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Endometriosis Naturopath
Wānaka & Online across New Zealand
Endometriosis is a complex, systemic condition, not just a period problem. At Naturalist, I take a testing-led, root-cause approach to endometriosis care that investigates what's actually driving your specific symptom pattern and builds a plan from that picture. Not a generic protocol. A roadmap built from your results.
What is endometriosis and how is it affecting me?
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. It affects approximately 1 in 10 women - yet diagnosis takes an average of 9.7 years in New Zealand. That delay is not acceptable. And it means many women are managing symptoms without ever understanding what's driving them.
Tissue grows where it shouldn't
Endometrial-like tissue grows on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowel, bladder, and surrounding structures. Each month this tissue responds to hormonal changes - bleeding, inflaming, and scarring where it has no way to exit the body.
It reacts to your cycle
Because endometrial lesions are hormonally responsive, symptoms often intensify around menstruation, ovulation, and the luteal phase. Pain, bloating, fatigue, and mood changes that track with your cycle are clinical signals - not normal variation.
It affects the whole body
Endometriosis is a systemic condition. The inflammation it generates affects gut function, immune regulation, hormonal clearance, skin, energy, and neurological function. Treating it as only a reproductive issue misses most of the picture.
It is under-diagnosed and often misunderstood
Research published in 2024 confirmed the average diagnostic delay in New Zealand is now 9.7 years. Many women are told their pain is normal, their results are fine, and they simply have to manage. You deserve more than that.
Endometriosis and Adenomyosis
Often missed. Often co-occurring. Both treatable.
Adenomyosis is a condition where endometrial-like tissue grows into the muscular wall of the uterus itself, rather than outside it. It causes heavy, painful periods, a boggy or enlarged uterus, severe cramping, and significant bloating. It is frequently misdiagnosed or missed entirely and it commonly occurs alongside endometriosis.
If you have been told you have endometriosis, it is worth considering whether adenomyosis may also be present. The symptoms overlap significantly, but the drivers and treatment priorities differ in important ways. Both conditions involve inflammation, hormonal imbalance, and immune dysregulation and both respond well to a root-cause naturopathic approach when properly investigated.
I work with women who have endometriosis, adenomyosis, or both and I approach each case based on what your specific testing and history actually shows.
How to get started
Three pathways depending on where you are.
Meaningful hormonal and inflammatory change takes time. Most clients see measurable progress within 8–12 weeks and significant shifts by month three or four. Your commitment to the plan is as important as the plan itself.
Recommend Functional Test - EndoMAP
NutriPath's most comprehensive dried urine hormone assessment
The EndoMAP is NutriPATH’s most comprehensive at-home dried urine test, offering a full assessment of hormonal, metabolic and environmental factors that influence hormone health. It provides detailed insights into four major hormone pathways: oestrogen, androgens, progesterone and glucocorticoids - giving a complete picture of hormone production, metabolism and clearance. The panel also includes organic acids, endocrine disruptors and heavy metals, helping identify deeper drivers of hormonal imbalance.
Women with endometriosis, PCOS, painful or heavy periods, PMS/PMDD, fertility concerns, bloating, inflammation, mood changes, or complex hormonal symptoms. Ideal when standard blood tests are normal but symptoms persist.
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Type: Advanced dried urine hormone, metabolite, and environmental toxin assessment
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Collection Method: At-home urine collection
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Turnaround Time: Usually 2-3 weeks
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The EndoMAP is included in the Thrive with Endometriosis Program, the Endo Blueprint, and the Endo Reset package. It is also available as a standalone test through a consultation.
Testing is ordered through NutriPath and your kit is posted directly to you anywhere in New Zealand. See the functional testing page for full details on how testing works.
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What we investigate and address
Endometriosis is not one problem - it is a pattern of interconnected system failures. Here is what we look at and why each one matters.
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Oestrogen dominance and hormone metabolism
An imbalance between oestrogen and progesterone, or impaired oestrogen clearance, drives endometrial lesion activity and worsens pain, heavy bleeding, and mood symptoms. The EndoMAP shows us exactly how your body is producing, metabolising, and clearing oestrogen so we can target the specific pathway that's failing.
Inflammation & immune dysregulation
Endometriosis is fundamentally an inflammatory and immune condition. Elevated prostaglandins, cytokines, and immune cell activity drive pain, lesion progression, and systemic symptoms. We investigate the specific inflammatory pattern driving your case and address it directly not just with anti-inflammatory diet advice, but with targeted clinical support.
Gut health and the estrobolome
A disrupted gut microbiome impairs oestrogen clearance through the estrobolome - allowing oestrogen your body has already tried to excrete to recirculate back into your bloodstream. This is a measurable, testable mechanism and one of the most commonly missed drivers in endometriosis care. We assess and address it directly.
