Naturopath

Aimee Brown

The body can tell you a great deal about the physical and emotional wellbeing of a person, naturopath Rachel Leisk says. In her work she uses body diagnosis regularly, including looking at fingernails, palms, the iris or even the abdomen to find the cause of ailments.

“With the abdomen diagnosis you’re feeling for things that are hard, or whether there is a weakness,” she says. “When you’re looking at the iris, it’s like a map of the body; you can see where things may be going wrong.” Once she conducts an assessment, Leisk will recommend holistic remedies, including herbal treatments, massage therapy or lifestyle and diet changes to improve a patient’s condition. Leisk regularly treats problems such as asthma and allergies, but finds fertility the most rewarding area of her work.

“I like working with women who are trying to get pregnant,” she says. “They might have already tried IVF or we might be working in conjunction with IVF. It’s lovely when they do become pregnant.”A career in naturopathy was a natural choice for Leisk, whose parents were both naturopaths. Leisk did work experience at Nature Care College when she was in Year 10, which solidified her interests.

“I fell in love with it-I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do,” she says. After completing high school, Leisk studied at the college, where she now lectures part-time. “Every time I teach I learn something new because a student will ask a different question or look at things differently,” she says.

Qualifications: There are many ways to become a naturopath. You can complete a diploma, an advanced diploma, or a degree in naturopathy at a university, or at a registered training institution. Different institutions have different pre-requisites and some have flexible entry requirements or offer external study.

Course description: Course contents vary from one institution to another. The Advanced Diploma at Nature Care College covers medical sciences, counselling, naturopathic studies, iridology, nutrition, herbal medicine and homeopathy. After completing the course, you can apply for advanced standing for the bachelor qualification.

Costs: Course costs are different at each institution, but for the Bachelor of Naturopathy at Nature Care College, costs range from $2063 to $3368 per term (three per year).

From the inside: “It’s a satisfying job because you can see the results,” says Rachel Leisk. “You also learn so much about your own body. I’m more conscious of what I eat now. I try not to eat too many processed foods because I can feel the difference. As part of the course, you also do some counselling training, and through this I really felt like I grew as a person.

“It is a job where you are constantly training yourself. Most of the governing bodies for natural therapies require you to do continuing education. It’s great because it is such a huge industry and there are so many different studies being done that bring new information to light.”

More information: Nature Care College, 02 9438 3333 or naturecare.com.au; The Australian Natural Medicine Society, 02 9809 6800 or atms.com.au