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Latest News

7 days ago

Is it time for a Spring clean? Tips on how to reap the benefits of a gentle detox.

Springtime is traditionally a time of cleansing and new beginnings, and it can be an ideal time to detox your body and lifestyle.

9 days ago

Homeopathy for women's health

The life of a woman follows a beautifully orchestrated rhythm punctuated by hormonal changes through monthly cycles and during the stages of life.

2 months ago

The secrets to maintaining healthy habits

As we draw towards the end of January, it is a good time to reflect on New Years’ Resolutions.

2 months ago

New Year, New You - taking a Lifestyle Medicine approach to improving your health

As we settle into the new year and the recent excesses of the festive season are not far behind us, we often at this time of year think about how…

Why choose The Natural Practice

Group Practice

We draw on the team expertise and help you choose the best indicated approach for individual needs.

Doctor Led

We work with people of different ages presenting with a wide range of acute and chronic conditions and specialise in natural management options.

35 Years of Experience

Having first opened in Winchester in 1987, the Natural Practice is now a well-established practice with 12 practitioners, 6 different locations and an in-house dispensary.

Personal Care Package

We recognise that everyone is unique and therefore work together with the patients to create an individualised management plan to restore optimal health.

Meet the Practitioners

Dr David Owen

Physician (Integrated Medicine)

Medical Director

Dr Ruth Dyson

Physician, Integrated Medicine

Dr Kate Shapland

Physician (Integrated Medicine)

Dr Ruolin Sun

Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine

Ruth Taylor

Nutritional Therapist

Christina Edwards

Chiropractor

Marcos Frangos

Holistic Counsellor - Family Constellations

Jane Pearce

Reflexologist

Gail Dawe

Massage Therapist

Clinic Locations

The Winchester practice is the hub of the Natural Practice.
Alternative practitioners, reception, dispensary and managerial staff all work at the Winchester practice.
Integrated medical doctors see clients in person in 6 different locations.
Follow up consultations with the doctors can also be arranged via Skype, facetime and telephone.

Patient Testimonials

"Dr Ridsdale has helped more than any other doctor or other medical/well-being practitioner ever has. I've had a lot of issues to deal with from childhood traumas and experiences and they've never been fully dealt with in a way that I can feel in control of them and myself. Holistic treatment from Dr Ridsdale has allowed me to finally deal with these issues head-on and move forward from them, taking control of my life. I'm now so confident in myself I'm doing things I never possible before. I cannot thank her enough and would recommend her treatment to anyone!"

"Conventional medication never agreed with me. In 1982, following a recommendation from a friend, I decided to try consulting a homeopathic doctor. Since then I have not looked back. I am 94 years old and feel to be in good health despite a set back with a broken hip earlier this year. I am able to enjoy life and love going out for meals, shopping and the theatre. I am grateful to Dr Katya and all the staff, past and present. " Beryl Beech

"I was in a car accident 2 years ago and have tried every therapy under the sun for the pain and movement restrictions it caused. Physio, massage, sports massage, exercises, strength retraining - nothing worked and I thought I would be in pain forever. However, after receiving acupuncture treatment from Dr Sun, relief was IMMEDIATE and after a full course of treatment, my full movement was restored and I now no longer feel the pain that had been constant since the accident. I can't recommend acupuncture enough! And Dr Sun is an expert. No pain from needle insertion and no pain from an accident I can now fully put behind me. Worth every penny."

"Coming to see Dr Ridsdale has been extremely helpful and well worth the energy, time and financial outlay. Homeopathic remedies together with acupuncture have helped enormously."

"I have used the integrated medical approach to my health all my adult life. I believe in prevention rather than cure to stay healthy. So many factors can affect your health that I prefer to see a doctor that treats your whole body rather than just one or two symptoms. So many times we are given drugs that don't address our whole body's needs resulting in other problems.

Operations and prescribed drugs can all affect your body so I believe it's beneficial to consult a doctor who is a GP wo also knows about complementary medicine. Although we can all go on the internet I prefer to consult a qualified GP to make sure what I am taking correctly balances my body.

I have found Dr David Owen to be an excellent GP who combines that knowledge with his extensive knowledge in complementary medicines. He listens to you and then treats you as a person, not a symptom. As you talk to him it is as though the computer inside his head is coming up with the solution for your particular needs.

