We tend to think of ageing as a slow, steady decline — something that happens gradually and uniformly as the years pass. In reality, the body ages in distinct phases, with periods of relative stability followed by moments of recalibration. These are not failures of the system, but biological transitions, where physiology, hormones, immunity, metabolism, and the nervous system reorganise.

Understanding ageing in this way changes how we respond to symptoms. Instead of asking, “What’s gone wrong?” we begin to ask, “What phase is the body moving through, and what does it need now?”

In early adulthood, the body has high reserve. Repair mechanisms are robust, recovery is quick, and stress is often buffered without much conscious effort. Around the early to mid-thirties, subtle shifts begin. Sleep becomes more sensitive, stress leaves a slightly longer imprint, and recovery is not quite as effortless. These changes are usually compensated for - until later transitions amplify them.

Around the mid-forties, many people encounter the first major recalibration. Hormonal signalling shifts, inflammatory tone begins to rise, blood sugar regulation becomes more fragile, and the nervous system shows the cumulative effects of long-term stress. This is often when previously manageable patterns - anxiety, autoimmune tendencies, digestive issues, fatigue, emotional reactivity - become more visible. This phase is not a descent into ill health; it is a prevention window, where the body is asking for a different kind of support.

Another significant transition often occurs around the late fifties to early sixties. Immune resilience changes, vascular and metabolic flexibility reduce, and recovery from illness or stress takes longer. Brain health becomes more dependent on sleep, blood flow, inflammation control, and nervous system regulation. What mattered at 40 still matters - but it matters more now.

Later life brings further shifts. After 70 and beyond, reserve capacity narrows. The body can still function well when stable, but tolerance for disruption decreases. Small stressors can have outsized effects, while calm, predictability, and relational safety have profound restorative power. At this stage, health is maintained not by optimisation, but by containment - reducing strain, supporting rhythm, and protecting what still works.

Across all of these phases, one principle remains constant: the nervous system sits at the centre of adaptation. Stress physiology, immune signalling, hormonal balance, digestion, sleep, and cognition are all shaped by how safe or threatened the body feels. Symptoms often emerge not because something is broken, but because the system is being asked to function in a way that no longer matches its current phase of life.

This is why one-size-fits-all approaches to health so often fail. What supports a 30-year-old can overwhelm a 60-year-old. What energises someone in midlife can destabilise someone in later life. Healing is always contextual.

My work is grounded in this phase-based understanding of ageing. I support people to recognise where their body is now - not where it used to be, or where they think it should be - and to respond with appropriate care. This includes therapeutic work with meaning, identity, and life transitions; nervous system regulation to improve stress tolerance and recovery; and gentle functional and genetic insight to understand sensitivities, resilience, and limits.

Ageing well is not about resisting change. It is about adapting wisely. When we listen to the body’s timing and respect its transitions, ageing becomes less frightening and more intelligible - a series of invitations to live differently, not diminish.

Let me help you look after your health naturally. I am right here….