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Meet Caro
Your Own Private Health Detective
Naturopath, Functional Nutritionist & Medical Herbalist
On the Kapiti Coast & online across New Zealand & Australia.
AND THIS IS NED
DAY 23 - CHEMO #2
My mum taught me to “always face the sun … & the shadows will fall behind you."
Why I Do This Work
That photo was me in late 2017, partway through chemo. It's how I became a "breast cancer thriver" … & it changed everything.
I was one of the lucky ones. My treatment went smoothly, & at times I've felt guilty about that, having watched others - friends & family among them - go through so much worse, & some who didn't make it.
An experience like that forces a re-assessment. The small daily worries suddenly look trivial, & what actually matters comes sharply into focus. It nudged me out of a career that was paying the bills & into the thing I'd been circling my whole working life:
Understanding health from the ground up, & helping people get theirs back.
I've always been a "but WHY?" person - never satisfied scratching the surface. That's what pulled me to naturopathy specifically: it's the health discipline built around root causes. Not just managing symptoms. Not handing you a meal plan & sending you on your way. Finding the reason (though in most cases it is multiple) - then teaching you to understand your own body so well that you're never dependent on anyone (including me) to stay well.
Because here's what I know from both sides of the consultation room:
"You aren't imagining your symptoms. If you feel off, something is off. We just need to look deeper to find out why."
How I’m Different
What You've Probably Experienced
- ✕ 10–15 minute appointments that barely scratch the surface & leave you feeling like a number.
- ✕ Being told your results are “normal” – while you still feel terrible.
- ✕ “It’s just ageing.” “It’s just stress.” “It’s all in your head.” – or whatever form of gas-lighting you may be getting exposed to.
- ✕ A prescription to manage symptoms – for something diet & lifestyle could actually address.
- ✕ Being treated as separate, disconnected parts – rather than one whole person.
- ✕ Mental & emotional health treated as somebody else’s department
What You Can Expect Here
- ✓ Unhurried consultations where you’re genuinely heard & taken seriously.
- ✓ Your results read for optimal function – not just disease detection.
- ✓ Trends & imbalances spotted early, before they become diagnoses.
- ✓ Food & lifestyle first; supplements individualised where your results indicate them.
- ✓ Your gut, hormones, brain & immune system treated as the one connected system they are.
- ✓ Recognition that health is never only physical – stress, grief, & trauma shape your biochemistry just as much as what’s on your plate.
The Scenic Route Here
I CAME TO CLINICAL NATUROPATHY AS A LATER CAREER
& THE ROUTE I TOOK IS EXACTLY WHY I’M GOOD AT IT
Where the science habit started
A science-based degree in Horticulture through (the original!) Massey, back when I was more interested in life learning than being a model student. This remains the family joke since I'm the only one without a green thumb.
The first 3 years were pure science though, & that's the part that stuck.
MY twenties was spent seeing how the world really lives
At 21, I set off overseas, & had many incredible life-affirming adventures, but here are a couple, of note.
Self-funded, sleeves rolled up, & a long way from home. I spent many months diving for the self-funded Coral Cay Conservation, & helped establish a Marine Reserve in Belize.
I also spent months volunteering in orphanages in Călărași, Romania - arriving alone after two trains, with nothing but a village name on a piece of paper & not a word of the language between me & anyone I met.
The corporate decade
Then ten years in the corporate world in IT & Telecommunications, where I learned to communicate with everyone from CEOs to the workshop floor, & became - as anyone who knows me will confirm - a devoted systems-&-processes person.
“With good systems in place, you can relax & get creative about solving the actual problem.”
Then I found health - 20 years ago
Nearly two decades ago I moved into health promotion - managing regional community health projects & pioneering Workplace Wellbeing programmes across Hawke's Bay, helping organisations put the health of their people first.
I loved it. Looking back, I was already doing this work - just at the population level instead of one person at a time.
Going all in
Cancer was the final push: full retraining, clinical qualifications, & a practice built around the deep, personalised investigation I'd always believed health deserved.
Along the way, life also gave me first-hand experience - with a treasured family member - of just how powerful targeted nutrition can be when it matters most.
Lessons learned close to home that no textbook could teach.
When the region flooded
In early 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle devastated the region I'd called home for nearly 20 years & everything I knew got put to work at once.
First came the clean-up - shovelling silt out of homes & properties, in the hardest-hit communities. Then, once the initial shock had passed & community hubs were up & running, our clinics began.
With supplements donated by our generous suppliers (& my garage as project HQ), I became the on-the-ground organiser for weekend community recovery clinics across Hawke's Bay: one-on-one consultations with survivors, free targeted supplements, & practical resources I created to help people recognise the health after-effects of the floods - from gastro bugs & skin infections to mould illness & the long tail of stress.
85 of those consultations are in my records. The lives touched across those hubs number far more.
Waiohiki —
March 2023
SO - WHat does that all add up to?
No, I haven't been in clinical practice for 30 years.
What I bring instead: 20 years around health & wellbeing. Decades of real life - career pressure, parenting, loss, my own serious diagnosis, a community in crisis, & scientific training that's current, not from a textbook printed last century.
“When you tell me you’re exhausted, foggy & juggling too much, I’m not just imagining what that’s like.”
Credentials & Qualifications
Advanced Diploma in Health Sciences (Naturopathy, Nutrition & Medical Herbalism)
Naturopathic College of New Zealand, 2019–2021. Three years of clinical training across naturopathy, nutritional medicine & herbal medicine.
