Past webinars

Key takeaways:

• • The home environment is frequently a major site of air pollution exposure, and every day activities can dramatically affect our air quality

• • Children are at increased risk of environmental exposure

• • Climate change is expected to worsen many environmental hazards, and some interventions need careful planning as they can create additional risk

• • Research is underway to explore the internal pathways that mediate adverse effects, and complementary medicine practitioners have a role in addressing these

ABOUT DR DWAN VILCINS

Dr Dwan Vilcins is the Group Leader Environmental Epidemiology at the Children’s Health and Environment Program at The University of Queensland. Dr Vilcins’ and her team explore the effect of environmental exposures on children’s health, with a current focus on air pollution, environmentally persistent free radicals, green space and plastic chemicals. Dr Vilcins leads the NHMRC funded EMBER study exploring the effect of bushfire smoke on health outcomes. In addition to her PhD and Master of Public Health, Dr Vilcins has a background in naturopathy. Currently Dr Vilcins is a fellow of the International Society for Children’s Health and the Environment, a board member for the Pacific Basin Consortium for Environment and Health, an advisor to Breath Melbourne, and is an advocate for the Greener Spaces Better Places initiative.

This research investigates our own clinical preventative health strategies with our patients across the spectrum of topics covered by the National Preventative Health Strategy.

In the webinar, Amie will introduce the National Preventative Health Strategy and show how it will drive Australia’s national healthcare agenda. She will overview what research has already uncovered about our role in preventive health in Australia and around the world. She will also highlight some ways clinicians can contribute to the new research project sponsored by NHAA.

This is a FREE webinar and a must attend event to understand how we can add value and increase our contribution as community healthcare providers.

ABOUT DR AMIE STEEL

Dr Amie Steel is an Associate Professor within the discipline of Public Health, Co-Director of the Australian Research Collaborative in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (University of Technology Sydney), and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow. Amie has attracted ~$4.4M in research funding in the last 4 years and holds editorial appointments in leading complementary medicine academic journals. She has authored over 220 journal articles, contributed to over 30 book chapters, and edited three special journal issues – most recently on Global Public Health and Traditional Medicine – and three research books such as the world’s first health technology assessment of naturopathy. She has leadership roles within the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and the World Naturopathic Federation (WNF). She is a global leader in naturopathy and complementary medicine research.

Key takeaways:

• • Review of the herbal medicines used to effectively ease the various symptoms encountered during the transition

• • Share case studies to demonstrate how these herbal medicines are valuable in providing relief and support

• • Consider the ever-increasing role that practitioners of herbal and naturopathic medicine have in providing education about perimenopause and menopause

• • Discuss the maintenance of optimal physical and emotional health throughout the menopausal transition and beyond

ABOUT REGINA LASAITIS

Regina is a masters qualified Medical Herbalist and Naturopath with over 25 years’ experience. Before training in complementary medicine, Regina was a biomedical scientist, and she combines her scientific knowledge with her skills in naturopathy. She has a clinical practice in Sydney where she provides treatment and management of all health issues. With a passion for educating and training future practitioners, Regina has over 10 years’ experience as an educator of Western herbal medicine and naturopathy. She is currently a lecturer and student clinic supervisor at Torrens University. Regina is an NHAA approved supervisor and offers a support service for practitioners. She has been a regular presenter at the NHAA Sydney Chapter meetings.

Sophia and Hannah will delve into both successes and challenges, their own insights and experiences in implementing group consultations. This webinar is designed to equip clinicians with foundational knowledge and practical guidance on group consultations, ranging from planning and execution to overcoming common challenges. Attendees will leave with a comprehensive understanding of how to create safe and effective group consultations, fostering a transformative approach to naturopathic care delivery.

Key takeaways:

• • Gain insights into the essential components necessary for creating and implementing safe and effective group consultations

• • Explore various formats and structures of group consultations

• • Acquire a practical understanding of the keys to success in planning, recruiting for, implementing and maintaining group consultations.

ABOUT HANNAH BOYD

Hannah is a Naturopath and Herbalist based on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia.  In her clinical practice she balances the use of botanical and nutritional medicines with education to help her patients live a balanced life. Hannah loves being a generalist practitioner and sees a variety of different patients, but her clinical areas of interest include mental health, hormone health and fertility. Bringing Group Consults to her clinical practice has been a gamechanger for her clinic and most importantly her patients, she looks forward to sharing her experiences with other practitioners. Hannah is currently the president of the Naturopaths & Herbalists Association of Australia and is passionate about supporting the profession in Australia and abroad.

