What is a Naturopath?
I’m glad you asked! Naturopathy is defined as ‘Natural Healing’, and is built on the philosophy that the body can heal itself. It is the foundation of modern medicine we use today and has its origins in European and North American doctoral teachings. Naturopath’s are practitioners who are trained in Naturopathic principles to find the root cause of disease, viewing health as a holistic picture influenced by body, mind, spirit and environment rather than seperate symptoms to be treated in isolation.
A naturopath aims to restore vitality, uses minimal intervention and is governed by six core principles:
The healing power of nature
Identify and treat the root cause
First, do no harm
Doctor as teacher
Treat the whole person
Prevention
Where a GP prescribes pharmaceutical medication, a Naturopath prescribes a combination of herbal (plant based) medicine, nutritional medicine, flower essences, practitioner grade supplements and diet and lifestyle modifications to support your body to return to balance, or in scientific terms; homeostasis.
In Australia, accredited Naturopaths are required to undertake a four year Bachelor of Health Science degree. This degree encompasses Anatomy & Physiology, Human Biochemistry, Clinical Nutrition, Herbal Pharmacology, Advanced Herbal Therapeutics, Evidence-Based Practice and Critical Literature reviews. There is also 400 hours of mandatory clinical practice under supervision before graduation - which means they have been treating clients for over a year before leaving uni.
Modern Naturopaths draw on hundreds of years of traditional practice, and combine this with the latest scientific research. A Naturopath looks at the whole person, their environment and their lifestyle to optimise their health and empower their patients to engage in preventative healthcare for long term health outcomes.