About Katie Harvison: Naturopathic Herbalist
My path to becoming a herbalist started, as so many do, with my own health.
I'd spent years trying to find answers through conventional medicine for something that wasn't responding the way I'd hoped, feeling failed by the system and lost. Then I saw a herbalist, and things shifted quickly. The experience of being really listened to, and treated as a whole person rather than a collection of symptoms, changed what I understood was possible. And the way the herbs did their work stunned me. I decided I wanted to be able to offer that to other people.
Before herbal medicine I had studied massage, started a degree in psychology, and completed one in community development. I've always been drawn to work that involves sitting with people and trying to help them make sense of things. Herbalism, it turned out, was where all of that came together.
I've now been practising as a naturopathic herbalist for ten years, and I can say without any hesitation that I love this work more now than I did when I started.
What I actually do in a consultation
When you come to see me, we spend about an hour together. I want to hear your whole health story- not just the presenting issue, but the background, the patterns, what you've already tried, what yo
ur life looks like day to day. Good herbal medicine requires that kind of context, because the same symptom in two different people can have quite different roots.
From there I put together a treatment plan that works toward both symptomatic relief and the deeper shift needed to actually move things. This usually includes an individualised liquid herbal formula blended specifically for you, and may include nutritional support and gentle, realistic lifestyle suggestions. I'm not interested in plans that aren't achievable. Change is hard enough without a practitioner setting you up to fail.
I hold ongoing professional membership with the Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS) and am committed to continuing education — herbal medicine is a field where the learning genuinely never stops, and that suits me well.
Where to find me
I see clients at the Twig Apothecary in Toronto, Lake Macquarie, on Mondays, /tuesdays and Wednesdays, with some flexibility for other times on request. Phone appointments are also available for acute consultations.
If you're not sure whether a naturopathic consult is right for what you're dealing with, feel free to get in touch and ask. I'd rather have that conversation than have someone feel like they wasted their time.
I also run hands-on herbal workshops through Bloom and Brew: monthly sessions in the Lake Macquarie area covering everything from kitchen medicine to herbal first aid to seasonal crafting. Details are on the workshops page.
And of course, everything in the Twig shop is made by me here in the apothecary. If you ever want to know why I chose a particular ingredient, how something is made, or whether a product is right for your situation, just ask. That's part of what I'm here for.
Book a consultation
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays at the Twig Apothecary, Toronto NSW. Phone appointments available.
[Book now →]
A note on what I work with
I support people with a wide range of presentations including sleep difficulties, hormonal health, digestive concerns, stress and mood, energy, and skin health. Consultations are not appropriate for acute medical emergencies. If you're unsure whether I'm the right fit, please get in touch.
