How to tell a good Naturopath

It’s often been asked … how do I tell a good Naturopath? … how do I judge if a Naturopath is good or bad? … how do I select who is the best naturopath for me? … lets ponder these questions.

Most people just want a quick fix. If that’s what you’re after, then maybe you should just go and see a medical doctor. However, if you are truly serious about your health, and are willing to deal with the underlying issues that brought about an illness then maybe a Naturopath is more for you.

Some people … including some Naturopaths are anti-medical Doctors. However, everything has it’s place. Modern day medical Doctors have helped so many people in so many situations … especially in emergency situations with accidents and so on. I guess, almost everything has it’s good aspects … depending on the circumstances. Hence, many Naturopaths work well, hand-in-hand with medical Doctors these days.

Interestingly, it seems that, each Naturopath, by nature is very unique. Most Naturopaths have followed their hearts’ passion to enter a profession that’s generally not well recognised and often with very little financial security or rewards.
Most Naturopaths pretty well, walk their talk. It’s very unusual to see an unhealthy looking Naturopath. Now-a-days because of many attempts by our society to also control Naturopaths, with government regulations, modern day Naturopaths are now being ‘University’ trained. However, with this, sadly much of the traditional philosophy has been lost in favour of subscribing to what I call the ‘modern day religion of science’. Because of this, sadly many modern day Naturopaths are becoming pretty much just like ‘pseudo medico’s. With this, instead of dealing with a problem with a ‘Pharmaceutical’ drug as a Medical Doctor would so typically do, the modern day Naturopath simply attempts to mop up the problem with a ‘nutraceutical’ supplement … or two! It just so happens, the same as with ‘pharmaceuticals’ … that the nutraceutical industry promotes a specific product for one condition and another product for another condition.

Whilst it may be fair enough to say that an individual who has a condition has similar signs and symptoms to another who has the same condition, never-the-less, from a traditional naturopathic perspective, as individuals, we are also all unique. So, does it really make sense that one pill fits all? Rather than looking at the illness that an individual has, a good Naturopath looks more at the individual that has the illness! A traditional Naturopath will reflect back upon the fundamental philosophy of natural healing. The basis of Naturopathic philosophy is that it’s nature that heals. The philosophy is that the closer to nature we are, the easier it is to heal. Conversely, the more we deviate from nature, the harder it is to heal.

It seems to be that the general public has been conditioned these days to believe basically, if it hurts … numb it, if it’s not working … cut it out. In this so called modern day approach … there’s very much an anti-biotic, pain-killing, throw-away approach to most health problems. However, we may ask, is this really healing or is it just adding more fuel to the fire … adding more and more trauma … causing more illness?

Hence, interestingly, the way that society is conditioned now-a-days, most people feel much more trust with orthodox medical doctors. After all Naturopaths are commonly called ‘Quacks’ … they’re considered alternative, they’re not supported by the government and not recognised by health funds and the like. However, increasingly, there’s more and more people who would prefer to work with both … in a complimentary way. There’s many people who strongly believe there’s a place for both a natural approach and orthodox medicine in the modern world. I recommend to find a Naturopath who can work side by side well with a medical Doctor. However when it comes down to the bottom line, most people would rather just go only to a cheaper service that’s subsidised by the government … rather than paying out the full cost of a service with a naturopath.

Let’s face it … natural healing has been with humanity for many thousands of years, there’s nothing new about it. So we may say that natural is not alternative! … it’s just ‘Natural’ Yet, would you agree? … it’s amazing what relentless propaganda and lobbying can do to sway peoples perception of reality. So, if you’ve chosen to follow a natural path, ideally, select a Naturopath who works with your medical Doctor as well as with nature!

