Alchemy for the body and soul

About me

My name is Jackie Arbuckle and I am a naturopath who as a special interest in digestive health, autoimmune illness, and iridology.

I studied naturopathy at the Southern School of Natural Therapies, and I graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Naturopathy), which is the highest qualification available in my field. Growing up in a home that used these methods in the first instance when someone was unwell, I have always had an interest in complementary medicine.

In 2015, I took up a position at the Southern School of Natural Therapies as a lecturer and writer. It is nice to return to where I studied and teach budding naturopaths the wonders of my profession. I have written the Iridology subject and am teaching it as well as Nutrition and Food As Medicine subjects.

Prior to my naturopathy degree, back in 1996, I studied a degree in Applied Science, specialising in Human Biology. I also have an Honours degree in Psychology. This has provided me with a sound scientific background, along with developing my questioning mind.

My career highlights so far

  • Being made a Fellow of the National Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA) in 2023. This is a huge honour that I am very humbled to receive.
  • Lecturer at the Southern School of Natural Therapies (Torrens University) since 2014. Subjects I have taught are Iridology, Food As Medicine, and Nutrition.
  • Writer of the iridology subject for the Southern School of Natural Therapies (Think Education and Torrens University)
  • Chair and Victorian practitioner member of the board of the Australian Register of Naturopaths and Herbalists (ARONAH) representing all Victorian practitioners. This board is seeking to have naturopaths and Western herbalists become a registered health profession to ensure consistency across the profession of naturopathy
  • Member of the Expert Advisory Committee on Vitamin D levels in Victoria for the State Government 2009-2010
  • Being regularly featured and quoted in Nature and Health Magazine, and WellBeing magazine, as well as writing as guest blogging for various businesses in the health and wellness area. Refer to my Media page to see some of these articles.
  • Speaker for various corporate events, as well as local small businesses on all things health-related. Refer to my Professional Speaking page for more information on this.
  • Administrator for the Facebook group Naturopaths for Registration
  • Serving as the president of my local business networking group up until 2012

I am also a current member of the National Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA).

I have a really keen interest in science and health, and prior to my career in naturopathy, I worked as a research assistant at the Cancer Council Victoria and the University of Melbourne in the area of cancer prevention.

I am a big believer in the saying “the more you give, the more you receive” and Alchemy for the body and soul regularly supports many Australian charities, including: