Holistic healing

Complementary therapies: Naturopathy

To get well, everything must be in place for the body to heal itself

To get well, everything must be in place for the body to heal itself
Naturopathy is a powerful alternative therapy with a spectrum of holistic treatments in its arsenal. These include acupuncture, homeopathy and herbal medicine, as well as modern methods such as bio-resonance and ozone therapy – any of which a naturopath might use to treat a patient.

The central theory of the practice centres around a belief in a vital energy which governs bodily processes such as growth, reproduction and metabolism, which practitioners work to restore. Also central to everything is trust in the body’s own innate ability to heal itself, providing it’s given what it needs, be that the right nutrition, or a change in external environment.

Empowerment

The theory is, if the conditions in your life are right, such as your diet, home life and work environment, you’ll experience great improvements to your health. “Something I see almost daily in my clinic is TATT – tired all the time syndrome,” explains Rhaya Jordan, who has been practising naturopathy for 25 years. “People don’t want to feel exhausted – they want to do something about it but there is no real help for them in orthodox medicine. In naturopathy we work with the client towards permanent change.” Rhaya explains that a good naturopath should help you discover things about yourself, and you will come to know what triggers some of your symptoms, and what helps them. “Naturopathy helps put you back in charge of your own health, and that’s very empowering,” she says.

“Naturopathy helps put you back in charge of your own health, and that’s very empowering”

Consultation

Because naturopathy aims to treat the whole person by taking into consideration every aspect of their life, you should expect lots of questioning in your first consultation. Naturopaths have a complex philosophy about how interrelated your environment, genetics, habits and emotions are to your health. Everything is connected and everyone is unique. “My first consultation is usually up to an hour and a half,” says Rhaya. “I work with a technique called narrative medicine; that is, I ask for the whole story of how someone came to this point in their health.” In doing this, a naturopath will delve into past life events, looking for connections between external happenings, and changes in the body. “I want to know when was the last time a client felt really well, what methods they have tried in the past, what has worked for them and what hasn’t,” she says.

“I want to know what their routines are now, how they are eating and how well they sleep. I ask if they’ve had any operations, which medicine they take – all of this can take a while in order to build a complete history, but it gives us both a very holistic picture of how their health has evolved to this point. For those used to quick doctors’ appointments, detailing their health history into a properly examined narrative can be a revelation.”

Treatment

Each treatment is completely bespoke, but there’s often a focus on nutrition as a route to wellness. “Our modern world is polluted and it is all too easy to be overfed and undernourished,” explains Rhaya. “Good functioning of the gut and liver is vital in naturopathy, so I’ll often look at detoxification.

“If needed I conduct tests to see how the body is functioning – in a very different way to how orthodox medical testing does, which looks for disease. These are really detailed and especially useful in long-standing digestive or hormonal problems.”

“Eczema was ruining my life”

Nailah Abid was at her wits’ end with the painful skin condition

“When I started my treatment I was very frustrated. I’d tried many different herbal medicines, homeopathy and Chinese medicine but nothing worked at all.
“My symptoms first appeared when I was a baby, and by the time I was a toddler my mum was using very strong steroids on me. This kept it under control, but when I got older it got dramatically worse.

“Steroid creams stopped working, and the condition was really painful. I was depressed because I was young and very unconfident about my looks – it was so difficult. Then my personal trainer recommended the naturopathy clinic to get allergy tested.

“I started a food diary and slowly, different herbs and colloids were introduced to my diet. Within six months my eczema was noticeably better, and by nine months I was able to go on holiday without it being an issue! I did have several flair ups, but these were mainly when I’d eaten something I was intolerant to, like wheat or tomatoes. Two years down the line and the eczema is under control. I don’t get flair ups that much, and when I do, I easily manage them myself by taking extra supplements of potassium phosphate and magnesium phosphate. I have to watch what I eat as this is the main trigger, and I still have some eczema in stubborn places like the creases in my arms but my legs, face and neck are now clear.

“I’d definitely recommend naturopathy to others – it’s a great way of getting in tune with your body, and it really works.”

Rhaya works as a therapist at Anamchara detox retreats and the Wren Clinic. Visit anamcharadetox.com and wrenclinic.co.uk