The duration of treatment depends entirely on your health problem. Acute illnesses respond very quickly to natural medicine and therefore a follow up appointment is not usually required. However chronic health problems that have been present for a long time usually take longer to respond, and several months of treatment may be necessary to achieve positive results.

Patients usually notice an improvement in their symptoms within 1-3 weeks of beginning treatment. As lifestyle and dietary changes are a part of all treatments, the adherence to the advice given will influence the speed of your recovery.

The majority of patients will be prescribed herbal and nutritional medicines as part of their treatment. Tablets are often prescribed to avoid the unpleasant taste of some herbal medicines and to improve the ease of use.

It is helpful if you bring a copy of any recent blood tests or medical imaging reports and a list of any current medications or supplements you are taking, including dosages.

Nearly all private health funds cover part of the cost of an appointment with a Naturopath as part of their extras cover. The rebate supplied depends on your level of cover. A few private health funds also supply a rebate for prescribed natural medicines.

No, a doctor's referral is not required to see a naturopath. However, Gerard encourages patients to inform their current doctor that they are beginning a course of natural medicines.

Some practitioner's provide "special" tests that have not been scientifically validated. Gerard does not recommend any tests other than regular pathology or medical imaging to diagnose disease and monitor your health throughout treatment. This enables him to work closely with orthodox medical practitioners as a common language and knowledge base is used when monitoring your progress.