Meet Deirdre Parkinson ND
Bachelor Social Science
My medical background began with a nursing degree, specializing as a midwife in maternity nursing. From those early years I had always held an interest in nutrition, reading the works of pioneering nutritionist, Adele Davis. My experiences in nursing revealed that there are also psycho-emotional roots of disease. I completed a Bachelor Social Science degree in psychology.
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For fifteen years I travelled a lot and have worked in many hospitals in many different fields of medicine. Those opportunities have given me an appreciation of the benefits of orthodox medicine, but at the same time ignited my passion for healing the natural way. After completing my studies in naturopathy in 2004, I have been working towards further blending the best of medicine with the best of naturopathy.
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What do I specialize in?
I specialize in holistic health for men, women and children. Once they understand that no part of their body is isolated from the rest, they realise that a good practitioner treats the whole body, not simply specializing in one part. All bodies, whether young or old, male or female, benefit enormously from the same effective holistic treatment.
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What do you, the patient, need?
As a patient seeking a good naturopath you need to find someone who has the time to use their diagnostic ability and experience to get to the bottom of your helath problem. It is not enough to treat the symptoms of an illness without getting to the underlying cause. Sometimes a disease process began many years before the current symptoms appeared.
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Knowing how the body works has always held fascination for me. I have studied it from a medical point of view, and then from a naturopathic angle. As a naturopath it is my role to explain to my patients how their body works, and how to help it heal. I love teaching, and have taught nursing subjects at Prince Charles Hospital in the 80s and lectured at TAFE in naturopath health science subjects including iridology, anatomy, and nutrition.
Deirdre Parkinson ND, Clinical Naturopath
Registered Naturopath, Functional Nutritionist, Medicinal Herbalist
Member of ANTA (Australian Natural Therapists Association)
Bachelor Social Science, majoring in psychology, nursing, and midwifery.
Lecturer Cert IV TAA
Registered Yoga teacher (Member Yoga Australia)
Fitgenes Genetic Testing
MINDD Practitioner
Integrative Pathology Testing
Blood Analysis
Body Composition VLA Testing
Why Naturopathy?
It can help with
Aims of Naturopathic Treatment
Do you want to feel better, eliminate health problems, live longer, understand your health issues, become stronger and healthier, and basically solve the cause of your health problems?
“The road to health is one that begins with an understanding and commitment to cleanse and detoxify the body, to restore balance, peace and harmony.”
Dr Bernard Jenson D.C.ND Ph.D
Womens Health
“I think it’s my hormones!” is a common complaint from many of my patients. There are functional pathology tests to diagnose causes of problems with hormones, thyroid, and insomnia.
The reproductive hormones, mainly oestrogen and progesterone, are more accurately tested this way.
Blood tests only measure the amount of hormone in the blood, but not how much of the hormone has actually reached the cells. Salivary hormone testing is done at home, and then posted to the path laboratory.
Fatigue
Fatigue is commonly due to adrenal gland burn out. It may also be due to nutritional deficiencies in iron or certain B vitamins. It may also be a hormonal imbalance, including thyroid inactivity.
Long term fatigue of any cause can also lead to adrenal burn out. It then becomes a vicious circle.
You can have tests done for this to see just how stressed or underactive the adrenal glands are. The treatment is usually by high dose herbal and nutritional remedies, and also maybe a change in diet and lifestyle.
Detoxification
Hippocrates is known as the father of medicine. He advocated “The Seven Doctors of Good Health and Vitality”. These are:
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Fresh air
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Sunshine
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Fresh water
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Nutritious food
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Regular exercise
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Adequate rest and sleep
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Regular relaxation, play, and happiness
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An 8th one, which is very vital, is the elimination of toxins. This occurs through 5 channels in the body:
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bowels
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kidneys
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skin
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lungs
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liver
If any of these areas become overloaded, it puts greater stress on the others. This is why good detoxification programs are beneficial.
Digestion & Gut Health
Treatment aims at getting to the cause of the problem, rather than supplying band aid solutions.
Reflux, bloating, indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea, IBS, etc, may all be symptoms of varying causes, such as food intolerances/allergies, gut parasites, chronic stress, poor diet, or genetic imbalances.
Weight Loss
There are so many different diet theories that it seems complicated and often confusing.
When I give my patients a diet plan, I choose a diet that suits their individual body type, blood type, health issues, current cooking knowledge, and lifestyle.
Some people suit raw, some suit cooked, some vegetarian and some need meat. Food allergies and intolerances must also be taken into account. Food cravings need to be acknowledged and accommodated. Emotional eating has to be acknowledged too because it just doesn't go away that easily.
Stress
Long term stress can cause a depletion of the adrenal hormones. Most individuals who have depleted adrenal glands just go through life with fatigue, not knowing what is wrong with them. These people may be suffering from adrenal exhaustion or adrenal insufficiency.
Symptoms associated with adrenal insufficiency include fatigue, hypotension, lowered resistance to stress, salt cravings, hypoglycemia and lowered immunity. Adrenal insufficiency also frequently plays a role in conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and even depresion/anxiety issues.