ClearPath Method Practitioner - Level 1 & Advanced (Jo Grabyn, 2026)
An intensive specialisation in brain health & cognitive care: a research-led, evidence-based approach to understanding cognitive change, concussion recovery, brain fog & long-term brain resilience. I'm among the first practitioners in New Zealand trained in the method.
Certified IIFP Practitioner (Institute for Integrative & Functional Pathology), Levels 1 & 2
Advanced training in the holistic interpretation of pathology testing, looking beyond individual markers & standard reference ranges to identify patterns across physiological, biochemical, metabolic, hormonal & nutritional systems.
Registered Member, Naturopaths & Medical Herbalists of New Zealand (NMHNZ)
Fully accredited, with ongoing professional development requirements.
Bachelor of Horticulture — Massey University
Where the science habit started, & lots of ‘life education’ of course.
And beyond the certificates: I'm a perpetual student. This field moves fast, & staying current - through ongoing training, research & learning from leading practitioners worldwide - is simply part of the job.
What I Believe
Your body wants to heal
Given the right conditions & resources, it has a remarkable capacity to restore itself. My job is to work out what’s standing in the way.
“Normal” is common – not optimal
Standard ranges describe a population, much of it unwell. Data read properly beats guessing every time, which is why pathology is foundational to everything I do.
Don’t stop at “just OK”
True wellness isn’t simply the absence of disease. It’s feeling vibrant, resilient & energised – at any age. Far too many people settle for “fine” when there’s so much more available to them.
There’s no magic pill
Real change is built, not swallowed. It took time to get here & it takes commitment to get back – & I’ll work at your pace, because life happens. I’m not expecting Saints. I’m not one either.
Teach a person to fish
My goal is your independence, not your dependence. You’ll finish our work understanding your own body well enough to keep yourself well.
Attitude is part of the medicine
A positive, engaged mindset measurably affects how well people regain & maintain their health – & it’s one of the first things I notice in the clients who go on to thrive.
Off the Clinic Floor
When I'm not deep in lab results or researching client's cases, you'll find me stomping the streets or on the beach with Ned – my 7-year-old "failed farm dog." (He's a Heading-Kelpie cross. We prefer "sheep challenged.") He's the latest in a long line of much-loved rescues, & if my section & my wallet were bigger, there'd be more.
The ocean is my calm. Living within walking distance of the sea, looking out at the quietly spiritual Kapiti Island, is a daily treasure – & come summer, hopefully I'm on the water itself in a kayak.
Otherwise: exercise is my stress relief (Les Mills workouts in the sitting room – wave if you're walking past), I've just started a dance class, & one day I will learn the guitar. My ideal evening is a brazier or beach fire with family or friends, guitars out, singing along, with a good glass of wine or bubbles in hand. Yes – I'm a Naturopath, not a Saint!
And I practise what I prescribe: regular testing on myself, & a supplement regime tuned to my own results. As a friend put it: "Other women spend money on hair, makeup & nails – this is my (not) guilty pleasure."
at one of the best beaches in the world:
Wainui Beach, Gisborne
Kind Words
Questions About Working with Caro
What are your qualifications?
I hold an Advanced Diploma in Health Sciences (Naturopathy, Nutrition & Medical Herbalism) from the Naturopathic College of New Zealand, I'm a registered member of the Naturopaths & Medical Herbalists of New Zealand (NMHNZ), & I have certified training in functional pathology analysis (Levels 1 & 2) & in brain health & cognitive decline prevention. Full details are in the credentials section above.
What's the difference between a Naturopath & a Nutritionist?
A naturopath is trained across nutrition, herbal medicine, pathology interpretation & lifestyle medicine; a nutritionist works primarily with food & supplements. My training lets me look at your whole picture - bloods, functional testing, herbs, diet, sleep, stress - & bring it together as one plan.
Can you help if I don't live on the Kapiti Coast?
Absolutely. Around half of all clients work with me entirely online, from all over New Zealand & Australia. The process is identical - & any test kits are couriered straight to your door.
Do you work with people taking medication?
Yes, often. I respect the role medication plays & never advise stopping anything prescribed. I work alongside your GP or specialist, choose herbs & nutrients that are safe with your medications, & with your permission will write to your prescriber where it's helpful.
Do I need a referral?
No - you can book directly. You can see me alongside your conventional care, & I'm happy to coordinate where it helps.
Who do you work with?
Adults of all ages & genders - from tradies to retirees, & everything between. My special focus is adults 35–70 who want to stay sharp, energised & engaged - to age without feeling old. The clients who thrive here are engaged & ready to prioritise their health: prepared to trust the process & put the work in, because there's no such thing as a magic pill.
Where do I start?
Most people start with a Pathology Analysis - a complete standalone service that gives many clients real answers on its own. Not sure it's right for you? Claim your free 20-minute Vitality Roadmap Call: a relaxed chance to be heard, ask questions & work out the best starting point together.
No matter where you're starting from,
there's always room for improvement – & always hope.
It takes commitment, not perfection,
& what's waiting on the other side is so worth it.
Your concerns are unique, so your plan should be too - built around your biochemistry, your life, & what's genuinely achievable.
The goal: waking each day with clarity, purpose & energy.
Ready to Be Properly Heard?
FINALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR BODY IS TRYING TO TELL YOU.