Also, as most health problems have much to do with a poor lifestyle, seek a Naturopath who is willing to help you with improving your lifestyle practices. It’s just the way that many different Naturopaths tend to focus or specialise on many different specific aspects of wellbeing. As an example, some Naturopaths are more aligned to muscloskeletal concerns, whereas others are more interested in digestive and nutritional areas and another may be more attuned to the underlying emotional aspects of illness. Naturopathy essentially includes many modalities. Many Naturopaths use the likes of nutritional foods, herbs, vitamins, minerals, massage, exercise, water and many other such natural resources to help with healing. Many of these modalities have a history dating back as long as mankind. Also, many Naturopathic modalities have been adopted from around the world. As an example, Indian, Chinese, Egyptian, Roman and so forth … all of these cultures have records dating back thousands of years using these natural resources for healing. A ‘Holistic’ orientated Naturopath will generally pull insights from an array of different modalities and cultures to best help address the ‘whole’ well-being of an individual. Ideally, select a Naturopath who works in a ‘Holistic’ way.

Look for a Naturopath who works with the healing power of nature. Another basic Naturopathic philosophy is that it’s our vitality that heals. As we are a part of nature, our body has a natural, innate self-healing ability. Sometimes in this modern age we need to be reminded that, we are a part of nature, just like the birds and the trees, the sun and the air around us. Yet these days, however so many people often forget this. So many people separate them-selves, or at least deviate from nature in so many ways. How do we do this? Once upon a time when we slept under the stars. Around the same time as when the sun would go down we would retire. Maybe we would gather around a campfire for a while, but then we would be soon fall asleep. However, in these modern days, of course most people are up to all late hours, in buildings with artificial lighting. In nature we would eat food that’s only in season, very soon after it is taken from the earth. Yet, of course these days we deep store foods, import and export all over the world.

A good Naturopath will work with you in a natural way to build your vitality. It is the response from our vitality that heals. Although it may seem very old fashioned in these modern days, the basic natural approach of using nature to help us heal may still be the best approach. Much more is covered in the more advanced modules of the ‘Holistic Lifestyle Course’ about vitality and healing. A good Naturopath would look at how to guide us to take good care of our-self. Ideally, a good Naturopath would look at how to empower us with the education for ‘self-care’.

Naturopaths often look at things very differently to an orthodox, allopathic medical doctor. This is covered in much more detail in the more advanced ‘Self-Care’ and ‘Holistic Healing Arts’ modules of the ‘Holistic Lifestyle Course’.

Also, seek a Naturopath with a ‘Holistic’ approach that promotes the awakening of awareness and the evolution of consciousness. We may say that the reason anyone has fallen ill is because they some-how they were not aware of something and has fallen unconscious. Healing happens where there’s a more consciously re-created connection …  and when we can more fully enjoy an experience more lovingly. This also is covered in much more detail in the more advanced ‘Self-Care’ and ‘Holistic Healing Arts’ modules of the ‘Holistic Lifestyle Course’.

So, in a nutshell, if you’re into ‘judging’ … and you want to know how to judge a Naturopath, whether a Naturopath is good or not, and if any of this hasn’t made any sense to you, then you most probably should just go and see a medical doctor. However, if your interested to find-out which Naturopath is most suitable for you at a particular time, then realise that finding a ideal practitioner for you is a very individual preference. Apart from spending much time in research, maybe also trust your intuition. You may find that somehow, you’ve just stumbled come across the best practitioner for you at the right time. Remember that our modern western orthodox allopathic approach to medicine, with drugs and surgery and so on … certainly has its place and also, the natural … ‘so called alternative’ or complimentary … what ever you prefer to call it … approach with traditional modalities have been around for many thousands of years. This can be a great way to enhance your wellbeing, as a preventative and to generally improve the quality of our life. A Holistic approach to wellness … is covered in much more detail in the more advanced ‘Self-Care’ and ‘Holistic Healing Arts’ modules of the ‘Holistic Lifestyle Course’.

Please note that this article is merely my opinion and let me say … it’s for informational and educational purposes only. We may ask, are we still allowed to express our opinion in these so called modern days? Also, anything mentioned here is not intended to provide … or to take the place any medical advice from a medical doctor. Also, I need to say that you are to consult your medical doctor regarding any specific medical or health questions. As a disclaimer, I take no responsibility for any possible health consequences of any person reading the content of this article … especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their medical doctor before beginning any-thing like a nutritional supplement or lifestyle program. Whilst every attempt in ensuring the accuracy and currency of the information provided, the author accepts no liability and reserves all rights.

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