FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Naturopathic medicine (naturopathy) is a holistic approach used to assess, identify and find solutions to your health concerns and sports performance. We blend our lived experience, formal knowledge and clinical insights to provide a form of naturopathy and sports nutrition specific to female and male athletes.We aim to maintain optimal health through a balanced and yet comprehensive approach. Naturopathy complements other conventional medical and allied health practices.
Our sports focussed naturopath combines conventional medicine, modern science and traditional medicine when developing tailored treatments for active individuals.
Sports focussed naturopathy takes into consideration an athlete’s desire to train and perform without taking unnecessary breaks from exercise. Sports nutrition and naturopathic medicine also appreciates the physical demands and nutrient requirements of an athlete that may differ slightly from the general population.
We can advise you on dietary requirements, natural plant-based medicines, high-quality supplements that are Therapeutic Goods Act (TGA) approved, and batch tested supplements for athletes competing under ASADA and WADA guidelines.
Sports naturopathy, also known as sports focused naturopathic medicine, uses natural healing approaches and offers many potential benefits for athletes. A scientific and yet holistic approach can be particularly beneficial for athletes as it addresses the whole person, rather than just isolated symptoms. Further details are available here
We recommend using food as medicine. Our approach embraces optional nutrition and this may involve changes to your regular diet to facilitate health changes. We are not advocates for extreme dieting or restrictions, but we do support a balanced approach tailored to your individual needs and references.
What kind of coaching is available? We specialise in endurance running coaching for females competing in distances from 5km to 42.2kms (marathon) but we support track and field runners and ultra runners also.
No. We provide health care and nutritional guidance to anyone keen to better their health. We work with teenagers, adults and seniors.
We currently consult from clinics in Melbourne (Kew) and Jan Juc (Torquay) and provide online (telehealth appointments) to patients all around the globe. Our busy athletes like to combine these options- some meet in person initially and then prefer return consultations from the comfort of their own space (at home or at work). We provide the same level of care through both formats and can be flexible to suit your needs.
How long should I allow for an initial consultation?
An initial consultation usually takes 60 minutes
An initial consultation is usually 30 minutes
No. We send you a link to a secure online portal via email, once you book in for your appointment. When you are ready for your consultation, simply click on the link. Patients can access the link via phone or computer.
If you have pathology testing from the past 6 months, please bring them with you or email them to us prior to your consultation to admin@athletesanctuary.com.au . Don’t worry if you don’t have any test results. We can discuss any further testing during your initial consultation.
Yes you can. We provide referrals for blood, urine and stool pathology testing. We also refer to functional testing such as mineral analysis.
An initial consultation is $195.
We also offer an initial holistic health package which includes an initial consultation plus two return consultations for $395.
We are open Monday to Friday with after hours appointments available on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays. Please let us know if you have difficulty with finding a time that suits you on our online booking system. We will try to be as flexible as possible to accommodate your schedule.
The number of consultations you require, will depend on your current state of health and goals. We see the most lasting results when patients commit to an initial consultation, plus two return consultations over a 2-3 month period. Many of our sporty women and girls see us for ongoing support.
Our consultation fee includes the time we spend with you plus any preparation required before and after consultations. This may include further research, developing treatment plans, ordering and preparing medicines for you, reviewing diet diaries and providing ongoing communication via email to see how you are progressing.
Additional costs will depend on your health status and goals. We always provide nutrition advice but some patients require short term supplementation and herbal prescriptions to facilitate health changes. These items are all optional and can be posted to patients. Treatment plans can be adjusted to suit your budget and needs.
If testing needs to be done, this will be at an additional cost.
Unfortunately not, the Australian Government removed Naturopathic Medicine from the private health rebate scheme on the 1st of April 2019.
If you would like to cancel or change an appointment, let us know as soon as possible.
The most convenient and time efficient way to reschedule your appointment is to cancel your original appointment by following the link in your confirmation email and then book a new appointment at your preferred time.
You are able to cancel your appointment without any fees up to 24 hours before your appointment start time. Consultations cancelled within 24 hours of the booking time and missed appointments will incur 50% of the consultation fee.
This policy is in place to ensure consistency in booking processes. We strongly value your time, and we appreciate a mutual value for our time and the time of other clients.
