Ever visited the doctor and left with a prescription to set firmer boundaries? Maybe not if you’ve gone to the GP. But her extensive studies have taught Functional Medicinal Homeopath Dr Joanne Pautz that healing can take many forms.
Although Joanne didn’t always see healing in her future, it’s no stretch to say that her interest in health stretches all the way back to childhood. Her mother worked at Vital Foods, and she says she remembers that her supply of vitamins filled the basket in the centre of the eight-seater table in her boarding school’s dining hall.
Today, Joanne is very selective about the supplements she takes … she believes that “individualised, goal oriented, root cause medicine is the way of the future”. And that’s exactly how she approaches her patients. “No two cases are the same,” she points out.
Even the nature of the conditions Joanne treats vary wildly: in one day, she might see a couple struggling to fall pregnant, a child with an ear infection, someone wanting to lose weight, a business executive battling with insomnia, an athlete who would like to improve their performance and a teenager grappling with social pressures at school.
One case may require a physical exam followed by blood, urine, saliva or DNA testing before further treatment is required. Or it could be that Joanne’s extensive consultation reveals that the root cause of a client’s condition lies in emotional trauma, in which case she’ll work to release stuck emotions with techniques like Acudetox (auricular acupuncture) or a Life Alignment, a modality which leverages the principles of quantum physics and kinesiology. “Often, patients leave this type of session with tools to help them cope, like coaching notes.”
Trying to shift a few kilos? Joanne would assess your body composition using an InBody Scale, analyse your diet, hormonal status and exercise regime, then load an app-based eating plan (including recipes, shopping lists and calorie goals) onto your phone.
Whatever her approach, Joanne’s goal is always the same … to empower patients to make sustainable changes. “I’m always trying to teach my patients how to make changes in areas that are holding them back from living an inspired, healthy, energetic and balanced life,” she explains.
Her unwavering belief in the power of her multi-modal approach comes not only from her training (a hard-earned Master’s degree in Homeopathy followed by a year at the UK’s Regents College of Homeopathy, qualifications in several modalities, a Fellowship in Anti-Ageing, Metabolic and Functional Medicine from the USA in her forties, but also through experience. Joanne gave birth to her daughter, Sage Siena, at home, completely drug-free, with the help of a doula as well as midwife Sharon Marsay. “I had an innate knowing that if anything went wrong with the birthing process, we had a natural solution that could fix it,” she says. Now 13, Sage Siena still has never been treated with anything other than natural medicine.
Although Joanne says that she believes in tackling a problem from many angles, she admits that homeopathy remains her first love. “I’ve seen it work miracles,” she enthuses.
She finds working holistically extremely rewarding. It’s not only about healing – although it is, of course, wonderful to witness the changes patients go through, for many, the mere fact of being seen and heard by Joanne makes an enormous difference to their emotional and physical wellbeing. “My hope is that my prescribed interventions will help them feel emotionally more secure, confident and centered, mentally sharper and physically more robust and resilient.” Joanne often relies on her intuition to solve patients’ issues. She describes each new case as a journey or a puzzle to be solved in the quickest time possible – and to do this, she needs to connect with her patient fully from a grounded heart space. At the same time, she has to be able to disconnect fully, otherwise she will carry their trauma and pain with her.
As much as Joanne teaches her patients about living life to their full, they teach her too. “One of the things that inspires me about my work is that there’s always the chance to learn something new.”
Her passion for learning comes from Joanne’s firm belief that “there is always a well-researched, natural solution for every disease process. If there isn’t one, it’s only because it hasn’t been found yet – but one day we will!”
Details: Visit www.drjoanne.co.za or contact Dr Joanne Pautz on 011-326-2131 or email [email protected]
How to be healthy
Follow Joanne’s tips for ultimate wellbeing:
- Eat loads of vegetables. Most of your shopping should take place at the greengrocer.
- Consider intermittent fasting. Going without food for 10 to16 hours at night has a detoxifying, fat burning effect.
- Go on a 21-day detox at least once a year. Avoid gluten, dairy, red meat, alcohol, coffee, black tea and sugar during this time.
- Keep a health file with all your laboratory results, X-ray summaries, body stats and other relevant health information.
- Know all your health scores and, if you’re not at your optimum, set realistic health goals. Find someone to help you achieve them.
- Negative thoughts make you sick on all levels. Transcend the drama and audit your thoughts. Is your self-talk helpful or harmful? How long does it take you to overcome a negative situation or argument? Get rid of toxic thoughts as quickly as possible so they don’t throw you off track.
Text: Lisa Witepski • Photographer: Nicole Moore. Details: nicolemoorephotography.co.za • Make-up: ANKE VENTER. Details: 072-223-3340. • Hair: Chantal Rheeder from Salon Chanté. Details: 082-342-1362. • Location: CHUNKY CHAU RESTAURANT. Details: chunkychau.co.za
