Brads Story.

Having experienced the limitations of modern conventional medicine and having witnessed the horrible side effects of polypharmacy (the use of multiple pharmaceutical medications to treat symptoms and the side effects from the use of those medications) from a very young age, I have always gravitated towards natural therapies.

My mother was frequently in and out of the hospital while my father had his struggles with his illness, autoimmune diabetes mellites or more commonly called type 1 diabetes. Over the years both my parents struggled with cardiovascular disease and even if medications helped, and they often did, they certainly didn’t treat the cause, and of course it was only a matter of time before another complication would arise.

As a child I suffered many allergies and come hay fever season I would end up a sneezing, itchy-eyed mess. In addition to my ongoing battle with allergies, I also suffered from the autoimmune disease psoriasis. Although for the most part, I was a pleasant child (maybe my Mother might argue the point if she was here today), I would occasionally have inexplicable mood swings and social difficulties.

What was wrong with our family? Were we all just unlucky and destined to be on medications for the rest of our lives?

In reflection, it is obvious that we had very poor diets that exacerbated our health issues. I was fortunate to have sports in my life that in part compensated for poor dietary choices. Unfortunately, my parent’s lifestyles weren’t as conducive to health as mine, and they continued to suffer the consequences of their poor choices.

At nine years of age, I was learning Taoist philosophies and practising meditation. Being in tune with nature and harmonising with my environment became a way of life for me. As I grew older and developed my political interests, I started to develop strong views against mainstream medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. I soon realised having a negative opinion had no purpose, and if I genuinely wanted something to be different, for something to change, I had to act on my beliefs and be the change I wanted to see reflected in society.

I did my research and searched for the best education that was available. All information and advice pointed to the Southern School of Natural Therapies (SSNT). At SSNT I was extremely fortunate to receive the highest standard of education and training by the profession’s best practitioners and academics. Throughout my education I always looked outside the box, in fact, I learned more outside the curriculum than what was being taught inside the classroom and from all the textbooks.

With my research, I thoroughly enjoy exploring the endless depth of nature’s medicines, the rich traditional history and the science that eventually reinforces a lot of what we already know. In my practice, I thrive on creating unique herbal and nutritional formulas and specialised treatment plans for each of my patients. Being able to assist my patients in the transition from ill health to optimal health and well-being is extremely rewarding. These experiences make you truly understand medicine is more than science; it is an art form as well.

By overcoming my challenges, and making huge changes in my diet and lifestyle over a long period, I have become a wiser, healthier and happier individual. By becoming formally educated and being fortunate enough to travel across the globe and experience traditional healing and a myriad of cultures, I feel I can empathise and connect with those who are on their own, unique health and wellness journey and help those individuals achieve optimal health.