News
ATMS extends a big congratulations to all the finalists in our 2nd ATMS + Nature & Health Awards!
Twelve finalists have been selected for Practitioner of the Year, Clinic of the Year and Student of the Year. All nominees demonstrated their contributions to their professions, industry, and overall commitment to the advancement of the Australian natural health community. Winners will be announced on 19 November in Melbourne and will feature in the December issue of Nature & Health Magazine.
A huge thank you goes out as well to all those who entered or nominated in the awards. The high calibre and volume of entries was impressive and we applaud the efforts of every single entrant for their contribution to natural health in Australia.
Without further ado, here are the 2016 ATMS + Nature & Health Awards finalists:
Finalists for Clinic of the Year
Saltuary, Five Dock, NSW
Saltuary is a multi-disciplinary clinic offering naturopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage and natural beauty therapy. They also offer yoga and tai chi classes in their Himalayan salt room, and offer salt therapy and float therapy. They have a large natural medicines and herbal dispensary as well as a health food shop and an infrared sauna. With very well qualified, experienced practitioners, and an ambient, beautiful clinic to complement this, Saltuary feels more like a day spa than a comprehensive natural therapies clinic. They choose to look through the lens of a suite of complementary therapies, rather than just a single one to help people achieve optimal health and wellbeing. They aim to make the world a healthier and happier place, one person at a time.
Darling Street Health, Balmain, NSW
Darling Street Health is an integrative multi-modality clinic that has helped hundreds of patients achieve better health through natural medicine, particularly in the area of fertility. The clinic is home to three of Sydney's best naturopaths - Amanda Haberecht, Emma Sutherland, and Belinda Kirkpatrick, who continue to lead the way in making natural medicine a positive and accessible form of medicine for the public. Word of mouth is how most of the clients find out about the clinic, which goes to show the excellent reputation it has within the community. Multi-modality clinics are the way of the future, where professionals from many different healing fields can work together to bring about the best possible treatment and care for their clients. Darling Street Health is an outstanding example of such a place.
Melbourne Natural Wellness, Victoria
Melbourne Natural Wellness opened in 2002. Since then, it has helped thousands of people to get well and stay well. Owner Jodie Coall (JC) has also mentored and trained leading industry experts over the years, providing them with business skills needed to succeed in the industry. JC has been in the industry for almost 20 years, practising massage and personal training and coaching as well as running wellness centres to assist people in working on all nine dimensions of their wellness. A Collins St precinct committee member, JC was also recently awarded a Bronze Commendation from the Lord Mayor for commitment to business in Melbourne for over 10 years. She consults with the Australian Association of Massage Therapists, Sage College, Endeavour College and assists students wherever possible, often taking on work placement and industry experience mentoring. She is a speaker/ambassador for Hands Across the Water, and has two other companies: Ultimate Corporate Wellness, providing custom corporate wellness programs to businesses and schools, and Wellbusi, a wellness and business coaching company dedicated to keeping people and their businesses be well in the industry.
Evolution Medical Care, Penrith, NSW
Evolution Medical Care is based in Penrith CBD, and is a conscientious and dependable practice dedicated to helping resolve health issues in the local population using a range of techniques tailored to the wishes and needs of each individual in the most efficient manner possible. Having achieved a level of competitive competency in treatments and customer relations, Evolution Medical Care has gained great affection and respect in the local community and surrounding areas; this is evident in the amount of third party reviews present throughout the Internet. It is also dedicated to networking closely and developing a referral base with other healthcare and medical professionals in all modalities to allow better health care practices to evolve in the community both locally and at large. Evolution Medical is currently on the way to becoming an NDIS provider which will ensure Evolution’s invaluable contribution to working with local communities to improve inclusion of people with disability. Evolution Medical Care is now a certified partner of NADO, working towards a vision of positive futures for people with disability.
