professional - dentist, hairdresser, plumber or doctor, it’s important to know that your naturopath is qualified. The profession is strictly regulated and a naturopath must have graduated from an ‘accredited’ college to join a professional organization like the ATMS.
The sign of a good naturopath is that they are happy to work in with your doctor, physiotherapist or other health professional (and hopefully vice versa!). Naturopaths are trained to know interactions between natural medicines and prescription drugs, so it is important that all your health care practitioners know what medications you are on, natural or prescription.
The other ‘intangibles’ of finding the right practitioner are personality and approach. Apart from the professional organizations, recommendation by doctors, other health professionals or friends is often the best guide to finding the right naturopath for you.
What to expect in a consultation.
One of the biggest points of difference between naturopaths and doctors is the time spent in a consultation. On average the first consultation takes an hour. In that time a thorough medical history is taken, as well as looking at your diet and lifestyle habits. In addition to a thorough case history your naturopath may diagnose using other methods including iridology, tongue diagnosis, reflexology or a blood test. By the end of the consultation, your naturopath should explain what their diagnosis is and how they intend to help you.
How often do I need to see my naturopath?
This will depend on the reasons you are going. To help with a cold or flu, often one or two visits will do the trick. For more serious or long-term (chronic) conditions, the visits may be more regular. Once your treatment is over, or you are happy to continue with dietary changes, then it’s a good idea to have a yearly check-up with your naturopath, in a similar fashion as you would have regular checkups with your doctor or dentist.
What does it cost?
Each practitioner will have his or her own schedule of fees. At this stage there are no government/Medicare rebates for naturopathy. However, most private health funds will refund some amount of the consultation. This will vary from fund to fund, and according to your table of cover. ATMS has a list of private health funds that cover naturopaths.
 Naturopathic Herbal Remedies
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 Jacques Castel
Ph: 07 4094 1523
Mob: 04 07 815950   |
Philosophy |