I came across homeopathy in my early 20s when I found a book belonging to a grandparent who had passed away. In my 20s I had various problems - asthma plus I was told to have my tonsils out, but visiting an integrated physician sorted both those problems.

I have had breast cancer twice, which I believe could be down to having lots of x-rays as a child and in my early teens. I don't want to risk my health by stopping taking Tamoxifen; David Owen advises me on what I need to do to minimise the side effects." Patient: Susan Sanderson

"Dr Katya has helped me enormously. Her practical support and understanding of the problem has put me on the road to recovery. She is thorough in her medical analysis and explanation of the issues and course of treatment as well as being warm and compassionate. My mum and I feel that we were lucky to be directed towards her. " Patient: Name withheld.

"I've had a monthly massage for over 25 years and when my practitioner retired I was lucky enough to find Pat. She gives a good strong session and I'm very lucky to have found her".

Julia Sandison

"Dr Katya has given me a range of tools to better explain my feelings so I am able to ask for the right support from others. I have also been taught about my inner child and how to be more aware of her needs which has improved my happiness and confidence."

Lulu

"Excellent help with thyroid issues plus associated adrenal/sugar problems. Very sympathetic; Dr Owen is extremely knowledgeable across different modalities. Highly recommended and very happy with the whole practice!"

Pam Gregory

"The treatment received has made a considerable difference to the quality of my life over the past 15 years."

Name withheld

"Splendid fact packed lectures that I find extremely useful in understanding your theory missing in my consultations with you.

They complement one to one consultations superbly. Mainly because my individual concerns are not discussed but possible reasons for their cause.

This mornings lectures again contained excellent content. As with the previous ones I have come away with a fuller understanding of past situations. These were both stressful and difficult to understand. I now do.

Reflecting now, I came up with a suggestion which I do hope you will take as a compliment.

Prior to his death a Rabbi Lionel Blue gave thought for the day on Radio Four. His thoughts many and myself found set us up any stressful day ahead. I sense you would make an excellent if not better replacement!! More so now as this country needs positive people like you. The Rabbis best thought still recalled by my pals and myself was given during the dark depressing days of John Major. 'Now my friends a quick thought for you to recall during your day, like me everyone is suffering, well now, all good things come to an end, so do bad things'. When ever even now a bad day is had his thought is quoted still.

After your lectures I feel set up for today to better cope with what is (not pleasant at present) thrown at me, more important with new tools to cope. Thank you I look forward to the next ones."

Brian commenting on Dr Owen's recent webinar

"Working with Marcos helped me to process and move on from a difficult time in my life and into a new and brighter future. His manner is warm and sensitive and, because I felt safe, I found it easy to talk and share (even on Zoom). Constellating my feelings created a real breakthrough and I came away from each session feeling clearer and positive."

"My sessions with Marcos were very special, I always looked forward to them. He holds sacred space for you magnificently, never rushing, just allowing what is deep inside you to come forth. The sessions felt so nurturing in the blur of my days when I am giving out all the time to others.

He taught me to love myself more and to make time for that. Marcos is very skilled in techniques that truly allow old behaviours or even ancestral patterns to be released so they stop getting in our way of our happiness. Our sessions have even benefited my work, as I feel I express that with even more love and equally receive more back from people.

Marcos works with exquisite sensitivity but a great deal of skill, and was able to find just what I needed to allow me to have a happier life. Highly recommended!'.

Just writing to add our thanks to Dr Owen and colleagues for the helpful advice and support you have given during the COVID-19 emergency. We have taken up several of your suggestions. Once again, many thanks.

Ed & Sarah Rhodes

"My Constellations-counselling took place during lockdown, and although I was not able to meet Marcos in person, I greatly benefited from these sessions. Marcos is very professional in the way that he conducts his sessions. He helped me walk a difficult path and he did it with integrity and always showing attentiveness. After each session, Marcos provided me with a written summary, which gave me the opportunity to reflect on my discussions and see my personal growth after a block of sessions. This was very helpful and it was good to have something ‘tangible’. I highly recommend Marcos."

"I signed up for the winter MOT as I felt I needed some nutritional support from Ruth Taylor in particular, and was interested to find out what a constellation consultation from Marcos Frangos would entail.
The nutritional consultation with Ruth was excellent. I felt she was thorough, empathetic and she understood what was going on. Having implemented her advice immediately I have felt the benefits and in particular lost my sugar cravings, which was an added problem for me.
The consultation with Marcos was amazing. He created a very safe and compassionate space in which I was able to express and explore some deep feelings and emotions. I hadn’t known what to expect, but found it healing and also very liberating. I would definitely go back to Marcos if I felt there was something more to explore. "

"Marcos offered a safe space and skilfully guided me, with wise encouragement, to find a missing piece. Much appreciated.'

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Ridsdale for her ongoing support and treatment during a very difficult time of poor physical, mental and emotional health for me.

For over a decade, I have experienced a succession of serious inflammatory conditions, and seen many medical professionals, both private and NHS, on every occasion having my symptoms treated in isolation of my wider health, and achieving no resolution to the cause of the problems. This has been a source of intense frustration to me, sadly leaving me with a strong mistrust of the medical profession. My consultations with Dr Ridsdale have swept away my frustration and mistrust, as I now finally believe I have found a medical professional who has the qualities and experience to help me to better health, by taking a holistic view of my entire physical and mental health story - through thoughtful questioning, active listening, and the application of a wealth of experience. Dr Ridsdale inspires confidence with these qualities, and also with her warm, practical reassuring manner, and her openness to a wider range of treatment options, beyond pharmacology. As a result, for the first time in over a decade, I feel I have been taken seriously as a patient, and have turned a corner with my health and am now on the path to a recovery that I had previously despaired of finding. This has boosted my general well-being enormously. The Natural Practice is now my ‘go to’ clinic for all my health matters, including menopause support, because of the ease of securing appointments, the length of appointments allowing meaningful investigation, and also the friendly and efficient ‘back office’ support provided by the wider team, arranging appointments and dispensing medication. My experience with Dr Ridsdale and the Natural Practice has been excellent and I would not hesitate to recommend her and the clinic to my friends and family.

Please pass on my thanks to Dr Ridsdale, and I look forward to developing my well-being relationship with her and the clinic further in future. I would be very interested in an annual health check, going forward

"It has definitely been really helpful and I really appreciate our conversations and all the thought that goes into the recording - I don't quite know how you know just the right things to say bit I'm glad that you do!!"

"Constellations make me think of the stars and speak of many possibilities including light, harmony, alignment, patterns, systems, eternity, elder wisdom and the future. Constellation counselling provided an opportunity to explore these many possibilities within my own life, and make meaning of what obviously, and not so obviously, was impacting my inner world which was expressing itself in my life experiences. Marcos provided a deeply sacred, non-judgemental and safe space which supported my journey from unbearable grief, loss and chaos to calm. I would highly recommend him as a Fellow Traveller in troubled times."

“I hadn’t realised the power of even just being heard until I met Marcos. He provided a deeply compassionate space in which I could meet my shadow self. Marcos illuminated that which was hidden from my perception with his gentle and wise inquiry. It was both healing and revelatory at the same time …. for which I am very grateful"

"I just wanted to let you know that Dr Dyson's efforts yield real results and I'm very grateful to her for all her help. Dr Dyson is a very empathic person to talk to and her voice is lovely to listen to on recordings."

“Ruth’s support in developing a well-being plan encouraged me to follow a shift in lifestyle that has been truly transformational. Her perceptive and empathetic manner all helped to show me that the small but incremental changes to diet, exercise and mindfulness all offer significant improvement to mental and physical health.”

"I sought Marcos in a period of my life when I felt quite lost, going through a crisis of identity and purpose. Having had therapy many times before, I was looking for someone with experience and a different approach to help me understand my narrative and suffering in a new way. In Marcos, I found someone that knows how to listen at a very deep level, someone that is in tune and attuned to trauma survival, to being human, that is tremendously intuitive and with an extraordinary ability to reorient and reframe one’s story. Marcos is a therapist that helped me finding a kinder language, a more compassionate foundation within myself so I could relate to myriad facets of my experiences with fairness and acknowledgement of my strengths. Marcos helped me to love better and more fully, even the aspects I kept repressed. Thank you, Marcos, for touching my life so beautifully." Patricia.

‘I found Marcos to be a gentle, attentive, non-judgemental and wise counsellor during a very challenging period of my life. I learnt that I do not have to soldier on alone. He met me just where I needed to be received and understood, in a safe space, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. His support undoubtedly helped me regain a personal sense of harmony, meaning and purpose following significant losses for which I will be eternally grateful. Thank you Marcos for being such a wonderful fellow traveller on my journey of life.’