“I witnessed the different natural remedies she used as a naturopath, and it clicked,” Kasey said. “I felt like this is it.”

Kasey started to research and found Endeavour. She’s now in her second year of naturopathy in Melbourne. “I chose naturopathy because I felt its principles aligned with my morals and beliefs. My goal is to make traditional bush medicine more accessible to everyone. Naturopathy seemed the best course to get the foundational knowledge to get started.

Growing up, Kasey was never connected to her country, but as she’s become more independent, she has sought her culture. Through Tipi, her grandfather, she has started talking to healing people in her mob and hopes to spend some time on country over the summer.

“My country is around the Wimmera region near Horsham and the Grampians. From where I’m based, that’s about four and a half hours away, so I’ve also tried to immerse myself in cultural activities closer to me. I’ve attended local festivals and talked with others about traditional healing practices.

The health inequities for Indigenous people are well-known. Cultural barriers, especially in Western medicine, contribute to the gap. Naturopathy is calmer and gentler healing and reflects traditional Indigenous healing practices. I hope to use what I learn at Endeavour to make natural medicine more accessible to my mob and encourage more people to be part of it.

“So far at Endeavour, we have touched on Indigenous healing as part of the history of healing, which I loved. But there’s so much to it that it could be its own subject and more localised. I think it’s very empowering to make natural health students more aware of traditional healing.”

During her studies, Kasey has also participated in an internship at Medibank organised through CareerTrackers.

“CareerTrackers is a national program that aspires to make the career journeys of Indigenous Australians smoother,” Kasey explained. “I was the first naturopathy student they had, and they didn’t have any existing relationships with natural medicine companies. I wanted to develop my professional skills because I had only worked in retail and entertainment.

“At the beginning, I thought health insurance was so far from naturopathy, but I have learnt so much in the corporate team and been able to connect with First Nations professionals in other fields. I’ve gained confidence that I think will be useful when I go into a clinic.”

Medibank has now employed Kasey part-time in their Diversity and Inclusion team while she continues her naturopathy degree. Kasey is excited about the possibilities ahead.

“I’m no longer frightened by the unknown. It’s exciting to think about the future. At this point, I’m looking forward to being in clinical practice, but I’m also open to any career path where I can help to empower my community and improve Indigenous health outcomes.”

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