Naturopathy is an approach to medicine based on the following principles:

The Healing Power of Nature

Naturopaths believe in the healing power of nature -- that a person has innately the ability to heal and that this ability of Nature can be supported by appropriate care, bringing a person into balance with Nature as is appropriate for the individual concerned.

First Do No Harm

The naturopath believes firmly in evaluating the risk of any treatment course for an individual. On occasion, a therapy may have toxic effects, or may exacerbate symptoms in the short term. This may necessitate taking the risk, or waiting until a person is better able to tolerate such a treatment. To ensure that no harm is done, other healthcare practitioners may need to become involved or consulted.

Find the Cause

Find The Cause

The cause of health trouble is often multifaceted. Although patients are often more concerned with resolving symptoms, a good naturopath is always helping the patient look for the original cause(s) of the trouble, whether it be a factor in the lifestyle or a factor in the person's life that is contributing to their health concerns (ie. physical, emotional), and the level, direction and purpose of the process that accompanies these health concerns. At times, knowing the cause cannot elevate the level of healing that will take place, but a great deal of the time, the cause may be avoidable or preventable.

Even when a person's ill health is related to a simple cause, a person is an individual in a unique enviroment with a unique set of personal circumstances. These are all part of the health of the individual. To treat the whole person is to see the person beyond the disease, and to address all of these aspects in the treatment of an individual. Naturopaths therefore do not treat disease, they treat people, and they do so with respect for the goals and expectations of the patient, while empowering the person to take responsibility for their own health, allowing, facilitating and augmenting the self-healing process through therapeutic intervention. A patient's own metaphor for healing can be a powerful stimulus if recognized and put to good use.

Preventive Medicine

Naturopaths endeavor to include preventative medicine in their treatment plans for patients, taking into account an individual's personal and family history as well as their life circumstances into risk assessment. A naturopathic physician is also a resource for health screening and teaching a patient screening self-exams.

A naturopath endeavors to cultivate wellness in an individual, alongside any plans to treat disease directly. Ultimately, it is a patient's own goals and expectations of creativity, energy, enjoyment, balance etc. that define their wellness, but it is usually reflected in the demonstration of positive emotion, thought and action.

Doctor as Teacher

The translation of doctor from the latin is actually "teacher". True to this translation, the naturopath teaches the patient about their health, about their condition, about their treatment plan and any other issues which the patient is concerned about with regards to therapeutic goals, prevention and wellness.