As a naturopathic health center there are seven core beliefs that guide our recommendations:
Let’s talk about each of these a little more to firmly ground you in the naturopathic philosophy.
Core Belief #1: Do No Harm
The first core belief is to do no harm. As naturopathic practitioners, we are concerned with the health and healing of our clients first and foremost. Therefore, we must not and we do not base our decisions or implement therapies that lead to a deterioration of health or weaken the body’s ability to heal itself over time. Furthermore, we will not employ a therapy that brings about short-term symptom suppression at the expense of long-term health and healing. Our job is to remove the obstacles to health and support the body so that it is in tune with nature’s laws. This brings us to our second belief, and that is the healing power of nature or Vis medicatrix naturae.
Core Belief #2: Believe in the healing power of nature
This is a profound belief that the body possesses the ability to heal itself if given the proper opportunity. The body is believed to have an innate intelligence that is always striving for health. It maintains that the morbific agent, such as bacteria does not directly cause the symptoms accompanying disease, but rather, that the symptoms are the result of the body’s intrinsic response or reaction to the agent and the body’s attempt to defend and heal itself. Symptoms, then, are part of a constructive phenomenon that is the best choice the body can make given the circumstances. In this construct, the role of the doctor is to aid the body in its efforts, not to take over the functions of the body. To do this, one must identify and address the causes of the diseased state, which brings us to our third core belief.
Core Belief #3: Identify and address the cause
Fundamental to our philosophy is that if we identify and adequately address the root causes of disease or dysfunction, thereby allowing the body to heal, the body will do so. To do this, we use several assessment techniques that allow us to determine which systems within the body are working properly and which ones indicate signs of dysfunction. Oftentimes, a breakdown in one particular system in the body can manifest as different clinical responses in different people. Therefore, we are not so much concerned with the name or label placed on a diseased state, as we are with the underlying root causes the labeled disease connotes. Once we determine and begin to address these root causes, our job is to teach the client on how to cleanse the body of toxins, rebuild the body using food and therapy and maintain health once all the systems in the body are working optimally. This is the fourth principle – the doctor as a teacher.
Core Belief #4: See the doctor as a teacher
The word ‘doctor’ is derived from the Latin word Docere, which means “teacher”. We believe therefore, that a fundamental aspect of our job, indeed the most important aspect, is to educate our clients about the natural laws governing health and how they can obtain and maintain a state of optimal wellness. We teach our clients how and what to eat for their particular condition, instruct them in the use of various forms of hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, relaxation and emotional release, among others, so that they can take control of there health care by taking a proactive role in it. We do NOT want our clients to be dependent on us for care; we want them to know what they must do and we motivate them to take the steps necessary to obtain and maintain their health. This brings us to the fifth belief and that is that we must address the whole person.
Core Belief #5: Address the whole person – body, mind and spirit
It is becoming a familiar concept that our physical health is dependent on our mental, emotional or spiritual state of being. There is no refuting the fact that if we are emotionally upset for instance, our physical health suffers. Likewise, it is well documented that a high degree of stress over time leads to a deterioration of health. As we are trying to locate ALL the underlying root causes of dysfunction, we must address not only the physical factors, but also the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects that are affecting our client’s health. Truly optimal health can only be achieved if we heal each of these aspects AND have balance between them. Therefore, we address each of these aspects from the first day a client walks through our doors and we incorporate different therapies to address these areas as the client progresses toward greater health and wellbeing.
Core Belief #6: Use first the therapy that requires the least force
The sixth core belief is that we begin with the therapy that uses the least amount of force for the greatest benefit. Health is a process of gradual cleansing, rebuilding and repairing the body. We cannot circumvent this process in the long run by using heroic methods of healing when they are not called for. We always start with the simplest and least invasive approach and use more complex and detailed approaches only when necessary. The simplest form of therapy is prevention, and this is the seventh and final fundamental belief in naturopathy.
Core Belief #7: Practice prevention first and work towards that as the end goal
If we can help our clients from becoming ill and manifesting disease in the first place, we have done our job adequately. Prevention is the perfect embodiment of the first six core beliefs – we do no harm if our clients maintain vibrant health. The body, through its innate intelligence, does what it needs to in order to thrive in and adapt to the wide range of environments and stresses placed upon it. As we have taught our clients what they need to obtain and maintain optimal health, they know what the core things are they need to do and they have the knowledge and the tools to follow through and experience the benefits of following nature’s laws. This includes addressing all aspects in their lives – body, mind and spirit – and they can address these areas with the least amount of discomfort and the greatest reward. As we state in are mission, our job is to:
Promote health and well being through the scientific application of natural healing methods with the ultimate goal of optimal health through education and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.
Prevention is the end goal, and one that we can help our clients achieve for themselves and their loved ones.