I’m Stephan Maré — a naturopathic doctor with an unusual journey here. I grew up on a farm, qualified and worked as an electronic engineer, then studied naturopathic medicine at the University of the Western Cape, graduating summa cum laude from the five-year programme. For eight years I co-managed a macadamia farm alongside a part-time clinical practice, and now practise full-time.
That combination — engineering rigour, a lifetime around biological systems, and a metabolic, whole-person clinical lens — shapes how I practise today: careful investigation, looking for the systems-level cause of dysfunction rather than chasing individual symptoms, and a preference for simple, holistic interventions that actually work. The goal is real wellbeing, not just the absence of symptoms.
Initial consultations are ninety minutes — enough time to properly understand someone’s health, their history, what’s been tried, and what’s connected to what. I combine clinical interview and examination with various additional assessment tools to build a rich clinical picture. From there we map out a plan together, starting with the foundations and adjusting as we go.
Registered with the AHPCSA. Member of the South African Naturopathic Association (SANA) and the South African Society for Integrative Medicine (SASIM).
Let’s work through it together.
When something’s wrong, most people start searching — and quickly find themselves buried in conflicting advice and more options than anyone could reasonably weigh. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure where to begin.
Helping with exactly that is a large part of what I do: making sense of where you are, pointing out things you might not have thought to consider, and working out together what’s worth trying first. I bring my training and experience to a careful, iterative way of working — observing, testing, refining as we learn. No one has every answer at the outset; the process is what gets us there.
What is naturopathic medicine?
It combines traditional natural therapies with modern science to support the body’s own capacity to heal — addressing the root causes of illness rather than only managing symptoms. → full explanation
How I can help
People often come to me with an existing diagnosis and would like to consider interventions beyond what they’ve been offered so far. Others come when something has been off for a while — frequently after tests have come back “normal” but they still don’t feel well. Common reasons people consult me include:
- Persistent fatigue and low energy
- Digestive problems — bloating, irregularity, discomfort after eating
- Hormonal and thyroid-related concerns
- Stress, anxiety, and persistent low mood
- Sleep that doesn’t leave you rested
- Metabolic health and weight that won’t shift
- Aging, menopause, grief, and other major life transitions
- Recurrent or stubborn complaints that haven’t fully resolved
My focus is on the foundations of health first, and on building a plan together — one that fits your life and that we adjust as we go.
If your concern isn’t listed here, that’s fine — these are common reasons people come, not the limits of what naturopathic care addresses. Book a consultation, or get in touch with any questions first.
How I think about diagnosis
A diagnosis is useful — it names a pattern, points to known risks, and guides treatment. But a diagnosis often describes what someone is experiencing more than it explains why. Two people with the same diagnosis can have very different underlying causes, and what helps one may not help the other.
Naturopathic care asks the second question alongside the first: not just what someone is experiencing, but why. Where we can identify and address an underlying cause, symptoms tend to improve spontaneously, and the response also tends to be more durable than managing symptoms alone. Where we cannot identify a clear cause, working on the foundations of health still usually moves things in the right direction. This often happens alongside conventional care.
What to expect
Your first visit
A first consultation is ninety minutes. We’ll talk through your concerns in detail, work through your medical history and any previous tests or investigations, and discuss what you’ve already tried. I’ll examine the relevant areas and, where helpful, use additional assessment tools to build a fuller clinical picture. From there we map out a plan together — starting with the foundations of diet and lifestyle, and where appropriate including a herbal and/or supplement prescription — and decide what’s worth focusing on first.
Follow-up visits
Follow-ups are forty-five minutes. We review what’s changed since the last appointment, look at any test results, consider what’s working well and what might need adjusting, and decide on our next steps. Care typically moves through a natural arc: visits closer together at first while we work through what initially brought you in, then less frequent as things resolve. The focus then starts shifting toward maintaining the progress we’ve made and establishing habits that promote wellbeing over the long term.
Most chronic patterns take time to develop, and they take time to change. Giving naturopathic care a fair chance typically means three to five visits over the first few months — enough time for the initial plan to do its work, and for us to refine it as we see how you respond. After a couple of follow-ups, you’ll have a clear sense of whether this approach is helping. At any point we can decide together whether to continue, adjust, or wrap up.
Fees
- Initial consultation (90 min): R1500
- Follow-up consultation (45 min): R750
- Prescriptions for herbal medicine and supplements are billed separately. Most are in a similar range to the consultation fee or somewhat higher.
Where we meet
In person at Innovation Centre 1, Technopark, Stellenbosch, or online.
Booking
Book online or get in touch with any questions first.
