About Dr Stephan Maré

I’m Stephan Maré, a naturopathic doctor practising at Techno Park in Stellenbosch, at Sprig Wellness Centre in Somerset West and online. I work mostly with chronic patterns of dysfunction and complex presentations that haven’t fully resolved through other approaches, alongside more straightforward concerns. My way of working is careful and iterative, focused on the foundations of health rather than on individual symptoms in isolation.

The path here

My route to naturopathic medicine wasn’t direct, though the underlying interest has been a long-running one. Holistic health has been a parallel thread throughout my life, pursued informally for many years before I decided to undertake full-time studies and earn a clinical qualification. I qualified first as an electronic engineer at the University of Pretoria, worked in that field for some years, then completed the five-year naturopathic medicine programme at the University of the Western Cape, graduating summa cum laude in 2016.

For the eight years that followed I co-managed a hundred-hectare macadamia farm alongside a part-time clinical practice. Both farming and clinical practice entail working with living systems, and the experience of working in both enriched my perspective of what makes living organisms thrive.

For me, engineering, clinical practice, and farming have always been similar endeavours with overlapping skillsets — each is fundamentally about generating creative and iterative solutions to complex problems.

How I work

The way I work with patients is shaped by a few commitments I take seriously.

A first consultation runs ninety minutes because the listening, history-taking, and clinical reasoning that go into a good initial assessment and plan of action take time — and I haven’t found a substitute for this commitment.

I’m direct about what I know and don’t know, what I’m confident about and what’s worth approaching with care. Honest engagement with uncertainty is part of careful clinical thinking.

I aim to equip patients with a better understanding of themselves than they came in with, because this empowers them to be active participants in their healthcare and fosters the building of health-promoting habits that form the foundation of long-term wellness.

You’re ultimately the one making the decisions about your health. My role is to help you think clearly about the available options and then to walk alongside you as you act on what you decide. The plan we land on is the result of a collaborative effort.

Training and credentials

  • BEng (Electronic), University of Pretoria, 2008
  • BSc (Complementary Health Science), University of the Western Cape, 2014
  • Bachelor of Complementary Medicine (Naturopathy), University of the Western Cape, 2016 (summa cum laude)

Registered with the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA). Member of the South African Naturopathic Association (SANA) and the South African Society for Integrative Medicine (SASIM).

Working together

If you’d like to work together, the next step is to book a consultation — or get in touch with any questions first.