Naturopathy
What is Naturopathy?
Naturopathic philosophy teaches us that given the right environment, the body has an innate ability to heal itself.
The 6 Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
First, Do No Harm (Primum non nocere)
The Healing Power of Nature (Vis medicatrix naturea)
Identify & Treat the Cause (Tolle causam)
Treat the Whole Person (Tolle Totum)
Doctor as Teacher (Docere)
Prevention (Preventare)
These naturopathic principles represent the core values of naturopathic practice.
Naturopathy combines traditional, empirical herbal knowledge with current scientific research and evidence based approaches. Treatment is individualised, treating the patient not the disease whilst empowering the patient to regain control of their health.
Educating the patient about their individual presentation is essential in facilitating long-lasting health and vitality. It empowers people to reconnect and find a balance within both themselves and their environment.
Prevention is also a major focus in naturopathy. Its holistic approach, as opposed to just diagnosis, allows practitioners to proactively identify and treat potential dysfunction before it manifests into ill-health or dis-ease in the body.
Vitalism & Holism
Naturopathy is a holistic approach to health that uses a variety of modalities such as herbalism, nutrition and energetic medicines. These stimulate the body’s innate healing abilities, known as one’s ‘vital force’. Ill-health or dis-ease in the body is considered to result from a loss of vitality, which is referred to as ‘vitalism’. Restoring this vitality ignites the body’s ability for self-healing. One’s ‘vital force’ can be dampened by an array of mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and environmental insults.
Holism is derived from the Greek word holos, meaning whole. The holistic approach involves extensive case taking to identify and treat the cause of dis-ease with consideration for the interplay between mind, body and spirit to achieve balance, harmony and wellness. Holism differentiates naturopathy from the medical model, as it treats the individual as a whole. It considers the interplay between all the body systems. Whereas, the medical model treats the body in parts, isolating body systems or organs.
Naturopathic treatment is patient centred. We understand that every individual has had their own experiences in life and in ill-health. The patient’s unique story, told in their own words, assists the naturopathic practitioner in their holistic understanding of a person’s constitution and vitality, enabling holistic based treatment. The patient centred approach ensures that individuals are respected and their stories treated with compassion and empathy.
