Your Questions, Answered

Functional medicine is an approach that looks for the cause of a problem rather than just naming it and matching a treatment to it. Instead of treating a symptom on its own, it asks why it's there, and looks at how the different parts of your health connect, along with the lifestyle and environmental factors feeding in. Many of the conditions I see don't have a single, tidy cause — they come from a few things interacting — which is why this approach tends to suit problems that haven't shifted with the usual treatment.

Longevity medicine is the same thinking applied earlier, before something's gone wrong. Rather than waiting for a problem to appear, it's about understanding where your health actually stands while you're well, getting a clear picture of your individual risks, and working out how to stay well for the years ahead.The aim is practical, lasting benefits — steady energy, lower risk of chronic disease, and a better chance of staying well as you age.

For me, the two aren't really separate. Both come back to the same questions: what's going on, why, and what's the sensible thing to do about it — whether you've come in with something that needs sorting, or you feel fine and want to keep it that way.

A health coach is someone who helps you put a health plan into practice and stay with it. Knowing what to change is one thing; fitting it into a real life with work, family and everything else is another, and that's the part a coach helps with — turning a plan into specific, manageable steps, and checking in as you go so it holds up over time rather than fading after the first fortnight.

In my practice, the coach is also part of how we begin. Before your first appointment, you'll usually have a session with them — in person or over the phone — to work through your history and background, so we start from a full picture rather than piecing it together in the room. After that, they stay involved alongside your care, helping the plan keep working as your life and circumstances change.

A health coach doesn't diagnose, order tests, or replace your appointments with me — that's my role, and we work as a team. What they add is time, structure, and support between visits, which is often the difference between a plan that looks good on paper and one that actually changes how you feel.

I am a fully qualified GP and a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP). I hold a medical degree (MD), a Master of Public Health (MPH), and a Master of Health Management and Leadership (MHLM).

Beyond my core qualifications, I have trained extensively in functional and lifestyle medicine, the areas that shape how I work. This includes functional medicine training through the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) and Accreditation in Lifestyle Medicine through the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM). I am currently completing my Fellowship of the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM), along with practitioner training with BioBalance.

Alongside my practice, I am a Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland.

Mainly time and focus. My appointments are longer than a standard GP consultation, which gives room to work through complex or longstanding problems in detail and to spend time on prevention, lifestyle, and the things that contribute to how someone's feeling. My clinic is set up specifically for that kind of work, so I don't cover the acute side of general practice, things like coughs, colds, and injuries. It's a more focused service rather than a replacement for it.

This way of working isn't for everyone. It tends to suit people who want to take an active role in their health and have the time and space to look into things properly. If that sounds like you, it's a good fit.

I work with a broad range of health concerns, fatigue, autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, gut problems, skin conditions and joint pain among them. I also see people who feel well and want to stay that way, and would rather understand their health and get ahead of things than wait for something to go wrong.

Mental health is a particular focus of mine. So much of how we feel is connected to the rest of our health, so I treat it as part of the whole picture rather than something separate. For some people, that also means reassessing long-term medication, where it's appropriate and something they want to explore.

One area I have personal experience with is topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) syndrome. Having been through it myself, I know how difficult and isolating it can be, and how often it's misunderstood, so I'm glad to support people going through it.

Antidepressant deprescribing — sometimes called tapering or withdrawal support — is something I help patients with. For some people, yes — where it's clinically appropriate and it's something you want to explore. But that's an individual question, not a given, and for those who have a considered reason to reassess, this is about doing it properly rather than on your own.

Coming off these medications is rarely as simple as stopping. Withdrawal effects are common, and for some people more difficult and longer-lasting than is often recognised — which is one of the reasons it's worth doing slowly, with proper support, and with someone keeping an eye on how you're actually going. How the dose is reduced makes a real difference, and the right pace is the one that matches how you're coping, not a fixed timeline.

It's also not a decision made in isolation. We'd start by understanding why you're on the medication, what's changed, and what's going on underneath — because supporting the rest of your health is part of what makes reducing safely possible. Where it's helpful, I'll also work alongside your psychologist, psychiatrist or other treating practitioners, so any changes happen with the right people involved rather than around them. Whether or not coming off is the right move, and when, is something we work out together, and you're never locked into a path you're not comfortable with.

Yes. I see patients dealing with topical steroid withdrawal, including those who've been searching for support. I'll go through your history with you properly and talk through the options for managing it.

This is one of the main reasons people come to see me. Normal results don't always mean nothing's wrong. Sometimes it means there's more of the picture to fill in. I'll take the time to go through your history and look at what might be driving how you feel.

Yes, and it's a big part of what I do. Plenty of patients come in feeling fine and wanting to stay that way, or to understand their health before problems show up. We look at where you're at now and what's worth keeping an eye on over the longer term.

As a baseline, everyone starts with blood tests. These are generally very comprehensive — at a minimum they look at your metabolic health markers, and I'll often request more depending on your situation, such as hormone testing.

Beyond the standard bloods, I also use a range of functional tests through credible laboratories, chosen case by case. Depending on what we're exploring, these might include urine testing for organic acids or hormones (such as DUTCH testing), stool testing, breath testing for overgrowth, or hair testing for minerals and heavy metals, among others.

Most blood tests are covered by Medicare and are free, provided you meet the eligibility criteria and have Medicare cover. Some specific tests fall outside Medicare due to its restrictions and come with an out-of-pocket cost, usually between $50 and $400 depending on what's ordered.

Functional tests are more specialised and go beyond standard bloods. They're done privately and aren't covered by Medicare, so they're an out-of-pocket cost — anywhere from $100 to over $500 per test.

Functional testing is never compulsory. It can be tailored to your budget and what you actually need, and I'll always talk through the options with you so you can make a decision that fits both your health goals and your circumstances.

I see patients at Foundations Clinic in Wilston, Brisbane. If you'd like to make sure we're the right fit first, you're welcome to start with a complimentary discovery call, a short, no-pressure conversation with our health coach, who'll walk you through how the clinic works and what becoming a patient involves.

When you're ready to begin, your first appointment is a session with our health coach to gather some history and background, in person or over the phone. This is about understanding your story, your timeline, and what's brought you here, so that your case review with me starts from a real picture of you rather than from scratch.

You can book through the clinic's appointments page:

foundationsclinic.com.au/appointmentpage

Yes, telehealth appointments are available. One thing to be aware of: depending on your circumstances, a Medicare rebate may not apply to a telehealth consult, so part or all of the appointment may be out of pocket. If you're not sure whether a rebate applies to you, ask when you book, and we'll let you know.

My fees are based on the time and complexity of each appointment, and I aim to be upfront so there are no surprises. If you'd like, you can start with a complimentary discovery call to see whether we're the right fit before booking anything. From there, costs vary by appointment length, and Medicare rebates apply in many cases, depending on your circumstances.

You'll always know the cost before you book. You can see current fees and rebates on the clinic's appointments page:

foundationsclinic.com.au/appointmentpage