PREVENTION
Naturopathic medicine emphasizes the prevention of disease, assesses risk factors, and makes appropriate interventions with patients to prevent illness and promote wellness.

TREAT THE WHOLE PERSON
Naturopathic doctors take time to listen to patients in an effort to consider all factors that make up patients’ lives and affect their health and wellbeing.

IDENTIFY AND TREAT THE CAUSE
Naturopathic doctors seek to identify and remove the underlying causes of illness and dis-ease, not merely eliminate or suppress symptoms.

THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE
Naturopathic medicine recognizes an inherent healing process in the person that is ordered and intelligent. The role of the naturopathic doctors is to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery and to facilitate and augment this inherent natural tendency of the body to heal.

FIRST DO NO HARM
Naturopathic doctors follow three guidelines to avoid harming patients:

• Utilize methods and medicinal substances that minimize risks of side effects, using the least force needed to diagnose and treat.
• Avoid, when possible, the harmful suppression of symptoms.
• Acknowledge and work with e individual’s self-healing process.

DOCTOR AS TEACHER
Naturopathic doctors apply the origin of the “doctor” from the Latin, “to teach.” A fundamental emphasis in naturopathic medicine is patient education.