Alumni profile: Judy Singer

Diploma of Applied Science - Naturopathy

Graduated 1990

What have you done since graduating from SSNT?

The most rewarding naturopathic work I have been involved in has been at Foundation House, a mental health service for refugees and asylum seekers who have experienced torture and trauma prior to their arrival in Australia. I worked as a naturopath and coordinated the ‘complementary therapies program’ at Foundation House (Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture) for 10 years.

Complementary therapies (CT), in the form of naturopathy, massage, shiatsu and yoga, have been included as a core component of clinical care at Foundation House for almost 25 years. CT was introduced at Foundation House in response to the counsellors and management recognising the need to provide refugees with holistic and culturally appropriate approaches to health care. Although CT is a small program in comparison to the psychological services at Foundation House, it is well integrated into the clinical model. There is a strong commitment to an integrative approach between counselling and naturopathy with clear referral processes and cross-disciplinary supervision. This level of integration is possible because CT practitioners, like the counsellors, are salaried members of the staff team.

After 10 years of working with refugee clients I took up post graduate studies at Southern Cross University, Lismore NSW because I wanted to document the potential of complementary therapies use in refugee patients. My PhD thesis examined the meanings and experience of naturopathy through the experiences of twelve women with refugee backgrounds at Foundation House. Since completing my PhD I have been employed by the University Centre for Rural Health in Lismore (University of Sydney) as a research officer working on a range of different health related studies. I no longer work as a naturopathic practitioner, but still have a keen interest in the profession from a research perspective. In 2011 I received funding from the Primary Health Care Research Evaluation and Development (PHCRED) program and have published an article examining the role of health service managers in providing integrative healthcare in a range of public health services in Australia.

What inspired you to take this path?

Back in the late 1980’s when I was a student at the Southern School I was very fortunate to have a number of inspiring and passionate teachers who significantly influenced my development as a practitioner. I was privileged to be taught by teachers such as Assunta Hunter, Sue Evans and Helen Margulies who encouraged me to think about naturopathic training not simply as a career path but as a way of ‘being in the world’. Also, being an active member of VicHerbs was invaluable for providing me with a professional community that stimulated my thinking, provided necessary professional support, and an opportunity for great friendships.

Have you faced any challenges throughout your journey and if so, what has helped you to overcome them?

I think one of the challenges for our profession is the limited scope for developing a naturopathic career outside of private practice and teaching undergraduate courses. An interesting development over the last 10 years or so has been the small, but growing number of practitioners who have undertaken postgraduate studies in areas such as medical anthropology and sociology and who are now pursuing various naturopathic/health related research. As interest in naturopathy/CAM grows, one of the challenges is to encourage and develop research opportunities for naturopathically trained practitioner-researchers.

Having great naturopathic buddies has been the most important factor for me in dealing with challenges. Being able to ‘chew the fat’, think through problems, brainstorm ideas, share frustrations and celebrate successes makes for rich and rewarding experiences.

Where do you want to go with this next?

What does the future hold for your work? I’d like to continue working on health related research projects, especially focusing on how to integrate naturopathy into publicly funded health care settings. I would like to see many more naturopaths employed in a range of different health care contexts, working alongside other health care professionals. I believe naturopaths can make a significant contribution to multi-disciplinary healthcare teams, especially in the treatment of chronic conditions.

What advice would you give to current SSNT students?

Find inspiring mentors, look outside the square, be creative, follow your passion and hang out with your buddies – peer support/friendships are essential for sustaining a long-term career in naturopathy.