Finalists for Practitioner of the Year
Michele demonstrates excellent skill in delivering to schools, teachers, and corporates the importance of nutrition not only on physical health but mental health. Professor Felice Jacka, President of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research and a leading expert on mental health and nutrition, says, “Michele delivers the importance of mental health to the world in a way that makes sense to the audience - a true gifted professional whose passion and knowledge allows her to share serious health topics in a way that is accessible to all.” Michele has also been recently appointed as an ambassador for Nature Care College, Cure Cancer, and Jamie Oliver, and to consult on Heart Research Institute menus. Michele regularly takes on interns and provides pro bono speaking engagements to schools in need and to indigenous communities. She can often be seen on Sunrise Weekend speaking about physical and mental health, and she is also the author of Beating Sugar Addiction for Dummies (Wiley). |
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Michele Chevalley Hedge, A Healthy View, Balmoral NSW |
Louise is a nutritionist and a homeopath, whose work focuses on Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and brain health, which is a neglected area of health. Louise is an international award-winning author of the book “Smart Brain, Healthy Brain”, which recently won the Silver Medal in the Living Now Book Awards in the USA – Health & Wellness category, and has also been favourably reviewed by ATMS and been named by Amazon as “one of the best books of the month”. Louise's mother Alice had Alzheimer’s disease for many years, and Louise was told by doctors at that time that it was hereditary, and that she may have a chance of getting it herself. Spurred on by this shock, Louise researched everything she could about Alzheimer’s disease for nine years, to find what can be done to possibly avoid or prevent it. All the information in her book has been backed up by medical and scientific research studies. Louise is a regular media commentator, speaking on radio and television and writing articles about brain health. |
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Louise Hallinan, Smart Brain Health Centre, Gordon NSW |
Mandy is not only an extraordinary practitioner of Kinesiology but also a Reiki Master, Massage Therapist, EFT and Matrix Reimprinting Practitioner and a Critical Care Nurse. Mandy loves combining her knowledge in both eastern and western medicine, covering all aspects of health and wellbeing in the care of her clients - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Her passion to educate, enlighten and support people, both individually and throughout the community, is astounding. Her wealth of knowledge is extensive. She is constantly updating her qualifications and skills to ensure her clients always benefit from the latest findings. Through individual consultations, regular workshops, retreats and volunteer speaking events at local community houses, Mandy achieves her greatest passion and philosophy, empowering people to ‘Love The Life You Live’. Testimonials include: “Mandy has changed my life, my kids’ lives and I am eternally grateful.” “It is rare to find a practitioner who goes that extra mile and deeply cares for her clients.” |
Mandy Rigg, Calm Chi Wellbeing, Ringwood Victoria |
Sally Anne has a Diploma of Remedial Massage, a Diploma of Integrated Body Therapies, and a Certificate IV in Aromatherapy. She has been practising remedial massage for nine years, and oncology massage for the past two years. Sally is a great masseuse and she makes everybody feel great by the end of their massage. She is a kind and caring person and deserves to win this award. Sally has a friendly, open personality and provides a relaxed environment. She always takes the holistic view to provide her clients with the best and most appropriate treatment, so as to have the most effective outcome. |
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Sally Anne Hall, Simpatico Massage Therapies, Gunnedah NSW |
Finalists for Student of the Year
Paige Christodoulou, Endeavour College of Natural Health (Sydney) |
Paige is a current final year student in the Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy) program at Endeavour College of Natural Health, Sydney Campus. Paige is kind, polite, sincere, compassionate, well mannered, motivated, organised, and highly skilled. She has a pleasant vibrant personality and positive attitude. She is conscientious and keen to learn new skills and gain further information. Paige demonstrates leadership, innovation, and creativity. She believes strongly in the holistic naturopathic principles of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Paige actively pursues excellence in her academic studies, excels in student clinic, and is an inspirational role model for her fellow students. After completing her studies, Paige has the ambition of going into clinical practice, and potentially into research and education. Paige is passionate about health. She has an active lifestyle, which involves running and yoga and believes strongly in the vitality of good food and nutrition. |
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Over the last 20 years Ilca has been diagnosed with two autoimmune diseases, and that is what got her interested in natural medicine. This year she will complete a triple Advanced Diploma in: Naturopathy, Nutritional Medicine and Western Herbal Medicine. Next year she will be continuing studying to complete the Bachelor of Health Science in Naturopathy. Being from Italian-French heritage, Ilca has been influenced by two wonderful grandmothers who taught her how to cook in very traditional ways. In due time, she would like to write cookbooks on good nutrition the Mediterranean way. Ilca firmly believes that you are what you eat and good health equals good natural organic food, so she will be doing educational workshops on that topic. She also has a hobby: making natural skin care products, including lip balms, natural deodorant, and an eczema/psoriasis balm, under the name Lacinda Naturopatica. |
Pamela Nelson, NatureCare College |
Pamela is an inspirational student. Not only is she academically exceptional, but she has a genuine and longstanding commitment to assisting others. Pamela started her naturopathy studies for personal reasons – due to illness and disease impacting herself and her family. Her inspiration to change from a successful career in academic publishing to one in natural health started with a naturopath who helped her recover from a long chronic illness. Over time, as she found out more about Natural Health, she decided to train in natural medicine and ultimately to switch careers. Pamela is currently completing the qualifications: Advanced Diploma of Naturopathy; Advanced Diploma of Western Herbal Medicine and the Advanced Diploma of Nutritional Medicine. Over the course of her studies she has achieved a High Distinction average across all three qualifications, in addition to performing exceptionally well in a clinical environment. Pamela has also worked in voluntary roles in both education, (including several years on the International School Board of Directors in Cambodia), and in community service areas with charity groups. Pamela plans to work as a practitioner and make naturopathy and herbal medicine more available to people who may normally find it either financially or geographically inaccessible. |
Shonelle Siegmann, Ivy College |
Shonelle is currently studying an Advanced Diploma of Naturopathy and an Advanced Diploma of Western Herbal Medicine at Ivy College. She enjoys assisting students with their study, contributing to industry Facebook groups and helping practitioners with website design, all whilst balancing full-time study and being the Volunteer Social Media Co-ordinator for Health Australia Party WA Branch. Shonelle has a keen interest in being involved with the future of natural medicine, has thrived in practicum placements and is looking forward to practising once she has graduated. |