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What is Traditional

Naturopathy?

As a Naturopath, I frequently get questions about this foreign-sounding approach to healthcare. “What is a Naturopath?” or “What do you do exactly?” are typical questions when my profession is brought up in conversation..
I completely understand the inquiries about my uncommon career, but it’s sad that modern medicine has been so successful in their well-funded marketing that it’s almost universally accepted as the singular and ideal approach to healthcare. So much so that meeting someone with a truly non-medical, holistic approach is a bit like meeting someone from a small country you’ve never heard of.
With this being the reality in modern-day America, I wanted to explain what Naturopathy really is and why it deserves a seat at the table when it comes to resolving your health challenges.

Naturopathy by Definition

“Naturopath” is a version of the word “physician” used by Hippocrates, who is often referred to as the Father of Medicine. The Greek word ‘physikos’ means ‘natural, physical or pertaining to nature’. A physician was originally one who practices the ‘natural science of healing’, although modern day physicians have strayed far from this meaning and often don’t have the faintest idea how to treat anything naturally.

Naturopathy is an older approach to wellness that dates back to the days before pharmaceuticals existed. It was highly popular in America until the early 1900’s when pharmaceutical companies began smear campaigns labeling holistic doctors as “quacks” and “unscientific.” Sadly, this propaganda continues today despite many of the older healing modalities being validated by scientific research.

Quick side note – Those who studied modern medicine but blend in principles of Naturopathy are called Naturopathic Medical Doctors. What this blog focuses on is the path I chose, which is Traditional Naturopathy. A Traditional Naturopath is exclusively trained in the healing methods that date back to pre-pharma years.

Health is forever

fruit-breakfast-bowl

How a Traditional Naturopath Works

A Naturopath looks at you as the unique individual you are. We not only listen to your present symptoms, but we also look at your history, diet, lifestyle, and goals. Visits with a Naturopath take much longer than the average of 7 minutes for a medical doctor visit because we take the time to dig deep and get to the root of your health challenges.

I view it like this. Each aspect of your health is like a puzzle piece. My job is to put the pieces together so I can explain to you how your symptoms are related and create a path forward so your puzzle becomes the beautiful picture your life is meant to display.

Modern naturopathy blends the traditional practices that date back hundreds of years with newly discovered approaches to wellness. Our focus is discovering the root of a health challenge and addressing it in a way that brings the body into balance.

Naturopathy gleans wisdom from Ancient Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and American and European physicians who used natural remedies, detoxification, and lifestyle changes to heal their patients. When these practices originated, the word “medicine” referred to anything that brought healing to the body, so let’s not confuse it with the chemical cocktails of today. Pharma has highjacked this word, but it once conveyed something very different than symptom-masking, side-effect producing drugs.

I can best summarize our work this way:

We focus on health, not disease.
We focus on the entire person, not our “specialty.”
We focus on solutions, not medication dependency.
We focus on the patient, not the “standard of care.”
We focus on the root cause, not the symptom-masking drug.

focused on health

What a Traditional Naturopath Offers

There is certainly a place for having a medical doctor you trust. If an emergency arises, we are fortunate to have top-notch medical care in this country. When I needed an immediate life-saving surgery, I was not looking for a Naturopath! So, please don’t misunderstand. I am not suggesting all you need is a holistic health professional. I am saying that everyone desperately needs someone with holistic training on their team to offer a perspective and solutions most medical doctors are not trained to provide.

Modern medicine has compartmentalized our bodies to create different specialties. Your stomach hurts? Go to a Gastroenterologist. You have headaches? Visit a Neurologist. Who is making the connection between your symptoms to help you see they might all be connected to one root cause? That is where your Naturopath comes in. We are trained to look at symptoms as the language of the body and to interpret what it is trying to tell us.

Do Naturopaths Take Insurance?

Unfortunately, modern medicine has become so expensive with its endless tests and visits to specialists, it’s almost impossible for the average person to afford medical care. This created the need for health insurance and another industry profiting from our sickness.

This model, however, is only designed for those who chose the allopathic approach. It rarely covers holistic or preventative healthcare. Therefore, Naturopathy falls into the category of other wellness approaches like massages, gym memberships, and supplementation…it becomes part of our budget. The good news is that seeing a Naturopath can save you money. All those specialist co-pays, prescriptions, and out-of-pocket medical expenses really add up and rarely provide any relief!

In my experience, clients have been able to wean themselves off medications, avoid costly and invasive procedures, and prevent endless doctor’s visits just after one or two sessions with me! This is on top of the newfound energy and productivity they experience after finally being rid of issues that have hindered them for years.

Getting to the root of a health challenge is well worth the investment in yourself!

Ready to jump in?

SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION TODAY!

We meet over Zoom so I can keep my fees low. It’s only $85 for a one-hour session.

Let’s work together to reach your goals!

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