Naturopathy Treatment Services
Be treated as a whole person, not as parts in isolation.
Our Integrative Naturopath takes a holistic approach, lifestyle and dietary factors and environmental influences - all which can connect to impact health and wellbeing along with assisting in finding the root cause behind “dis-ease”.
While naturopathic medicine is particularly helpful in supporting people dealing with chronic health complaints, it can also deliver benefits in supporting acute conditions (cold and flus) and anyone interested in enhancing and optimising their wellbeing.
What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a holistic approach to healthcare that applies natural therapies through scientific evidence-based research and traditional knowledge. Naturopathic principles are based on treating each person as a whole person, not just the affected parts. Through a tailored and individualised treatment plan non-toxic, safe, and non-invasive natural therapy can be applied to guide the body’s natural ability to heal. By guiding the body’s innate ability to heal the mind, body and emotions are supported during the healing process. Naturopathic medicine can assist with guiding you back to optimal health or wellness or enhance it.
Naturopathy takes into account a client’s lifetime of experiences, pinpointing events that may have contributed to their health complaints. Emotionally charged fragments can be left behind from these events in the form of verbal and non-verbal ways. These include physical sensations, behaviours, impulses, or symptoms of illness. These fragments can leave a trail of crumbs that can help us find the root cause of disease or find our way back home to optimal health and harmony within.
Naturopathic Treatments
We holistically create individualised treatment plans by applying and recommending modifications or natural therapies to address your health concerns and desired health outcomes. The treatments we create combine botanical medicine, dietary and nutritional support, lifestyle modifications, iridology, flower essences and functional pathology.
Our naturopaths understand that working collaboratively with other healthcare practitioners is best practice for patients to have successful health outcomes. Understanding patients’ stories and tailoring a treatment plan to their specific needs and lifestyle allows for greater compliance and clinical success.
Areas of Interest:
Mental and emotional health
Children’s mental health
Women’s health
Pre-conception, conception, pregnancy and lactation
Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, PCOS, PMS
Dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain and menstrual irregularity)
Gut health (IBS, indigestion, constipation, reflux, food intolerances, bloating, liver complaints, SIBO)
Colds and flus
Stress
Anxiety disorders and depression
Sleep disturbances
Meet our Naturopath
Lucinda De Matteis
Integrative Naturopath, ND
BHSc (Naturopathy)
Lucinda believes that there is a core language approach to optimising health and wellness. She holds a Bachelor of Health Science in Naturopathy from the Endeavour College of Natural Health and is a member of the Naturopaths & Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA). She undertakes ongoing education to ensure that her clients are receiving the best possible care.
“I believe that when an individual is provided with an array of tools to add and use within their toolbox, they are equipped with the skills required to connect them back within their body. The beauty of having these tools is that they can be used for life. I believe these tools form an integral part in patients staying on course, can be used during a crisis and provide strategies on how to get back on track.”
Lucinda has a special interest in mental and emotional wellbeing and enjoys managing gastrointestinal complaints and women’s health. She looks forward to furthering her knowledge and interest in working with children and supporting their mental and emotional health. Within her clinical practice, Lucinda has noticed the importance of the first 5 years of life and how this can set the path for future health outcomes regarding all areas of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. She believes that if we can help support and nurture children during early childhood, we can transform lives for generations to come.
Lucinda is most grounded whilst gardening in her vegetable patch, travelling, taking long walks in nature, getting creative whilst scrapbooking/painting and cooking. She loves spending time with her fiancé, their Samoyed and her big family. She is thrilled to be creating a loving community and forming meaningful and purposeful connections with each person she meets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is naturopathy?
Naturopathic medicine is holistic approach to healthcare that applies natural therapies through scientific evidence-based research and traditional knowledge. Naturopathic principles are based on treating each person as a whole person, not just the affected parts. Naturopathic medicine can assist with guiding you back to optimal health or wellness or enhance it.
Who will benefit from Naturopathic Medicine?
If you are wanting to achieve optimal health, then having a naturopathic medicine consultation is for you. Naturopathic consultations are good for anyone dealing with chronic symptoms, such as:
- Digestive issues
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Sleep issues
- Hormonal imbalances
- Reproductive complaints
- Autoimmune conditions
These sessions also benefit anyone who are just not feeling like their health is at an optimal level or for people who want to optimise health and longevity. Adults and children will also benefit from this level of health care.
How do I book in a naturopathic medicine consultation?
You can book in a naturopathic medicine consultation by booking online, giving us a call, or emailing us. We will endeavour to reach any of your enquires within 48 hours given you have contacted us within our trading days and hours.
What is involved in a Naturopathic Medicine consult
Before the consultation: Before your first consult you will receive an email confirming your appointment with an intake form attached. This intake form and pre-assessment questionnaire is to be completed prior to your first appointment with Lucinda.
During the consultation: Right from your initial consultation the space is held for you to speak about what is going on for you. This is your opportunity to tell us your story, and for a lot of people this is the first time that they may feel like they are truly feeling heard and being seen. A comprehensive health review will be undertaken which will involve gathering information around your presenting health condition, past health conditions, medical history, family history, diet, lifestyle, and a discussion of impactful events within your timeline. Any past and current medications and supplements will also be discussed and reviewed.
