About me
My name is Micaela. I am a trauma-informed naturopath, nutritionist, herbalist, and mind-body eating coach with a special interest in mental health and women's hormonal imbalances. I have a passion for helping people and using my knowledge as a naturopath to make a positive difference in people’s lives. I offer gentle, non-judgmental support and guidance, and I practice evidence-based natural medicine to identify the most appropriate and relevant treatment options for you. I incorporate dietary and lifestyle advice along with nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, and mind-body eating coaching, to create a unique treatment plan for each individual. In addition, I believe in the importance of supporting and complementing existing medical treatment where possible and taking into account any possible interactions with prescribed medication. I can prescribe pathology tests, including functional testing if required.
My interest and passion for natural medicine stemmed from my own mental health challenges. I have great compassion and understanding for people suffering from mental health issues and having gone through some myself, I know how debilitating it can be.
I have found natural medicine to be a gentle, safe, and effective system of healthcare that brought relief to my own depression and anxiety. I am passionate about holistic health and treating the individual as a whole; taking into consideration not only the biology of each individual but also their mental, emotional, spiritual states and personal story in their health journey.
Other areas of interest which I believe can also have a significant impact on mental health, include stress management, sleep issues, fatigue syndromes, female hormonal imbalances, thyroid conditions, cognitive issues, immune dysfunction (including food allergies/intolerances, autoimmune conditions), digestive complaints, eating challenges (overeating, binge eating, body image, chronic dieting). I also have an interest in perimenopause and menopause, as well as late diagnosis of ADHD in women and continue my further learning in these areas.
For my naturopathic training, I have attained a Bachelor Degree in Health Science-Naturopathy. This four-year degree involves extensive training across a diverse range of subjects including biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, clinical medicine, dietary planning, pharmacology, clinical examination, nutritional medicine and western herbal medicine.
In addition to my degree qualifications, I have also studied mind-body nutrition, eating psychology, and counselling techniques. Recently, I have also begun further study in the area of trauma and nervous system imbalances that contribute to poor mental and general health. I find that incorporating these principles and techniques into my work with clients helps to bring about positive change and restore health in many aspects of life.
I am a registered and fully accredited member of ANTA (Australian Natural Therapists Association), which ensures my qualifications are valid, Continuing Professional Education (CPE) points are regularly updated by attending seminars, conferences and mentorship programmes, and that most major health rebates will apply. Please contact your health fund to determine your eligibility for a rebate.
What is Naturopathy and how it can help you
Naturopathy is a holistic approach to wellness based on the principle that the body has the inherent ability to heal itself once we take away obstacles to healing such as physical and emotional stress, poor diet, poor sleep and infections to name a few. Naturopathic principles are based on treating each person as an individual and treating the whole person.
Using the healing power of nature and gentle therapeutic modalities, the body, mind, and emotions are supported during the healing process. Naturopathic treatments boost the body’s natural healing potential, restore harmony and prevent disease. Naturopathy can alleviate a wide range of conditions and is suitable for all ages.
Six foundational principles underpin the practice of naturopathy:
- First, do no harm
- Support the healing power of nature
- Identify and treat the cause of the symptoms whenever possible
- Treat the person as a whole
- Education; doctor as teacher
- Prevention is better than cure
These principles are kept in mind when I take your case, develop a treatment plan, and put in place an individualized protocol for the maintenance of long-term wellbeing. Treatment plans may include dietary advice, herbal preparations, supplements, flower essences, homeopathic remedies, and lifestyle interventions.
I practice evidence-based naturopathic medicine, which includes both scientific and traditional evidence.
The modalities I use in my practice include dietary and nutritional advice; using food as medicine by addressing meal planning, macronutrient balance and meal preparation, clinical nutritional medicine, western herbal medicine, flower essences, lifestyle advice/counselling, and mind-body eating principles such as mind-body nutrition.
What conditions can I help with?
- Mood disorders- anxiety, depression, post-natal depression, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder
- Disordered eating, body image issues, and eating disorders (eating disorder treatment as part of an integrative health care team)
- Improving memory and cognition
- Stress management
- Headaches
- Fatigue syndromes - post-viral fatigue, chronic fatigue, ‘burnout’
- Female hormone imbalance- premenstrual syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, fibroids, endometriosis, adenomyosis, perimenopause and menopause transition, libido issues
- Late diagnosis of ADHD (women)
- Skin conditions - eczema, psoriasis, acne
- Thyroid conditions
- Blood sugar imbalances
- Weight management
- Sleep disorders
- Immune dysfunction (recurrent respiratory infections/colds and flu, urinary tract infections, sinusitis, food allergies & sensitivities)
- Poor digestion, digestive disorders and food intolerances
- Pain syndromes-fibromyalgia, arthritic conditions
- Addictions – substances and behavioural
- Mitigating the side effects of prescribed pharmaceutical medication
- Preventative medicine and general wellbeing