Part 3 of this series on the Naturopathic Philosophy expanded upon the third and fourth core beliefs, which are (3) to identify and address the root cause(s) of dis-ease and dysfunction and (4) to see the doctor as a teacher. This brings us to the fifth belief and that is that we must address the whole person.
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 address each of these underlying causes 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 well-being.
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 very aggressive 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.
Part 5 of this series will expound up on this seventh principle of the Naturopathic Philosophy.