ABOUT SOPHIA GERONTAKOS

Sophia is a naturopath and massage therapist, research assistant at the Sydney Adventist Hospital, and clinician at Blue Mountains Women’s Health Centre. Sophia is also a trained shared medical appointment group facilitator and works with clinical naturopaths providing guidance and group facilitation services to assist with implementing group visits within their clinics. In addition to her professional roles, Sophia is working on the final stages of a PhD (Southern Cross University) investigating a new model of delivering naturopathic care to women and gender-diverse people with endometriosis using group visits, to address unmet healthcare needs and issues of access and integration of naturopathy. Sophia also serves on the board of directors of the NHAA since late 2023.

Key takeaways:

• • Why endometriosis is not a hormonal condition.

• • The key role of macrophages, mast cells, LPS (lipopolysaccharide), and intestinal permeability.

• • Targeting immune dysfunction with diet, supplements, and herbal medicine.

• • Seeing the big picture on pelvic pain — it’s not always about the endometriosis lesion.

ABOUT LARA BRIDEN

Lara Briden is a naturopath and bestselling author of the books ‘Period Repair Manual ‘and ‘Hormone Repair Manual’ — practical guides to treating period problems with nutrition, supplements, and herbal medicine.
A graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (1997) and the University of Calgary (evolutionary biology), Lara serves on several scientific advisory committees, including The Centre for Ovulation and Menstruation Research (CeMCOR) at the University of British Columbia.
She is a popular speaker and has delivered keynote presentations for the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association (AIMA), the Endocrinology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (EndoANP), and the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM).

Key takeaways:

• • Why herbal first aid is a benefit to your clinical practice

• • How to develop herbal first aid for preventative care

• • Design your ideal herbal first aid dispensary

• • How to make compresses, poultices and basic preventative herbal first aid resources

• • How to teach your patients about herbal first aid

• • Taking herbal first aid out into the community

ABOUT DOMINIQUE LIV KAMAL

Dominique LivKamal, ND is an award-winning naturopath, herbalist, and wellness advocate. She’s passionate about empowering those on their wellness journey. She holds a Masters degree in Public health (Health Promotion) Bachelor Health Science (Complementary Medicine ) is a qualified Naturopath, herbalist and nutritionist.  Dom also has a diploma in Journalism, is a qualified Kundalini yoga teacher and Zen Thai Shiatsu Therapist and yoga teacher.  Dominique is founder and naturopath at Medicine Room where she developed the herbal manufacturing processes for herbal extractions as well as offering free community clinics to her clients since 2004. Inspired by pioneering women in the beauty product sector and her own upbringing, she studied naturopathy, herbal medicine, and a Master of Public Health, creating her own medicines, skincare products and community health model.

Key takeaways:

• • Systemic and environmental drivers and stressors impacting male hormonal imbalance, impaired sexual function and poor sperm quality

• • Clinical diagnosis: Investigation of the infertile man, Identification of causative factors and Interpretation of semen analyses

• • Profiling the semen microbiome in men – the genitourinary and gastrointestinal microbiomes and their relationship to sperm quality

• • The Functional Medicine approach to improving male fertility

• • The Healthy Male Protocol – addressing issues of diet, exercise, lifestyle, social drugs and stress

• • Environmental remedial strategies – EMR and hazardous chemical avoidance

• • Integrative male fertility management in your practice

ABOUT GISELLE COOKE

Giselle Cooke has practised holistic and integrative medicine in Australia since graduating from the University of NSW in Medicine and Surgery in 1979. With postgraduate qualifications in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Herbalism, Nutrition, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine, Giselle has served in an advisory capacity to government committees on complementary and alternative medicine over two decades. She served the founding executive of the Australian Complementary Medicine Association, was convener of Health Network Australia and spokesperson for the Complementary Health Care Council. Giselle has taught at universities and colleges since 1983 and extensively presented at Integrative and natural medicine conferences in Australia and Internationally.

Giselle Cooke has recently completed PhD research at The University of Sydney into male infertility and its relationship to the emerging field of the human microbiome and has a lot of cutting-edge information to share with us.

