Naturopathic Medicine
Preventative medicine + Restorative healing
Naturopathic medicine is where modern science and the art of healing intersect. It is a distinct health care profession emphasizing prevention, treatment, and the optimization of health through the use of therapeutic methods that encourage individuals’ inherent self-healing process. The practice of naturopathic medicine includes both modern and traditional, scientific and empirical methods. Naturopathic doctors are trained as primary care physicians at accredited four-year naturopathic medical schools, and are currently licensed as such in 22 states. Training includes many modalities, such as botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, pharmacology, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, IV therapy and minor surgery, but the scope of practice of a naturopathic physician varies state-by-state. Naturopathic doctors are not licensed as primary care physicians in the state of New York. As such, my practice focuses on safe and natural therapies, and I encourage all clients to maintain a relationship with a primary care physician. To learn more about naturopathic medicine, please visit www.naturopathic.org.
Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
Tolle Causum, Treat the Cause
The naturopathic physician seeks to identify and remove the underlying causes of illness rather than to merely eliminate or suppress symptoms. By thoroughly investigating your health history, digging deep to understand your physical, mental and emotional health, I will work with you to understand the physiologic process(es) that have led to your state of imbalance. Only by treating the underlying cause may one truly heal.
Preventare, Prevention
The majority of diseases our society struggles with today can be prevented with diet and lifestyle alone! Establishing good foundational health with proper nutrition, daily movement, and a healthy state of mind is at the core of every treatment plan I create. That foundation of optimal wellness allows you to feel your best on a daily basis while helping to prevent disease, and when disease is encountered it keeps your body strong and vital in response. I also look at your individual risk factors, by assessing your family history and personal medical history as well as environmental exposures, to help you reduce your risk of developing diseases you may be individually susceptible to.
Vis Medicatrix Naturae, The Healing Power of Nature
The body is an incredibly intelligent and ordered organism which possesses the innate ability to heal itself. Often the symptoms we feel when we are sick are part of the body’s healing response, and by suppressing those symptoms we are suppressing the healing process itself, leading to further dysfunction. I honor your body’s innate wisdom by addressing the cause of disease and using treatments that work to stimulate and support the natural healing process, while also addressing any uncomfortable symptoms with gentle and noninvasive methods.
Tolle Totum, Treat the Whole Person
We often talk about the mind and the various organ systems of the body as though they are distinct and individual systems, unrelated to each other or to the whole. However, naturopathic physicians recognize that these systems are connected and in constant communication with each other, sending signals via nerve impulses and chemical messengers in order to maintain homeostasis. My true work is at this level - the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, together the neuroendocrine-immune system. By subtly affecting the nerve signaling, balancing hormones and supporting a healthy immune response, the body, mind and spirit can begin to shift towards a state of balance.
Docere, Doctor as Teacher
My role as a physician is to help you understand your body and any disease processes that may be present, and to provide you with the tools and the support to stimulate healing within you. My goal is to empower you to feel engaged in and in charge of your body and your healing.
Primum Non Nocere, First Do No Harm
Naturopathic physicians utilize gentle, minimally invasive methods to diagnose and treat, with as little side effects as possible. This also means avoiding suppressing the body’s natural healing pathways, as suppression can drive the dysfunction deeper, leading to more problems in the long run. For me, “do no harm” also means making sure that my patients & clients feel heard, held, and respected. I, like too many others, have experienced the trauma of interacting with providers who did not want to hear what I had to say, who invalidated my experience of my body and my health, and who made me feel judged and unsupported. The harm these types of interactions can cause often undermines the medicine and disrupts healing. I strive to do no harm by providing individualized, trauma-informed, patient-centered care that is gentle yet powerful.
