The naturopaths today use many of the skills and a lot of the knowledge that has been passed on from before recorded history by shamans, herb women and other healers and have married these with skills and knowledge that has been developed over the last century or so.
Benedict Lust coined the term Naturopathy in 1896 “after witnessing the popular spa cures of 19th-century Europe that tapped nature’s healing elements – air, sunlight, water, earth and healthy food” . Lust used the term naturopathy to mean all the natural approaches to healing. Thus, a naturopath is a person who has been trained to practice healing therapies utilising a variety of natural resources and natural approaches.
Naturopaths believe in holism, the belief that nothing happens in isolation, that everything is connected and that something that affects one part affects the whole. Where people are concerned holism includes all facets of the person - mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually as well as external influences such as relationships and the person’s work and home issues and environment.
Unlike allopathic medicine which treats symptoms only, naturopaths view symptoms as a body’s attempt to heal itself and work towards curing the underlying illness and supporting the person as they heal themselves with the use of diet, exercise, herbal remedies, homeopathy and other natural treatments.
The variations on how naturopathy is practiced are as individual as the practitioners themselves. While researching information for this paper I was struck with the vast array of ideas and beliefs and practices that were represented. Each naturopath appears to have their own area of interest and speciality but still hold true to the idea of holism and empowerment of their patients to heal themselves and their lives.
Basically, naturopathy involves identifying all the areas and issues that have affected the person’s health then prescribing changes that the person needs to help them regain health. These therapies are with negotiation with the person and the naturopath makes himself or herself available to give full support and counselling to the person as they make these changes in their life. The therapies may be simple or complex in nature depending on the patient and their needs. It may take the form of a single homeopathic tincture or a combination of several therapies working on many different areas at the same time . Naturopaths also refer people onto other specialists when necessary and, where possible, work with the person’s family doctor (this is depending on the doctor) to provide the most comprehensive treatment possible.
In conclusion, naturopaths are therapists who use natural therapies and who work with their patients to empower them to make informed decisions about their health and life and support them throughout the treatment program. They believe that the patient heals himself or herself and see their patients in a holistic framework, working with every facet of the person and their life.
