Claire Strong is a qualified naturopath nutritionist and herbalist delivering individualised care and support to women experiencing the journey to menopause and beyond. In 2008, after years of tackling a recurring health issue through diet, yoga and all types of healthy living, I recall the moment I decided to undergo surgery to manage a CIN-3 cervical abnormality. I felt let down by my own lack o
f knowledge, let down by my body and mentally I grappled with the loss of the parts of me that had created and carried my children, that defined my femininity. It was a low point indeed! Following surgery and while recovering at home, I did a stocktake of my life. I was 46 years old with four teenage children, and I had reached a crossroad point. I knew that the surgery was not the end of the journey to wellness, and that I needed to be healthy from the top down, from inside to outside, to help my body to create an environment where disease would not reoccur. So I worked on my diet, changed jobs and created more space for yoga, beach and all the other things that I loved doing. Mentally I felt I had a clear road ahead of me, and that I could do anything I liked! I wanted something for me! So I decided to fill the gap in my knowledge and study natural medicine. I was already a bit of a health nut so I loved learning the history & depth of traditional medicine systems as well as the current science behind food nutrients, plant medicines and the wondrous interconnections between brain, gut, hormones and so much more. I became passionate about the holistic and combined approach of diet, lifestyle, exercise and spiritual self-care and decided that this was what I could give to others. I discovered that what I loved about my previous life/work experience in retail, as a parent, in administration in a small independent school and in a winery was ‘working with people’. As I left my lovely team at the winery for the last time, someone said ‘you have love for everyone, and passion for everything’…I adore that observation! Today I combine those skills, my own health challenges and my naturopathic knowledge to support women in perimenopause, menopause and into a new and incredible phase of life – who knew it could just get better?! I swear more, I feel powerful and confident (mostly), happy in my body and quite wise! My experience of peri-menopause was brief, nothing much of note, but the surgery had sent me over the cliff straight into menopause. It was not too extreme, but certainly challenging. Every woman is different of course and tailoring support to each individual is possible because of the holistic approach that naturopathy offers. I cant wait to support hundreds more women through these big changes to reach every possible potential in their next phase of life.
