About The Natural Health Service, Swansea
The Natural Health Service (NHS) success story is largely down to a team sprit, where our central philosophy is 'what is best for the client/patient'?
Today we are a team of about 25 practitioners, therapists & instructors who share our expertise, knowledge and experience with each other and constantly learn about what each other does. This helps us to refer our clients to other therapists if we believe that another therapy may be more beneficial to them.
Background
We began out organic journey in 2000. One of the founder members of the clinic, Alison Griffiths, still works with us today and it is hoped that our team of massage therapists will take stress-busting massage out to the workplace in a future venture. Over the years, through its own success, the clinic has undergone expansion. Emma Kamio and Rhian Davies Powell run the clinic these days, Emma has a nursing background and Rhian a background in nutrition. They both met when studying to become homeopaths at The Welsh School of Homeopathy in 1997. During their four years of training a common interest developed 'the next generation'.
Emma began to pursue her interest in natural childbirth and opened a small birthpool hire company called 'waterbabies' to compliment her homeopathic practice. At the time it was dominated by pregnant women wanting natural treatments for common complaints during pregnancy. By attending as many births as possible during the first two years after graduation, Emma gained experience in using homeopathy during labour.
From 2001 to present day Emma continues to speak up for natural therapies during pregnancy, childbirth and the neo-natal period by being an active member of the Home Birth Working Party, Singleton Hospital's Maternity & Labour Ward Forum & the Ante-Natal Screening Forum , where she takes every opportunity to promote its use. She has delivered lectures to midwifery groups and talks to ante-natal groups to raise awareness of the huge place homeopathy has in this area of health care.
With Rhian's background in Nutrition, her attention was drawn to the link between children's diet and behaviour problems. A final year project for Rhian ran for two years and it was focused on treating children with behavioural and emotional problems. A large amount of children from 6-16 were observed in school and home with input from all agencies involved with them, many were on Ritalin and homeopathy was then used to see if the Ritalin could be reduced or substituted. The favourable outcome of this project will now be used as part of an off-shoot of Project Sol - a multi disciplinary clinic for children with behavioural and emotional problems which is being launched in 2007 from the NHS clinic.
Two years of being a homeopath in a GP's surgery in Port Talbot then followed for Rhian - a very valuable experience for anybody who wishes to be a complimentary practitioners. So useful to be part of the initial process and to use an integrated approach for those patients who would benefit from that.
Both Emma and Rhian were side tracked by a classmate's final year project. Barry Burton set up a homeopathic charity 'Project Sol' which provides homeopathy to socially and economically disadvantaged individuals in Swansea. Emma worked at the Community Drug and Alcohol Team (CDAT), a department of Cefn Coed hospital for four years and Rhian in a general health clinic in a community centre in Bonymaen for six years. The opportunity to treat large numbers of people with deep rooted illness and the experience of working with health care practitioners was invaluable to them both.
Current Projects / Special Interests
We are now in a position to consolidate all the various projects and experiences the members of the team have accumulated and pursue our special interests. The common interest is children - from pregnancy, birth and neo-natal care through to children's health - both physical and emotional.
Our team comprises of a Doctor, 2 Midwives, and Nurses who have returned from their original profession and now use that expertise and knowledge to enhance their practice at the clinic.
These therapists work alongside the children's counsellors, homeopaths and the cranosacral therapist, and between them they provide a comprehensive range of therapies to improve the wellbeing of the next generation.
Vision
Our vision is to have a clinic that is alternative if needed, complimentary always and primarily integrated. It is important to all our practitioners that we work with and alongside our clients whatever approach our patients have chosen. There is not one right therapy and we like to think that we are flexible enough in our treatment to choose the best route to health that there is.