FAQ

What is naturopathy?

○ Naturopathy is a holistic natural health practice that aims to find the root causes of your symptoms. Naturopathy views health in its entirety not merely the absence of disease and symptoms but optimal function and this includes wellness of the body as well as the mind, which is why we often include lifestyle goals in our plans.

○ Naturopathy works by identifying what the body needs, by encouraging homeostasis, that is the body's ability to heal, by removing obstacles to health, by restoring the function or supporting the structural integrity of some body systems or by restoring/supporting cellular pathways.

○ Naturopaths have slightly different ways of working. Modalities used may differ from one naturopath to another, but they generally include medicinal plants and nutritional strategies in the form of foods and/or in the form of high-quality supplements.

I have a question about a supplement. How can I get advice?

○ If this is about a supplement we have prescribed, please feel free to contact us, and we’ll answer you as soon as possible.

○ If this is about a supplement you have heard about and you are already a client of ours, please book an Express Consultation (15mn)

○ If this is about a supplement you have heard about and you are not already a client of ours, we highly recommend that you book an Initial Consultation(60mn), so we can have a clear understanding of this supplement's adequacy to your unique situation, whether interactions are to be considered with other supplements or medication you might be taking.

Why is the initial consultation so long?

○ We want to understand you as a whole person, not just your symptoms, but we try to find out what is going on and what may have caused your presenting complaints. For this, we aim to find out which body systems may need support, or which pathways may not be working optimally, or even what factors in your environment could be causing or aggravating your complaints. We also take the time to listen to you as you know yourself best. Sometimes, we may recommend you run blood tests or some functional testing to understand this further. We need to understand your interaction with your food, your environment, your personal health history, and the illnesses you have experienced in your life. Those may be terrains or sustaining factors to your current state of health.

I find it hard to prioritise my health and I don't know where to start.

○ Prioritising one's health can be terribly difficult and daunting when one juggles many responsibilities and has so little time. By accessing this website, you're taking the first step. We can help you identify your health goals and make them fit your schedule. Everyone’s journey is different. Every step in the right direction, regardless of how small, is a positive change until you feel more empowered to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Prioritising one’s health is an ongoing process and should become easier and enjoyable, sometimes effortless.

I haven’t had a consultation for over 6 months with Ginkgo, should I book a return consultation?

○ We recommend that you book a new initial consultation if you have not seen us in over 6 months. A lot of things can happen in 6 months, and your situation may be quite different. Additionally, getting one long consultation rather than 2 shorter and closer consultations may be cheaper. This being said, if you think very little has changed and you are confident there is not much to discuss, feel free to book for a return consultation.

Do I need functional testing? I heard it is expensive.

○ Functional testing is sometimes expensive and not covered by your health insurance, but it can inform targeted strategies and help you save time. Functional testing is often a good approach to understanding how your body functions. Always discuss your concerns with your practitioner; they may be able to propose alternatives and compromises that help you both achieve your goals.

Do you see people whose focus is not on managing their stress?

○ Yes, you can book with us for concerns other than stress management. Although we specialise in stress management and brain health, stress may not be your primary concern. You may want to address other concerns, such as insomnia, headaches, brain fog, digestive health, chronic pain or hormonal imbalances, which we would be happy to help you with.

Do you have in-person consultations?

○ We presently take online consultations only. It is an easy way to fit a 1-hour consultation into busy schedules. Rest assured that lots can be achieved online through thorough questioning. However, in case we consider a face-to-face consultation appropriate and more beneficial to our patients, we can arrange home visits. This is on a case-by-case basis and arranged at our discretion.