You will leave this consultation with an individualised treatment plan tailored specifically for you. This treatment plan may include any dietary and lifestyle modifications, prescriptions, or further investigative testing. The treatment plan will be thoroughly explained to you were any questions or concerns you may have will be answered and explained in depth.
A review consultation will also be arranged to monitor your progress a week or two after your initial consultation.
After the consultation: The treatment plan will be sent via email within 24-48 hours which includes everything that you will need until your next consultation.
Often further investigations maybe needed which will need to be followed up with the specified health practitioner before the next appointment. Any results received are encouraged to be sent before the next appointment to Lucinda so they are thoroughly examined. Your results and findings will be discussed in your next consultation.
If a prescription has been given as part of the treatment plan these will be sent via Australia Post Express following your approval and full payment. Deliveries should be expected within 1-2 business days unless communicated otherwise.
Where do naturopathic medicine consultations take place?
Our consultations are conducted in our beautiful rooms in-person at either of our Essendon or Aberfeldie locations and online via Zoom. To find out what days Lucinda is available at these locations head to our bookings link or give us a call.
What is your cancellations policy?
You will be notified to confirm your consultation 72 hours before your scheduled appointment. A cancellation fee of 50% will be applied when you do not provide notice before 3pm on the previous business day. This fee will be processed with the payment details provided when booking your appointment.
For any reason that Lucinda cannot make a scheduled appointment, she will provide as much notice as possible. In this event you will not be charged a cancellation fee and your consultation will be rescheduled.
Do you need a referral?
No, it is not necessary to get a referral to see a naturopath. We do recommend that you discuss with your doctor that you are visiting a naturopath as it’s in your best interest that all your health care providers communicate with each other.
What is a treatment plan?
Establishing a treatment plan is based on your presenting complaint and symptoms presented. Our Integrative Naturopath utilise a variety of tools including:
- Microbiome testing
- Functional pathology
- Hormonal panels
- Physical Examinations
After assessing the initial visit our integrative naturopath will give you a customised treatment plan. A treatment plan is a guide implemented together by your Integrative Naturopath and the patient that includes a detailed explanation on dietary and lifestyle modifications, recipes, referrals, herbal and nutraceutical prescriptions. This guide is used to support the patient towards reaching their goals and provide valuable education on the benefits of any changes. The treatment plan will be sent via email within 24-48 hours which includes everything that you will need until your next consultation.
Do I need to stop taking my prescription medications?
Our Naturopath looks at your health from a whole perspective; this includes any prescription medicines that you may be taking. You will need to discuss any medications or supplements that you are taking with them. Natural medicines are to be treated with the same care as medicines prescribed by your doctor. We will ensure there are no interactions with the natural medicine we prescribe with your medicines prescribed by your GP to avoid any adverse effects.
Our naturopaths will never tell you to stop a prescribed medication without discussing this with you and your GP first. We believe in the integration of medicine and bringing the best of natural and medical care together.
What is included in the consultation fee?
The consultation fee includes a private one on one consultation with Lucinda. A comprehensive health review will be undertaken which will involve gathering information around your presenting health condition, past health conditions, medical history, family history, diet, lifestyle, and a discussion of impactful events within your timeline. Any past and current medications and supplements will also be discussed and reviewed. You will leave each consultation with an individualised treatment plan tailored specifically for you. The consultation fee also includes the time spent outside of the appointment where further research and investigations are taken to conduct in-depth analyses into your pathology and creation of your botanical medicines.
Are there any additional costs?
Any prescriptions or investigative testing that are recommended are an additional cost from the consultation fee. These additional costs will be discussed with Lucinda in your consultation and can vary between $0-250 which can be additional cost on top of the consultation fee.
Please note that every single treatment plan is thoughtfully created with your financial situation in mind. We will never prescribe anything that does not fit into your financial needs and Lucinda will accommodate this without compromising your health outcomes.
Are the consultation costs covered by private health insurance?
Unfortunately, as of April 1st 2019, all private health funds removed naturopathy from their included extras meaning that no more private health rebates are available for naturopathy at this stage. This occurred due to a government reform regarding federal contributions to the private health funds for complementary medicine modalities. Since the government removed their contributions for these therapies, the private health funds have chosen not to continue offering these extras to their customers.
Are there any Medicare rebates?
Unfortunately, there are no items available under the Medicare benefit scheme for Naturopathy.
A helping hand by giving back.
Giving to causes that are close to our hearts holds significant importance for Lucinda.
Our Naturopath Lucinda is pleased to support the Child Rescue Coalition. For every Initial Naturopathic consultation a $5 donation will be made.
The Child Rescue Coalition is a non-profit organisation that rescues children from sexual abuse by building technology for law enforcement, free of charge, to track, arrest and prosecute child predators.
Lucinda wants to create a unified stance against the sexual abuse of children to bring hope to survivors around the world. Lucinda believes it’s time to end the silence and hopes the donations can fight to protect children and keep them safe.
If you feel complied to make a personal donation to the Child Rescue Coalition click the Donate button below.
NOTE: The raised money by Lucinda will be donated to The Child Rescue Coalition twice a year.