Allie Sanderson

A naturopathic consultation is a long one — usually an hour for a first appointment — covering your health history, diet, sleep, stress, digestion and energy in more detail than a standard GP visit allows. From that, your naturopath suggests changes to diet and lifestyle and, where appropriate, nutritional or herbal supplements. The emphasis is on the things that are within your control day to day.

The most common reasons are:

• Digestive complaints — bloating, irregularity, discomfort after eating
• Fatigue and low energy
• Women's health, including cycle-related symptoms and perimenopause
• Sleep problems
• Stress and feeling run down
• General diet and nutrition review

In part, and it is worth being straight about which part. Some of what naturopaths use has solid evidence behind it — dietary change, fibre, sleep and stress management, and a number of specific nutrients for specific deficiencies. Other traditional treatments have limited or poor-quality evidence. The honest position is that naturopathy is a mixed field, and the practitioner worth seeing is the one who can tell you which category a given recommendation falls into, and who says "the evidence for that is weak" when it is.

Naturopathy is not government-registered in Australia, so the title is not protected and training varies. The recognised standard is a Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy) — a four-year degree covering anatomy, physiology, pathology, nutrition and herbal medicine — together with membership of a professional association, which requires that qualification and carries a code of conduct. Ask any naturopath about both before booking.

It works alongside medical treatment rather than instead of it. For someone being treated for cancer, heart disease or diabetes, naturopathy has a real contribution to make — diet, energy, digestion, and managing the side effects of the treatment itself. What it does not do is replace that treatment, and no naturopath here will suggest declining or delaying it. One anywhere who does is one to walk away from.

Yes to both, and it is why the medication list matters. "Natural" does not mean inert — herbal medicines are pharmacologically active, which is why they work and also why they interact. St John's wort reduces the effectiveness of a number of medications, including the contraceptive pill and some antidepressants, and high-dose fish oil and certain herbs affect bleeding risk alongside blood thinners. Bring a complete list of everything you take, prescription and over-the-counter, so your naturopath can prescribe around it — and whoever manages your medications is kept in the loop about what you are given here.