JUST off the High Street in Skipton, tucked away in a quiet part of town, is a haven for anyone wanting to find alternative health care, quite literally from A to Z.

Craven Clinic was established in 1993 by Sue Asquith, a homeopath who wanted to set up in the town. Back then alternative therapies were not as "trendy" as they are today and she worked hard to get the message out that there were other options for people seeking relief or greater wellbeing.

From its humble beginnings on Sackville Street the clinic moved and upgraded to its current premises on Mount Pleasant. What initially started as one homeopath and one reflexologist has developed into a co-operative clinic of 25 practitioners offering services and therapies from A to Z - acupuncture to Zhineng Chi Kung healing.

And now the clinic has four rooms and a reception waiting area. The clinic is also thought to be one of the largest in the North of England.

Most therapists are also flexible with their time so it is possible to get appointments over the weekend.

Now, in 2005, most people are well aware of the benefits of acupuncture, hypnotherapy, reflexology and Indian head massages. And little trips to have a session can be seen as a great way to deal with health problems that mainstream medicine may not have been able to cure.

Mrs Asquith said that the patients or clients that she sees vary from people who are very ill, those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, to people who are wanting to keep well and maybe nip small problems in the bud before they become more serious.

She said that she has one client who visits twice a year from Philadelphia in America for her homeopathic treatment and another who travels up from London for treatment.

Because the clinic operates as a co-operative the therapists meet on a regular basis to talk to one another about any problems to ensure that the clinic retains its peaceful and welcoming atmosphere.

The therapists all work together and will often refer patients to one another if they feel that another therapy may be better. Of course all of them are happy to take referrals from GPs or refer back to them if a patient needs require.

No matter what therapy a patient chooses, they can rest assured that, whatever the problem, the therapist will assess it together with the rest of the body.

Mrs Asquith explained that because everything in the body is connected most therapists would consider any ailment as part of a bigger picture.

"We always look at the whole person whatever the therapy," she said.

Now with more people than ever looking to try alternative treatments to cure persistent problems clinics like this one could become even more common. Mrs Asquith told the Herald that more and more people are turning to alternative therapies as their main health care, which illustrates the effectiveness of some of the treatments.

She said that she works to educate people to maintain their health rather than wait for an illness to take hold.

The clinic also offers "the talking cure", more commonly known as counselling. This is open for people to come and see counsellors or therapists in a safe and secure environment and talk about any problems they may be experiencing.

o For more information about Craven Clinic go to cravenclinic.co.uk or telephone 01756 796690.