Fully qualified with BANT

Experienced UK-based natural medicine researcher and consultant (20+ years), founder of naturopathic multi-disciplinary centre Purehealth Clinic, nutritional therapist, freelance columnist, features writer, ex PR.

I specialise in natural health, special diets and non-toxic lifestyle issues, especially healthy eating, low GL, detox, allergy & intolerance, bowel problems, hormonal imbalance, mental health and back-to-health self-help programmes.

As patients and enquirers, you tell me a lot about yourself. So it's only fair I should give you some of the inside info on me too. Well, you did ask...

Personal & Career History

Split up from my siblings, I was brought up in care after my alcoholic mother committed suicide when I was 10 and my ‘father’ abandoned us. (He has recently denied he is my father – apparently I may be the product of an Italian fishmonger who delivered fish to the Army barracks, but who knows?) I was determined not to become the drop-out that everyone expected given my background. I have worked hard to build a successful career and happy personal life. I am now close to my sisters and we have recently found our long-lost brother after 40 years! I live with my hypnotherapist partner, Philip, and cat Benjamin. I believe life is for living and simply love what I do.

With a really rubbish start in life (2 months premature, 4th child of a very young alcoholic chain-smoking mother and mal-nourished before being taken into care), my own health has suffered. It is a constant struggle to deal with a poor immune system, polycystic ovary syndrome and multiple allergies. As a result, I can understand and empathise greatly with those in poor health, but can also put myself up as someone who can beat the odds and come out smiling!

I began writing at school, winning an English Prize for Literature at A level. The County rules were changed to allow funding for me to attend University where I gained a 2i in English, American and African Literature. Following that, I knew I wanted to work in natural medicine and immediately went to work for Holland & Barrett. To this day, I don't know where that idea came from; I just knew it was right for me.

Starting with running a local shop (which I took from the worst to best performing), I progressed within 2 years to Customer Services Manager, PR and general troubleshooter for the group of stores. This gave me huge experience in answering both common and more unusual health questions as well as insight into the health needs of the general population.

Whilst at Holland & Barrett, I launched 3 natural health magazines, one of which has evolved into Healthy the top-selling natural health magazine in the UK. I regularly ghosted features and fillers for national magazines and newspapers to launch products and get natural health messages out to the wider public.

I left H&B as it was taken over by Lloyds Chemists (not my bag at all!) To prove to myself I could do this PR thing, I took a job at British Gas as a press officer and ended up the senior PR manager for Midlands and East Anglia for 2 years. I enjoyed it – and welcomed the industry experience - but missed natural health so returned to it, training in massage and manipulative techniques and as a nutritional therapist with the renowned biochemist Prof. Lawrence Plaskett.

Twelve years ago, I set up in full time practice and went on to launch Purehealth, a multi-disciplinary naturopathic clinic with Philip, my hypnotherapist partner in the North West. We were known as the Gillian McKeith and Paul McKenna of the North by our patients (although I am a lot kinder than Gillian, of course…!)

The clinic was a real success, not least because of all the lovely therapists we worked with, people we met every day and the health turn-arounds we witnessed. During this time, between us, we have conducted almost 5000 consultations (and counting). Personally, I have done 3,250, which is about 45 per month. I have also written loads of articles, factsheets, newspaper and magazine columns, tips and ebooks, been editor for a couple of publications, spoken at loads of events and taught back-to-health programmes for the NHS and privately. I've been writing patient newsletters and blogs for several years and there is now a real wealth of info for you to access free from those. Fun!

The lease on our northern premises ran out so sadly we closed it in 2008, moved back to my home town of Warwick and I continued a home and virtual clinic so I could concentrate on writing, speaking and patient care instead of managing a busy clinic. Philip still practices hypnotherapy but has also branched out into voiceover work (he has a gorgeous deep voice and is really good at it!)

I am a full member of BANT (British Association of Applied & Nutritional Therapy).