Find a Practitioner

Karen Ansell is a highly experienced University qualified Naturopath & Nutritionist with over 30 years in the health and fitness industry. Karen graduated with an Excellence in Naturopathy award and is dedicated to furthering her knowledge and keeping up to date with the latest clinical research. Karen takes you on a journey of education and empowerment to understand your needs for preventative health care to rediscover your vitality. Karen was an elite athlete in her high school years winning Australian and Pacific Games championships in middle distance and cross country running as well as run/swim Aquathons. Karen worked in the top health spa resorts of Thailand for several years treating many famous high profile guests before returning to Sydney to start her busy Be in Balance Naturopath Clinic. Karen enjoys treating a diverse range of ages from babies to elderly and a range of conditions such as gut and digestion, immune and autoimmunity, stress and sleep, hormones and weight management, inflammation and energy, migraines and histamine intolerance, perimenopause and menopause, cancer support care, fertility and pregnancy and more. Karen utilises biomedical testing options, and clinically trialled supplements as well as working with food as medicine. Karen is caring and intuitive to your needs and goes above and beyond to individualise treatment, ensuring a gift of wellness for every client she meets.

I’m a Clinical Nutritionist with a personal and professional passion for gut health, thyroid function, metabolic balance, and food as medicine. Originally from Poland, I’ve experienced firsthand the frustration of living with undiagnosed thyroid dysfunction. Despite “normal” test results, I suffered symptoms of hyperthyroidism as a child and was placed on thyroid medication early in life—without much relief. In my late 20s, while living in London, I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, which led to a thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine therapy. Since that time—and especially after becoming a busy mum at 35—I’ve had to manage the demands of motherhood alongside the ongoing impacts of thyroid removal. Now in my mid-40s, I understand how critical it is to support the body with nutrition that works, not quick fixes. Years after surgery, I developed Rosacea and was diagnosed with SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth). It wasn’t until I followed a targeted nutritional protocol that I finally saw improvements in both my skin and overall wellbeing. Today, I remain on thyroid medication for life, but through evidence-based nutrition, targeted nutrients, and lifestyle practices, I’ve been able to feel vibrant again—and I help others do the same. ​My approach is rooted in real food, clinical evidence, and lived experience. I work with clients to support their digestion, reduce inflammation, balance metabolism, and feel well in their bodies—starting with the gut.

Jodie Morrison - BHSc Nut & Diet, Acc. Sport Nutritionist (SNA) MDiet (Cand.) – Sports Nutrition. I’m a Clinical and Sports Nutritionist specialising in athletic performance, women’s health, autoimmune support, and sustainable weight management. My passion is helping people cut through the noise and myths around nutrition, and instead build simple, evidence-based habits that boost energy, confidence, and strength at every life stage. Whether you’re training hard, juggling work and family, or navigating life transitions of motherhood, perimenopause and menopause, I believe food should fuel both body and mind, and it should feel doable, not daunting. I’m passionate about sharing evidence-based advice on health and nutrition, busting diet culture myths, and giving you practical tools to thrive in your everyday life.

Jane Papalia is a qualified Naturopath and Clinical Nutritionist who combines evidence-based natural medicine with the time-honoured principles of the Mediterranean lifestyle. She specialises in women’s health, hormonal balance, stress and sleep support, and holistic approaches to ageing, guiding clients toward lasting vitality and wellbeing.

If you are a human being, you stand on the shoulders of ancestors who used medicinal plants to heal. Herbal medicine has been used since the dawn of human time, not only to treat illnesses and ailments, but to build strength and resilience. It is not an abstract, woo-woo concept to 'believe' in or not. It's a firmament of human health on planet earth; a subject of powerful chemistry, sophisticated mechanisms of action and deep nutritional complexity. Our disconnection from using plants as medicine is a very recent phenomenon; a blip in the history of humanity. I've now been a herbalist for almost a quarter of a century, and I believe that a repair, and return to, this connection represents a vital missing link in the modern health crisis. Herbal medicine serves as both an alternative and a complement to orthodox modern medicine, for a host of conditions from acute to chronic, from straightforward to complex and multifaceted. The evidence-base for medicinal herbs grows ever more robust, and the world needs this modality more than ever before. My portfolio career in the vast field of herbal medicine and naturopathy has spanned almost 25 years, in many iterations; from clinical settings to walk-in apothecaries, from high level technical practitioner support to academic curriculum writing. For the last 13 years I have worked exclusively as a senior specialist writer and researcher, working with Australia's leading brands, organisations and practitioner cohorts in the herbal medicine space. During this time, I have been deeply immersed in the studies and literature, connecting the dots between tradition and science, theory and practice, while witnessing the ongoing power of plant medicine in my life and in the lives of those I love and care for. Herbal medicine is for everyone, all the time. In my observation, it works perhaps most powerfully for those who are standing at thresholds, paused at crossroads or moving through the transitions and changes of life. The medicines are there to soothe the brand-newness of the infant and wrangled nerves of the overwhelmed parent; the nervous, teary child; the confused, angry adolescent; the crisis of midlife and the frailty of age, the vulnerability of ill health and the hopefulness of recovery. Within the herbal apothecary sit companions and remedies for every stage of life, and assistants for every human experience. It's my job to do the matchmaking. My return to private practice answers a powerful call to bridge clinical research with traditional lore, translating scientific findings and ancient wisdom into the soul work of practical herbalism. Attending to patients again is a homecoming, and I look forward to introducing you to the plants.

Victoria is an Accredited Practising Dietitian providing personalised nutrition for a variety of health conditions including gut problems, chronic disease management, women's health and general nutrition matters. Victoria is particularly passionate about utilising elements of the Mediterranean lifestyle (dietary habits, stress reduction and strengthening of the gut-brain connection) to heal guts and nourish bodies & minds.

Travis was born and raised south of Sydney on the shores of Jervis bay. He is a PACFA Registered Clinical Counsellor which is the most prestegious counselling certification in Australia. Upon completing his Bachelor of Counselling with the Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP) and working at a Drug and Alcohol rehabilitation facility (Odyssey House) he took an opportunity to open a private counselling practice here in Nowra in 2020 called the Catharsis Society. Travis has since completed many advanced training programs including Clinical Hypnotherapy, Applied Neuroscience and Neuro Linguistic Programming and now specialises in CPTSD, PTSD, Trauma Informed Practice, ADHD Coaching, OCD, Depression and Anxiety. Travis has a unique ability to connect with people and build trust which is the cornerstone of The Catharsis Society.