Nature and nurture
When life tested Louise Mace with its toughest challenges, she found healing, purpose and her true calling in natural health.
“The year 2020 changed my world, and I’m not referring to the pandemic,” Mace shares. “I’d been a widow for six years, working in an industry that didn’t align with me and relying on alcohol to numb my sadness. I knew I was off my path, and I felt completely out of place in my own skin.”
A deep period of soul-searching led Mace to a life-changing decision. “I’d always felt connected to nature and its gifts – the ocean, forests plants – and I was raised to appreciate natural healing. Growing up in Tasmania in the ‘70s, that way of life was just normal.”
In the early ‘90s, Mace took the opportunity to move her young family to Deniliquin, NSW, for a fresh start. It was here that her passion for supporting others began. “I started working as a pharmacy assistant in 1996 and I absolutely loved it. I embraced natural supplements, aromatherapy and helping mums with infant health. When a visiting iridologist came to the pharmacy, I was hooked. I knew this was the path I wanted to follow – to help others heal.”
However, life had other plans. Mace’s studies were put on hold due to family and work commitments and, later, the devastating loss of her husband in 2014. “All I could think about was surviving and protecting my children and their beautiful families. Meditation, soul-searching and the support of my circle saved me during that time.”
It wasn’t until 2020 that Mace finally reclaimed her dream. “I discovered Nature Care College and every word I read on their website resonated with me. I knew in my heart that this was where I was meant to be. At 54, I enrolled in three short courses to nurture my brain for the study journey ahead. My first online class was the most wonderful experience – I had found my tribe. I felt so excited – the lecturers, the content, my fellow students – everything felt like coming home. This was exactly what I was meant to be doing.”
Living in the small rural town of Deniliquin, Mace is committed to making nutritional and holistic health support accessible to her community and surrounding isolated areas. Her business, Nurture with Louise, reflects her desire to break down barriers to holistic healthcare and create a space of understanding and empowerment.
As a volunteer for the breakfast program at her grandsons’ primary school, creator of a preschool program called How to be a Food SuperHero and a community representative on the Deniliquin Local Health Advisory Committee, Mace is truly in tune with what her community really needs.
Her dedication to supporting her town has not gone unnoticed. Mace was recently recognised as a finalist in the Deniliquin Business Awards in the New Business category.
Four years after beginning her journey at Nature Care, Louise Mace now sits proudly in her own beautiful space, supporting clients as a clinical nutritionist and naturopath. “I feel so proud of what I’ve achieved – academically, personally and physically, she says. “Nature Care didn’t just teach me. It gave me a sense of belonging and a supportive community that lifted me up every step of the way. I’m forever grateful to the lecturers, the caring staff and my fellow students.”
For more details, visit naturecare.com.au and nurturewithlouise.com.au.
