My name is Rebecca and I am a Medical Herbalist and Naturopath (BNatMed) based in the Waikato, New Zealand.
“Sage Clinic” incorporates the wisdom of traditional herbal medicine with modern day science, to bring you comprehensive health care, naturally. While herbalism is my strong point, I also use other modalities of natural medicine such as nutritional, lifestyle and exercise advice, prescriptions of practitioner-only products, bach flower remedies, iridology, homeobotanicals, massage therapy, muscle testing and functional testing. I grew up a sickly child, not knowing I had celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disease where gluten in food attracts immune system cells to your gut lining and is destroyed, hence I was always tired, sickly, and irritated, but the diagnosis was always hypochondria and a behavioural problem. My experiences with the conventional medical system along with hearing so many stories of other people also feeling defeated about medical care and treatment, led me to study the advanced diploma of herbal medicine at the Waikato Centre for Herbal Medicine in 2005. I later turned this into a bachelor degree at the South Pacific College of Natural Medicine. These two qualifications have provided me with extensive knowledge in both practical and clinical application of natural medicine. I have worked in health shops and established health clinics throughout NZ since 2005, and am always upskilling with post graduate studies and extracurricular activities in my field such as Rongoa Maori, which is our traditional plant medicine in New Zealand. One of my favourite past-times to be in the bush amongst our native healing plants, which I also incorporate into my practice. I have never believed that there is "nothing you can do" when it comes to health, and natural medicine proves time and time again that there is no condition too simple or complicated, where it can’t play a hugely beneficial role. While modern medicine is great for acute illness, drugs and surgery, it does not offer much for the likes of chronic, inflammatory conditions, and natural medicine thrives in these conditions. What to Expect
At your initial appointment, I take a comprehensive case history, assessing current concerns/symptoms, health history, dietary intake, and review how every body system is functioning. I may also incorporate a few other diagnostic tools such as blood pressure, iridology, tongue/nail analysis, zinc test, muscle testing etc, and analyse any recent test results you may bring. This all paints a very good picture of what direction I am going to take with your treatment plan. At this point I will send you away with some advice to get you started, and to obtain any information I feel I may need, such as certain tests, and I may suggest further clinical/functional testing such food sensitivities, heavy metal toxicity, gut microbiome, hormone profile etc. I then combine traditional knowledge with the latest scientific research to provide you with a personalised, comprehensive treatment plan, entailing our goals, lifestyle, nutritional, herbal medicine, supplement and functional testing advice. I provide ongoing care with follow up appointments to ensure efficacy and to help you achieve your goals, one step at a time, always addressing the root cause of the problem, rather than just the symptoms. The number of follow up appointments required is variable and depends on your individual requirements. Feel welcome to call me for a free 10 minute no obligation phone call, to discuss your health concerns and to see if I am the right practitioner for you.
