The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)
Naturopathic doctors understand that the body has an inherent wisdom to heal and use substances that occur in nature to facilitate healing.
Identify and Treat the Cause (Tolle Causam)
Naturopathic doctors look beyond the symptoms with the goal of addressing the underlying cause of disease.
First Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere)
Naturopathic doctors use the most natural, least invasive and least toxic therapies to meet health goals.
Doctor as Teacher (Docere)
Naturopathic doctors understand that patient education is essential to reaching optimal health. When patients understand the factors that contribute to disease, better decisions can be made to aid the healing process.
Treat the Whole Person (Tolle Totum)
Naturopathic Medicine takes into account that there are physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social and spiritual factors that contribute to overall health. These factors need to be addressed for optimal health to be achieved.
Prevention
Prevention is better than cure and Naturopathic Medicine affirms that it is better to prevent illness by creating an internal environment that promotes overall health and wellness.
Naturopathic Medical Education and Training
Licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) attend a four-year, accredited, graduate-level naturopathic medical school and are educated in all of the same biomedical sciences as an MD. Naturopathic education includes fundamental medical and clinical science training as well as natural and nontoxic treatments with emphasis on prevention of disease and optimizing overall wellness. In addition to the standard medical curriculum, naturopathic medical education includes: Clinical Nutrition, Physical Medicine, Homeopathic Medicine, Botanical Medicine, Psychology and Counseling. Naturopathic doctors take rigorous professional board exams to be licensed as a practitioner by a state or jurisdiction.