Naturopathy

Naturopathy is essentially the philosophy underpinning an approach to health where this is viewed not just as the absence of illness, but the abundance of vitality. It aims to use the least invasive, most natural means to promote the body’s self-healing mechanisms, always aiming to address the cause of a dis-ease process rather than making use of a quick fix to suppress important symptoms, which are always viewed as the body’s way of telling us that something is out of balance. The naturopathic approach recognises the interconnection between the physical, mental and emotional aspects of an individual and seeks to promote a balance of these.

Different naturopaths draw on different tools and modalities, but ultimately we all subscribe to the same principles, which include:

1. Prevention is preferable to cure.
2. Nature is self-healing. There is a “Vital Force” in nature which, given the right circumstances, will self-correct any imbalances.
3. It is necessary to address the underlying cause of a condition rather than its resulting symptoms.
4. The person is treated as a whole, with acknowledgement of the interconnection of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of their life.
5. Health is intended not merely as absence of illness but rather as abundant vitality.
6. Work with the person, not the disease.
7. Individuality is key. Each person is biochemically, emotionally and intellectually unique and will therefore respond differently. There is no one shoe that fits all.
8. All chronic disease is a result of a disrupted homeostatic balance, featuring either toxicity or deficiency or a combination of both.
9. Symptoms are part of the body’s intelligence and provide useful information about what needs to be rebalanced. They should therefore not be ignored or suppressed.
10. The naturopathic practitioner’s aim is to educate the client so that they may be empowered to take the correct action for their own health going forward.

My main modalities are Nutrition, Bach flowers, and Iridology, and I also have an interest in some evidence based stress reduction techniques.

The naturopathic approach is compatible with the functional medicine model which I believe is the future of medicine. For more information on Functional Medicine, please visit the Institute of Functional Medicine website.