Understanding the Root Cause – Healing the Whole System
Functional medicine is a science-based, personalised approach to health care. It looks beyond symptoms to identify and address the underlying causes of imbalance. Rather than asking “What diagnosis fits this?” it asks “Why did this develop — and what can restore function?”
Where conventional medicine can be reactive, functional medicine is restorative. It recognises that genetics, environment, nutrition, stress, sleep, and emotional patterns all influence how your body functions.
When those systems fall out of sync, the skin, gut, hormones and energy levels are often the first to signal distress. Functional medicine rebuilds balance, so the body can repair itself.
What It Can Do For You
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Uncover why chronic symptoms persist, rather than chasing each one individually.
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Address root causes in the gut, hormones, immune system or metabolism.
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Reduce inflammation, restore energy, and stabilise skin, mood and digestion.
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Build long-term resilience instead of short-term relief.
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Offer evidence-based guidance using nutrition, lifestyle, and targeted testing.
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Support emotional wellbeing alongside physical healing.
For many clients, this is the first time their entire story — body, mind, history and environment — has been fully understood.
About Edelle O’Doherty
Edelle O’Doherty is the founder of Knowledge4Health and a registered Nutritional Therapist specialising in functional medicine.
Her background combines strong scientific training with practical empathy:
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BSc (Hons) in Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin
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Postgraduate Diploma in Statistics
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Training in Functional Medicine with The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM)
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Training in trauma-informed approaches including study with Dr Gabor Maté, exploring how emotional patterns and early stress shape health
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Registered Nutritional Therapist, specialising in gut, skin, hormonal and brain health
Before moving into functional medicine, Edelle worked as an engineer. That analytical foundation still informs her practice — she looks for patterns, maps systems, and focuses on data-driven solutions.
Her shift into health was personal as well as professional. Family experiences with illness and brain injury shaped her belief that every system is connected, and that healing requires curiosity, empathy and evidence-based insight.
What She Offers
Initial Consultation
A detailed one-to-one session exploring your full health history, environment, lifestyle, and emotional stressors. Edelle builds a functional timeline — linking past events, triggers and current symptoms — to identify the systems under strain.
Functional Testing
Access to advanced diagnostic tests that go beyond routine checks. These may include gut microbiome analysis, hormonal mapping, inflammation and nutrient status, metabolic markers and toxin exposure.
Personalised Plan
Nutrition, supplements (where appropriate), and lifestyle interventions designed to rebalance specific systems. No generic “detoxes” — every recommendation is based on your test results and story.
Ongoing Support
Follow-up consultations, data review, and progress tracking. Adjustments are made as your body begins to rebalance. Most clients work with Edelle over several months for sustainable results.
Areas of Focus
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Gut health and digestive issues
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Skin conditions (acne, rosacea, eczema, barrier repair)
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Hormonal balance (menopause, PMS, PCOS, thyroid)
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Mental health and brain function
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Chronic fatigue, autoimmune and inflammatory conditions
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Weight and metabolic resilience
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Stress and emotional regulation
What Clients Say
Clients often describe feeling “heard for the first time”. Many come after years of short-term fixes or symptom chasing. Edelle brings clarity, structure and calm to the process.
Her combination of analytical precision and empathy helps clients understand why they feel unwell, not just what to take for it.
How Functional Medicine Complements Skin Care
Many of the skin concerns seen in clinic — acne, rosacea, chronic redness, inflammation or dryness — start beneath the surface. Gut imbalance, blood sugar instability, stress hormones, and nutritional deficiencies all play a role.
Working with Edelle allows clients to address the internal factors while topical treatments handle the external symptoms. The result: calmer, clearer skin and a stronger barrier that lasts.
How to Introduce Edelle to Clients
Purpose: Clients see her as the next step when symptoms persist or keep returning — not as an alternative to medical care, but as a deeper investigation into why things aren’t settling.
Position her as:
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The “bridge” between nutrition, science and medicine.
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Someone who translates complex systems into practical, personal action.
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An engineer of health systems: analytical, precise, yet compassionate.
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A professional who works collaboratively — she doesn’t replace GPs or dermatologists, she fills the gap between.
Example phrasing to use with clients:
“If you’ve been managing symptoms but not really getting to the bottom of why they’re happening — whether it’s gut issues, fatigue or persistent skin conditions — Edelle’s approach can help uncover the root causes. She combines science, testing, and practical nutrition to rebuild balance from the inside out.”
“Her background in chemistry and functional medicine means you’ll get a plan based on data, not guesswork — and she works at a pace that feels realistic.”
“Many of our clients who see Edelle notice not just improvement in their skin, but in energy, sleep, digestion and mood as their system starts working better as a whole.”
Why This Matters
Functional medicine doesn’t compete with conventional care — it complements it. It connects the dots, translating lab results, symptoms, and life events into a coherent map of health.
Edelle O’Doherty’s combination of scientific rigour, engineering logic and human empathy makes her uniquely placed to help clients move from frustration to understanding — and from coping to thriving.
