Dr. Natalie Barton has concluded her general practice in June 2023.
She is taking a break and we will see what the future holds. For now, there are no appointments available with Dr. Barton.
Your Partner in Health: Caring and Integrative GP Services in Lilydale
At BDHH, our health care philosophy focuses on the whole person, from the body, mind, spirit, and community. We emphasise having a therapeutic relationship between our patients and your doctor, and practice evidence-based healthcare to achieve optimal health outcomes.
What conditions do we treat?
For general health needs, we can provide you with comprehensive primary care for a range of issues. As well, we specialise in Integrative Medicine and healthcare services.
Integrative Medicine is an approach that can be applied to almost any medical condition, however it is particularly helpful in the management of chronic health conditions and for preventative health.
Integrative Medicine aims to consider all of the factors that influence health and wellbeing, including nutrition, environment and all aspects of lifestyle. In addition to treating disease, Integrative Medicine aims to prevent illness, and to optimise health and wellbeing using the most appropriate, safe and evidence-based treatments available. Integrative medicine is evidence-based, and neither rejects conventional medicine, nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically. Treatment is aimed at identifying and correcting the underlying causes of illness, as well as treating the symptoms of disease.
Dr. Natalie Barton’s particular areas of interest include:
- Pre-pregnancy and antenatal care, including obstetric shared care with Eastern Health, Mercy and Royal Women’s hospitals
- Women’s health, including contraception, hormone health and menopause
- Children’s health
- Weight management, metabolic syndrome and assistance with weight loss
- Mental health, anxiety and depression
- Brain health and optimisation of cognitive function
- Gut health and the gut microbiome
About Dr. Natalie Barton | Integrative GP
After finishing my medical degree in Melbourne in 1998, I worked in hospital medicine, including postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynaecology, before undertaking general practice training in rural Victoria. Over the past fifteen years I have worked in general practice clinics in Melbourne and regional Victoria, as well as with Family Planning Victoria and the Jean Hailes Centre for Women’s Health.My interest in integrative medicine began when one of my own children became unwell, and my conventional medical training was unable to provide an explanation for her illness. In our search for answers, I began to look for alternative approaches to those that I had learned during my medical training. I was fortunate to attend a conference held by the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, where I met colleagues who generously shared their knowledge and recommended a terrific integrative paediatrician. With her guidance we finally found the cause for my daughter’s ill-health, along with a solution.
My daughter is now well, and what I learned in the journey towards better health for our family radically changed the way I view illness, and the way in which I wanted to practice medicine. I still follow a Western medical model of health-care, however I now appreciate that dietary and environmental factors fundamentally impact on our physical and mental health, and that optimising our nutrition and lifestyle can greatly improve our health and wellbeing. I have found that working collaboratively with patients, and taking the time to address as many of these underlying factors as possible, is an enriching way to practice medicine.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery with Honours (University of Melbourne)
- Master of Public Health (University of Melbourne)
- Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
- Diplomate of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
- Certificate in Reproductive and Sexual Health (Family Planning Alliance Australia)
Professional Associations
- Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine
- Australasian Menopause Society
- Institute for Functional Medicine
- Bio Balance Health Australia
- PANDAS Physicians Network
Natalie is consulting on Monday, Thursday & Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm