Meet those leading your care

A functional medicine practitioner is trained in the functional medicine approach, which looks at the root causes of health concerns and uses personalised strategies to support long-term wellbeing. People from many professional backgrounds may choose to study functional medicine, from naturopaths and nutritionists to medical practitioners like doctors, nurses, and chiropractors. Here at our clinic, our functional medicine practitioners are qualified naturopaths or clinical nutritionists, with additional training in the functional medicine approach, they are not medical doctors.

In Australia, naturopaths and functional medicine practitioners are not the same, although there can be some overlap.

• Naturopaths focus on using natural therapies such as herbal medicine, nutrients, and lifestyle advice. Training can vary, from Diplomas through to Bachelor of Science degrees
• Clinical nutritionists have the same training as Naturopathy up until the last year. Naturopathy branches off into herbs but nutrition branches off to food, you might find clinical nutritionists focus more on food before herbs. Both clinicians focus on integrated body systems and nutritional biochemistry.
• Functional medicine practitioners (which can include naturopaths or clinical nutritionists with additional training) use a systems-based approach, looking for root causes of illness and often using advanced tools such as functional pathology testing to guide care
• Functional medicine doctors are usually medical doctors who have completed further training in functional medicine. Unlike naturopaths, they can prescribe medications and order routine pathology tests, though their use of natural or conventional treatments depends on their training and approach

At Melbourne Functional Medicine, our practitioners are trained in the functional medicine model. This means we combine evidence-based natural therapies with advanced functional testing and, importantly, pair every client with both a practitioner and a health coach. This collaborative model gives you both the clinical insight and the step-by-step support to make lasting, meaningful changes to your health.

If you’re a GP or naturopath and want to be a functional medicine practitioner, find out how to become a functional medicine practitioner.

While our practitioners are not medical doctors and cannot prescribe medication, they offer a complementary approach to conventional care. GPs typically focus on diagnosis and prescribing, often within short appointments. In contrast, our practitioners take a functional medicine approach – spending more time with patients to understand the root causes of health issues, rather than just treating symptoms. They use a combination of advanced testing (when needed), targeted dietary and lifestyle interventions, and natural therapies like nutritional and herbal supplements. Their focus is on supporting the body’s systems, such as digestive, hormonal, and immune health, to promote longterm healing. They also consider factors like stress, sleep, and environmental influences that may be affecting your health. Importantly, they often work in collaboration with GPs to ensure your care is safe, coordinated, and combines the best of both conventional and integrative medicine.

We understand that finding the right practitioner is key to your healthcare journey. Our approach is personalised, and our team consists of highly skilled practitioners with broad experience across a range of health conditions, along with key special areas of interest.

Take a look at each practitioner profile to get a sense of who’d be the right fit for you. If you’re managing unexplained symptoms or a condition that’s not listed, we still may be able to help. 

To get help deciding, please call us on 1300 614 814 or book a discovery call, you’ll either speak with our friendly reception team or one of our health coaches. We’ll ask you a series of questions to understand your health goals and challenges. Based on this information, we’ll recommend a practitioner who has the most relevant experience in the areas you’re looking to address, to help you get you the best possible results.