Naturology Studio

16/10/2026

“It’s just placebo.”

We hear that phrase a lot in complementary healthcare, usually as a way of ending the conversation and shutting down changes that can't be explained by our current understanding.

But placebo is far more interesting than “you imagined it”.

Our expectations, previous experiences, learned associations, the environment we're treated in and the relationship we have with the person providing that treatment can all influence how we experience symptoms — and gosh, Lou and Sarah could share some fascinating stories about what we've seen here at Naturology Studio!

One of Sarah's favourite published examples comes from a fascinating 2009 New England Journal of Medicine trial:
People with painful osteoporotic vertebral fractures were randomly assigned to receive either vertebroplasty — where medical cement was injected into the fractured vertebra — or a simulated procedure in which the cement wasn't injected.
Both groups improved. The actual vertebroplasty was not significantly better than the simulated procedure at one month.
The finding was later echoed in another sham-controlled vertebroplasty trial published in The BMJ in 2018.

This is a fascinating demonstration of just how complex our experience of pain, treatment and healing can be — and the powerful role our brains can play in what we personally experience.

That doesn't mean “placebo healed their fractures”, and it doesn't mean every improvement was caused by belief.

But it does challenge the idea that an improvement is somehow meaningless simply because the specific treatment being studied can't explain it.

The relationship between our brains, bodies, expectations and experience is extraordinarily complex, and we're here for it.

Perhaps “it's only placebo” isn't the end of the conversation.
Perhaps it's where a much more interesting conversation begins.

Understanding your health. Together.

Sarah & Lou 🤍

Reference: Kallmes DF et al. A Randomized Trial of Vertebroplasty for Osteoporotic Spinal Fractures. N Engl J Med. 2009;361:569–579.

12/10/2026

REIKI: WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH ACTUALLY SAY? ✨

Reiki is one of those complementary therapies that tends to divide opinion.

Some people swear by their experiences. Others dismiss it entirely.

But what happens when we look beyond personal opinions and explore the clinical research?

Interestingly, Reiki has been investigated in studies exploring anxiety, stress, depression and supportive care for people undergoing cancer treatment.

Some findings are encouraging, including research comparing Reiki with sham treatments (aka Feiki).

We believe curiosity, critical thinking and an open mind can coexist. And we think these conversations are worth having.

Here at Naturology Studio, Lou brings her passion for Reiki, kinesiology and the mind–body connection into her work with clients and her client testimonials speak volumes for the energetic support that she provides.

💬 Have you ever experienced Reiki? Or have you ever heard of Feiki?! We'd love to hear your thoughts.

🤍 Sarah & Lou

Understanding your health. Together.

Guo et al. (2024) — Reiki and Anxiety
Zadro & Stapleton (2022) — Reiki Beyond Placebo
Kahveci et al. (2025) — Reiki and Cancer Supportive Care

08/10/2026

It’s time to shine a little more light on Lou ✨

Lou is such an important part of Naturology Studio, and while many of you already know and love her, we realised it was well overdue for a proper reintroduction.

Kinesiologist. Reiki Master. Mum. Granny. Pilates lover. Crystal lover. And someone who has always been deeply fascinated by the connection between the mind and body.

Lou brings warmth, intuition, curiosity and a genuine love of helping people to every session — whether she’s working with adults, children or families.

She has her own way of making people feel comfortable, heard and supported, and we feel very lucky to have her as part of our little studio in Sandgate.

So, if you haven’t met Lou yet… allow us to reintroduce her 🤍

Understanding your health. Together.

05/10/2026

Allow me to reintroduce myself 👋

I’m Sarah, naturopath, kinesiologist, pattern recogniser, sceptic, mystic, mother… and the owner of Naturology Studio, which I founded in 2016.

I’ve always been fascinated by the connections between things — between our physical health, our nervous system, our emotions, our experiences and the patterns we carry with us.

I’m equally comfortable asking “what does the evidence say?” and “what else might be going on here?” I think there’s room for curiosity, intuition and critical thinking to sit alongside one another.

10 years into Naturology Studio, I’m still learning, questioning, exploring and evolving — both personally and professionally.

If you’re curious about your health, your patterns, and understanding yourself a little more deeply, you’re in the right place.

Understanding your health. Together. 🌿

03/10/2026

Give us a vote! Check out this local competition being run by Carpentry by Kyle for some top quality options ✨️🌿❤️

| 🏄 The Slow-Paced Adventurer , ⛳ The Semi-Serious Golfer , 💐 The Cute Date Night , 🌿 The Homemaker Reset , ✨ The Glow-Up , 🔥 The Smoking King , 🌱 The Holistic Reset | Create and share polls via WhatsApp, Twitter, email and more. It works anywhere as it's plain text.

30/09/2026

Have you ever noticed your body reacting to something that isn’t actually happening right now?

You can be sitting somewhere completely safe, while simply thinking about a difficult conversation, a stressful memory or something you’re worried about — and notice your body respond.

Your jaw tightens. Your shoulders rise. Your breathing changes. Your heart might beat a little faster.

In kinesiology, one of the things I explore is how a client’s muscle response changes when we introduce different thoughts or emotional stressors.

For me, it’s a fascinating way to explore the connection between what we’re thinking and what’s happening in the body — and to start working with the stress response rather than just talking about it 🌿

28/09/2026

Sometimes the support someone needs goes beyond what we do at Naturology Studio — and knowing when to refer on is an important part of good healthcare.

Just behind Naturology Studio is Psychology Studio, where Phillip works as a Clinical Psychologist.

Phillip has more than 20 years’ experience in psychology and also uses EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), an evidence-based psychological therapy particularly well established for PTSD and trauma-related difficulties.

We often describe the difference between our work as Phillip being able to “dive deep” therapeutically, while our work at Naturology Studio may explore some of the physical, lifestyle and mind-body pieces alongside that.

Different scopes. Different approaches. And sometimes beautifully complementary care. 🌿

23/09/2026

When did you last have your bloods checked? 🩸

I’m a big believer in making good use of regular pathology testing — not because we need to go searching for problems, but because blood results can give us valuable information about what’s happening over time.

And sometimes there’s more to explore when you’re feeling exhausted, foggy or simply not yourself, even when the initial results don’t immediately explain why.

Thyroid testing is a good example. Depending on your symptoms and initial results, your GP may not have a clinical reason to order every thyroid marker — and I genuinely understand the constraints they’re working within.

This is one area where naturopathic care can work beautifully alongside your GP: looking at your symptoms, your results and the bigger picture, and considering whether further investigation may be worthwhile.

Know your numbers. Keep copies of your results. And ask questions when you don’t feel well. 🌿

19/09/2026

Sometimes your body whispers. And sometimes, when you keep ignoring it, it gets a little louder.

For me, pneumonia should have been enough to make me stop.

It wasn’t.

I was still thinking about my clients, my responsibilities, and getting back to work. Then came shingles across my face — and suddenly stopping was no longer optional.

There was something quite humbling about realising that I could spend my days helping other people recognise what their bodies needed, while still living from an old blueprint of pushing through my own limits.

I’m far from perfect. But that period became a catalyst for changing the way I listen to my own body — and, ultimately, the way I work with others too. 🌿

Thank you for giving me the space to share this part of my story.

17/09/2026

Sometimes there isn’t a magic pill.

Supplements can absolutely have their place and can be incredibly helpful when prescribed appropriately, but they can’t always compensate for the things we do every day.

Sleep, nutrition, movement, stress, alcohol, the way we live, buried emotions… sometimes feeling better means looking at the bigger picture and asking what actually needs to change.

That’s a conversation I have with clients often 🌿