The Difference Between a GP vs. a Naturopath

When it comes to your health, knowing who to turn to, your naturopath or your GP, can make a big difference in your overall well being. So, what’s the difference between a GP and a naturopath, and how can each help you on your health journey?
A GP is a trained doctor who practices conventional medicine. They diagnose, treat, and manage a wide range of health conditions, usually through medication and testing. Appointments are typically quick and focused on managing symptoms.
A naturopath, holds a degree in Health Science and takes a more holistic and in-depth approach. Our initial consultations are an hour long, where we take the time to understand your full health picture. Instead of just focusing on symptoms, we aim to uncover the root causes, what’s going on beneath the surface that’s driving your condition. 
We use herbal and nutritional medicine to gently guide the body back to homeostasis, with a strong focus on prevention through diet and lifestyle changes. Follow-up consults run for 45 minutes, where we check in on your progress, adjust your plan, and continue supporting you along the way. Client care, education, and long-term management are at the core of what we do as naturopaths.

How We Treat Differently At Balanced Beings:
At Balanced Beings, our focus is on understanding what’s actually driving your symptoms,  not just managing them at the surface level. We take a personalised, thorough approach with every client, looking at the full picture to get to the root cause. Whether it’s constipation, eczema, infertility, or allergies, we aim to unpack the layers and find out what’s really going on. 
What makes our approach different is how much emphasis we place on testing. Depending on your symptoms, we might use tools like gut microbiome testing, hormone panels, heavy metal screening, or even DNA testing to gather real data. This helps us build a targeted treatment plan that’s based on evidence, not guesswork.