What is naturopathy?

In the uk naturopathy is an emerging discipline that many have never heard of. In the US - on the other hand -naturopathy is a well established practice. What is a naturopath? and why should you trust one!?

A Naturopath is a health practitioner who applies natural therapies and here are the six fundamental healing principles that naturopathic practitioners adheres to:

• 1) First, to do no harm, by using methods and natural medicines that minimize the risk of harmful side effects.
• 2) To treat the causes of disease, by identifying and removing the underlying causes of illness, rather than suppressing symptoms.
• 3) To teach the principles of healthy living and preventative medicine, by sharing knowledge with patients and encouraging individual responsibility for health.
• 4) To heal the whole person through individualized treatment, by understanding the unique physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental and social factors that contribute to illness, and customizing treatment protocols to the patient.
• 5) To emphasize prevention, by partnering with the patient to assess risk factors and recommend appropriate naturopathic interventions to maintain health and prevent illness. And finally, my favourite ...
• 6) To support the healing power of the body, by recognizing and removing obstacles to the body's inherent self-healing process.