Dr Kate Smith
Dr Kate Smith
B Chiro Sc, M. Chiro, CFMP
Kate was inspired to become a functional medicine practitioner after experiencing her own battle with chronic illness.
For close to a decade, Kate suffered with chronic low back pain, a very weak immune system and numerous skin conditions such as eczema, acne and perioral dermatitis.
Not only has Kate managed to resolve all of her health problems with a functional medicine approach, she has also been able to turn her mess into a message and inspire other people to do the same.
Kate’s unique experience of “being in the patient’s shoes” has helped her to teach other how to find their way through their list of symptoms to recover their own health.
Kate is a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner and Doctor of Chiropractic. She co-founded Functional Medicine Services with her partner Dr Stewart Gillespie.
More about Kate:
- On paper, Kate has 3 degrees. She became a chiropractor by the age of 23.
- She taught anatomy on dead bodies at Macquarie University's hospital.
- Kate has been trained through Functional Medicine University and has been credited for her academic achievements in differential diagnosis and clinical practice by the Chiropractic and Osteopathic College of Australasia (COCA).
- Kate is extremely well-versed in Functional Movement training. She has certifications with the Institute of Motion, SFMA, John Rusin's Pain Free Performance Specialist Certification, and DNS: Exercise & Gym.
- Kate left her chiropractic job in 2020 to start Functional Medicine Services.
Most people don't know that I've been really sick. In my early 20s I started to have unexplained fevers (40°C/104°F) every 3 weeks. I had a very weak immune system and would catch every bug going around. Doctors always dismissed me - saying it was just allergies, or I was sick because I was in contact with people all the time. I knew this was wrong. I then sought help from a naturopath and ended up spending $8000 in one year on supplements. I also knew this was also wrong. There had to be a better way."
If I was a health professional that felt lost in the medical system, what hope did other people have for getting better?
“I’ve spent over 10 years working as a chiropractor, but I always felt something was missing. There was a small percentage of patients who would not respond to conventional treatment. They should have been getting better, but they weren’t. This is where I started to apply functional medicine and saw results with my patients, fast! It's the deepest level of healing I know. I've felt what it's like to be dismissed by the doctors, and what it's like to hit rock bottom. Now that I'm on the other side, I truly believe I was assigned this mountain to show other people it can be moved."
Education & Experience:
Bachelor of Chiropractic Science – Macquarie University, Australia (2005 – 2007)
Master of Chiropractic – Macquarie University, Australia (2007-2009)
Histology and Anatomy Teacher – Macquarie University, Australia (2010 – 2019)
Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner (2020) – Functional Medicine University
