Naturopathic therapy is a distinctively natural approach to health and healing that recognizes the

integrity of the whole person. The practice of Naturopathic medicine emerges from six underlying
principles of healing.

These principles distinguish a natural approach from an allopathic medical approach.

THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE

The body has the inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. The therapist’s role is to
facilitate and encourage this process, to act to identify and remove obstacles to health and recovery,
and to support the creation of a healthy internal and external environment.

IDENTIFY AND TREAT THE ENERGETIC CAUSE

Illness does not occur without cause. The underlying imbalance or blockage that causes of disease
must be discovered and corrected before a person can recover completely from an illness. Causes
may occur on many levels including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The therapist must
evaluate fundamental underlying causes on all levels and direct the correction at the root causes
rather than at symptomatic expression.

FIRST DO NO HARM

Illness is a purposeful process in the body of an individual and the therapist’s actions can either
support or antagonize this process. Therapeutic intervention should be complimentary to and
synergistic with the healing process. Therefore, treatment programs that are designed to suppress
symptoms without removing the underlying causes of the condition are considered harmful and
avoided or minimized.

Although alternative therapists and Naturopathic doctors do not use drugs or surgery, they are
well trained to recognize where conventional medical treatment must be utilized, and refer to the
appropriate medical practitioners.

TREAT THE WHOLE PERSON

Health and disease are conditions of the whole individual, a whole involving a complex interaction
of physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social, and other factors. The
therapist must treat the whole person by taking all of these factors into account. The harmonious
functioning of all aspects of the individual is essential for both the recovery, and prevention of
disease.

Client AS HEALER

A major role of alternative therapists is to educate and encourage the patient to take responsibility
for his or her health. The therapist is a catalyst for healthful change, empowering and motivating the
patient to assume responsibility. It is the patient who ultimately creates/accomplishes healing.

PREVENTION

The ultimate goal of any health care system should be prevention. This is accomplished through
education and promotion of life-habits that create good health. The emphasis is on building
health rather than on fighting disease.