Naturopathic Practitioners 

Naturopathy (also known as naturopathic or natural medicine) is a complementary alternative medicine system that emphasizes the body's intrinsic and vital ability to heal and maintain itself.  Naturopaths use dynamic natural remedies such as herbs and foods, naturally-occurring and minimally-invasive methods, rather than surgery, synthetic drugs, or radiation.  Naturopathic practice includes many different treatment modalities, with practitioners emphasizing a holistic approach to patient care.

Naturopathic medicine proposes that there is an innate healing power in the body that establishes, maintains, and restores health.  Practitioners work with the patient with a goal of supporting this power, through treatments such as nutrition and lifestyle counseling, healthy diet, dietary supplements, medicinal plants, exercise, homeopathy, and treatments from traditional Chinese medicine.   Disease prevention through stress reduction is emphasized to ward off and combat disease.  Naturopathic medicine is used in combination with other treatment modalities at the XYZ-Wellbeing ReTreat Facility.

The term "Naturopathy" was coined by John Scheel and made popular by Benedict Lust, who is considered the "father of U.S. Naturopthy."¹   It is practiced in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, India and China, to name a few.   Before the term Naturopathy existed, Hippocrates, the Greek "Father of Medicine," was the first advocate of naturopathic medicine. 

The philosophy of naturopathic practice is described by the following core values:

1. Do no harm; provide the most effective health care available with the least risk to patients at all times utilizing methods and medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful side effects, and using the least force necessary to diagnose and treat illness;

2. Recognize, respect and promote the self-healing power of nature inherent in each individual human being, and facilitating and augmenting this ordered and intelligent healing ability;

3. Identify and remove the causes of illness, rather than eliminate or suppress symptoms by identifying and removing obstacles to recovery;

4. Educate, inspire rational hope and encourage self-responsibility for health; health is more than just the absence of disease; and

5. Treat each person by considering all individual health factors and influences; disease affects the entire person, not just a specific organ or system;

6. Emphasize the condition of health to promote wellbeing and disease prevention for the individual, each community, and our world.