Liver function and detoxification
Your liver is responsible for packaging oestrogen for excretion. When liver detoxification pathways are overloaded or sluggish, oestrogen recirculates - worsening hormonal symptoms and lesion activity. We support both Phase I and Phase II liver pathways based on what your testing shows.
Nervous system and stress physiology
Chronic pain activates the nervous system in ways that worsen pain sensitivity, disrupt sleep, and impair immune function. Cortisol dysregulation also directly affects hormonal balance. We address the nervous system as part of the clinical picture not as an afterthought.
Client case study: Endometriosis and whole-body healing
Endometriosis | Pain | Hormonal Acne | Fatigue
Female, 29 years old
Presenting concerns: Endometriosis (surgically confirmed), chronic pelvic pain, painful periods, hormonal acne, fatigue, and digestive bloating.
Initial consult summary
Heavy, painful periods with clotting
“Endo belly” and bloating, especially around ovulation and menstruation
Cyclical hormonal acne on her chin and jaw
Low energy and brain fog, especially mid-luteal phase
A feeling of being “stuck in survival mode”
Her diet was relatively balanced, but she consumed a moderate amount of dairy, gluten, and alcohol. She also had a high-stress job with poor work-life boundaries and minimal nervous system regulation.
What we focused on
We focused on herbal support to regulate hormones and ease inflammation, alongside nutrition and supplements to balance blood sugar, support liver detox, and calm the nervous system. Simple daily practices were also introduced to reduce stress and reconnect with the menstrual cycle.
After 1 month
Pain and bloating had started to ease, skin was clearing, and energy felt more stable.
After 2 months
Cycles were becoming more regular, period pain had reduced further, and acne flare-ups were less frequent.
After 3 months
Periods were manageable without medication, energy and mood were more consistent, and there was a stronger sense of connection and trust in the body.
Real women. Real results. These are their words.
"I had my first genuinely low-pain period in a long time - I actually didn't know what to do with myself. I'd spent years just bracing for it. What surprised me most wasn't just the physical change, it was finally understanding why it was happening and feeling like someone actually had a handle on my full picture. I'm not just managing anymore."
Thrive with Endometriosis Program Client
"My ovarian pain during ovulation went from a 7 to a 2 within the first few weeks. The gut symptoms I'd had for years started shifting with some basic dietary changes - which honestly shocked me because I'd tried so many diets before. The difference was that this time I understood why I was making the changes. That changes everything about whether you actually stick to them."
Thrive with Endometriosis Program Client
"I came in having already tried everything. I was honestly sceptical. What got me was that Tegan didn't start with a protocol - she started with testing, and she actually explained the results in a way that made my symptoms make sense for the first time. The weekly check-ins and support between sessions meant I was never left to figure things out alone. Two months in, my period arrived and I had zero pre-period pain. I almost didn't believe it."
Thrive with Endometriosis Program Client
Your IBS Diagnosis Might Be Missing the Point: SIBO, Endo, and the Gut-Hormone Axis
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Why Probiotics Aren't Fixing Your Endo Gut Symptoms (And What Needs to Happen First)
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Why Your Gut Symptoms Follow Your Cycle (And What That Actually Means)
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When you don’t feel like yourself anymore: The hidden mental load of endometriosis
A compassionate deep dive into how endometriosis quietly shrinks your world, the three systems it overloads, and what “feeling like yourself again” can realistically look like with the right support.
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Why endometriosis pain returns after conventional approaches and what actually helps long-term.
The truth about chronic pelvic pain recurrence after surgery and hormone treatment, and why symptom management alone is not enough in modern women’s health care.
Functional Testing for Endometriosis: Understanding the EndoMAP and Pathology
Functional testing can provide clarity when endometriosis symptoms persist despite lifestyle and nutrition changes. This article explains how the EndoMAP dried urine test and targeted pathology are used together to understand hormone metabolism, inflammation, and the underlying drivers of endometriosis symptoms.
Attracting health: A winter invitation to soften, listen, and align with our cycles
A gentle reflection on the shift from chasing health to attracting it, honouring the slower pace of winter, aligning with your cycle, and reconnecting with your body’s wisdom. A reminder that true healing begins when we soften, listen, and trust.
What to eat (and avoid) with endometriosis: A practical nutrition guide
Discover the best foods to eat (and which to avoid) for endometriosis. This practical guide explains how nutrition can reduce pain, support hormones, and ease inflammation, naturally.
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Hidden signs and symptoms of endometriosis you might be missing
When most people think of endometriosis, they imagine severe period pain. While painful periods are a hallmark symptom, the reality is far more complex and many people with endometriosis experience symptoms that aren’t always linked to their menstrual cycle.
Your symptoms are not random. There's a reason and it's findable.
If you've been told your results are normal while your body says otherwise, it's time to investigate properly. Book a Clarity Call and we'll spend 40 minutes talking through your history and working out the right next step for your situation.