Matthew Burrell

Naturopath and Neuromuscular Therapist

If you have experienced a naturopathic consult with the team at Claridge’s, then you’ll know the feeling of empowerment and opportunity that you receive as a result of your interaction.

In 2001 as a Year 7 student, feeling tired and unwell, I was diagnosed with ‘chronic fatigue’ by my doctor. With no solution provided, I was directed to see Naturopath, Robert Claridge. After a thorough assessment I was assured that there was something I could do (other than hope and wait) and subsequently my health improved. Along with feeling better, a curiosity and enthusiasm for natural health was sparked. The power of nutritional and herbal medicine were things I wanted to know more about. I was hooked!

I’m blessed to have a beautiful mum with a strong history of cooking. A qualified chef who began cooking in a childcare setting and then proceeded on to teaching food technology. Spending time in the kitchen as a young child was my normal and to this day preparing meals for my family brings me so much joy. Delving deeper into the nutritional space felt like an aligned decision.

Achieving physical performance is something I value greatly. Understanding the physical body, focusing on recovery and strength is another real interest. Throughout my life, I have been involved in many sporting ventures: football, cricket, surf boat rowing, triathlons and little nippers, which in turn led to professional lifeguarding. With such a love of sports, it was only natural that I developed an interest in human anatomy and physiology, particularly sports nutrition and performance.

I continued to seek the support of Rob during my teenage years and the synchronicities between our lifestyles and interests were quite astounding. These interactions, further inspired me to explore Naturopathy and Neuromuscular Therapy as a potential career path.

Beginning my naturopathy studies directly after VCE, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do. However, being a teenager without life experience was daunting given the gravity of all that I was learning and so I decided to broaden my horizons, gain some life wisdom and defer my studies temporarily.

In what became a large detour, I ended up spending 7 years in construction as a Carpenter before resuming my studies. I spent the next 5 more years completing both a degree in Naturopathy and a Diploma in Remedial Massage. Also during this time, I married my high school sweet heart, became a father to three amazing children and helped to build two family homes. As you can imagine, navigating my studies, parenthood, whilst maintaining career as a Carpenter brought about its challenges in terms of life balance.

I love a challenge and I’m determined to achieve whatever it is I set my mind to. My strength is in competition. (This may come from being a twin and always wanting to be the best). However, most importantly, I am always competing with myself to be and do my very best. I have grown up in the Geelong Community and I’m grateful for our beautiful coastlines and river walks. You will often find me walking or riding the Barwon River or Bancoora Beach with my wife, 3 very energetic children and my gorgeous Golden Retriever Lucy.

For the last 12 months, I have received one on one training from the person who first sparked my interest in Natural Health, Rob Claridge. In particular, we have focused on mastering the R-System, his unique Neuromuscular technique that focuses on Relaxation, Realignment and restoration of Range of Movement. This has taken my knowledge and practical skills to a new level and increased my confidence in dealing with a broader range of musculoskeletal issues.
I am particularly excited to combine my knowledge of biochemistry and biomechanics to support you. I invite athletes who want to improve their performances, patients with pain and dysfunction and I would love to help those feeling stressed by our complex world to feel more relaxed.

I am honoured to be part the Claridge Naturopathics team and highly motivated to make a difference wherever I can.

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