Key takeaways:

• • Understanding what pathology tests to select for certain conditions

• • Why you would conduct or not conduct certain pathology tests

• • Understanding what the results indicate

• • Translating the results of the tests to patients in a meaninful way

ABOUT DR JANET SCHLOSS

Dr Janet Schloss is Clinical Research Fellow at the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine, Southern Cross University. Janet is an accomplished researcher with extensive experience in coordinating clinical trials. In addition to her academic career, Janet is a practicing clinical nutritionist and naturopath with over 20 years’ experience.

Following the completion of her doctorate in 2015, Janet has focused her research on supporting people who have cancer through studying the use of complementary medicines to assist side effects of cancer treatments.

Janet has completed a number of ground-breaking studies and has over 70 publications, and now focuses a lot of her research on medicinal cannabis.

This ranges from unprecedented rates of Euthyroid Sick Syndrome & Thyrotoxicosis during the acute phase to either activation (in an individual with a personal hx) or provocation (no previous hx or diagnosis) of autoimmune thyroid conditions as a result of either the infection or vaccination. Although there will be more research to come that will help us clarify and confirm some of this detail, the data already in existence is undeniable and warrants our attention.

Key takeaways:

• • Acute Covid Thyroid presentations including unprecedented high rates of Low T3 Syndrome

• • Follow-up thyroid sequelae for ‘recovered’ patients including activation and provocation of autoimmune thyroid disease

• • Documented effects of vaccines on thyroid function mirror many of the effects of the infection but at lower rates

• • Discuss possibility of ‘next wave’ being AITD

ABOUT RACHEL ARTHUR

Rachel’s favourite colour is red, as in the deep red of a blood sample collected for analysing labs to gain optimal insights into patients.  And her preferred soundtrack for life is 80’s all the way – to which she will happily bust a few moves and many professional myths, on underground dancefloors and international conference stages, alike.

With her impressive credentials as a contributor to many authoritative texts, author of peer reviewed articles, and regularly invited guest speaker, Rachel has become a household name in our profession.  Her trademark?  Translating complex scientific concepts into accessible language and providing practical, easy-to-implement solutions that are delivered with a splash of colour and humour.  But don’t let her entertaining style fool you – Rachel’s conscientious research is what sets her apart and has earned her international recognition as a leading authority in the fields of integrative nutrition and diagnostics.

Key takeaways:

• • Structure of business or practice

• • Liability and insurance issues (practice and non-practice issues)

• • Asset protection

• • Government business registration/compliance requirements

• • Location of business or practice

• • Funding and costs

• • Online presence

• • Business legal documents

• • Intellectual Property (TMs)

• • Taxation and related requirements

ABOUT TIM CLARKE

Tim is an experienced lawyer, trademarks attorney and Principal of Yara Law with a focus on the complementary medicine industry.   Tim has extensive experience in respect of intellectual property and commercial law as well as experience assisting businesses deal with the TGA.   In addition to his legal and commerce qualifications, he has also completed a degree in complementary medicine (naturopathy) at the UNE so has a unique understanding and insight in respect of the issues that face complementary medicine practitioners and businesses.   Tim combines his passion for complementary medicine, business and the law and he regularly assists Yara Law’s stable of clients, ranging from business and practice start-ups to well-established national and international businesses, in respect of legal matters in the complementary medicine industry.

Please note that this presentation is merely for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.  Please seek out specific legal advice as required.

• Feel comfortable using pronouns and other sexuality and gender diverse language
• Have an understanding of LGBTQIA+ abbreviation
• Understanding the difference between sex and gender
• How to talk to patients about sex, sexuality and gender and what to do when you get it wrong
• How to make my clinic a safe and inclusive space for gender and sexuality diverse clients

Key takeaways

• • Realise why getting another qualification isn’t going to get you more clients

• • Understand the role of nature in your business strategy and how it can be an antidote to burnout

• • Experiment with shaking up your business model to benefit you and your clients

• • Become aware of the top 3 new places established practitioners can create traction

• • Explore 3 actionable ways to get more flow in your business

Recent studies have also highlighted that many herbal medicines have the capacity to alter the composition and functioning of this microbiota. In this presentation, Dr Hawrelak will provide a brief overview of the importance of the GIT microbiota and highlight some of the published research that has assessed the impact of herbal medicines on our GIT microbiome. Herbs that appear to nurture and nourish the microbiota will be highlighted, as well as herbal preparations that can be used to target specific infections or imbalances in the ecosystem, as well as those whose use may result in unwanted collateral damage to this vital human ecosystem.