Does naturopathy replace therapy or medication?

No. Psychological therapy and, where it's indicated, medication are the treatments with the strongest evidence behind them, and naturopathic care works alongside them. What it contributes is the physical side — sleep, nutrient status, blood sugar, thyroid function and the load — which is often left unexamined.

Can herbs interact with antidepressants?

Yes, and St John's wort is the important one: it interacts with antidepressants, the oral contraceptive pill, blood thinners and several other medications, seriously in some cases. Never combine it with an antidepressant. Tell your naturopath everything you take.

What physical causes are worth checking?

Thyroid disease, iron and B12 deficiency, vitamin D, blood sugar dysregulation, sleep apnoea and perimenopause can all present as anxiety or low mood. They're common, they're testable, and finding one doesn't mean the mood symptoms aren't real.

Anxiety Naturopath Melbourne | Mood & Stress Support

Anxiety and low mood have a physical side that’s often left unexamined, and that’s the part naturopathic care is for. It works alongside psychological therapy and medication rather than in place of either.

What’s worth checking physically

Several common and treatable conditions present as anxiety or low mood, and finding one doesn’t make the symptoms less real:

thyroid disease, in both directions
iron and B12 deficiency
low vitamin D
blood sugar dysregulation, which produces something almost indistinguishable from anxiety
sleep apnoea and chronic sleep debt
perimenopause
alcohol and caffeine intake, both of which are commonly underestimated

Your naturopath can arrange pathology where it’s clinically appropriate.

What your naturopath works on

Sleep, first and usually hardest. Almost nothing else responds well while it’s broken.

Blood sugar stability, which flattens the afternoon anxiety and irritability that many people have stopped noticing.

Nutrient status — B vitamins, magnesium, iron, vitamin D, omega-3 — corrected where testing shows a genuine shortfall.

The gut, where there’s a real and growing body of work on the connection to mood, without overstating what it can do.

Caffeine and alcohol, both of which make anxiety worse in ways that are straightforward to demonstrate and unwelcome to hear.

Movement, which has among the better evidence bases of anything on this page.

Herbal medicine where it’s appropriate, checked against everything you’re already taking.

⚠ Get help today if you need it

If you’re thinking about harming yourself, contact someone now. Lifeline 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467, or your nearest emergency department. In an emergency, call 000.

If you contact us in that situation you’ll be told the same thing and helped to get connected.

Never stop or change an antidepressant on your own. Discontinuation needs to be managed by whoever prescribed it. And St John’s wort must never be combined with an antidepressant — it interacts seriously, and also with the contraceptive pill and blood thinners.

Where psychological or psychiatric care is the right next step, we’ll provide a detailed letter setting out what was found and who we believe is best suited to your needs.

Who you’d see

Sara Canney works across mood, stress, digestive health and immunity, with over fifteen years in clinical practice.

Anxiety and low mood