Naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles that underlie and determine it’s practice. These principles are based on the objective observation of the nature of health and disease.

First Do No Harm / Primum Non Nocere
The first principle in all medicine is protecting the health and safety of the patient. Naturopathic medicine follows three principles to avoid harming the patient: 1) utilize methods and medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful side effects, 2) Naturopathic physicians follow three precepts to avoid, when possible, the harmful suppression of symptoms, and 3) acknowledge and respect the individual’s healing process, using the least force necessary to diagnose and treat illness.

The Healing Power of Nature / Vis Medicatrix Naturae
Naturopathic medicine recognizes the body’s inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. In practice, naturopathic physicians act to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery and to facilitate this self-healing process.

Identify and Treat the Cause /  Tolle Causam
Every illness has an underlying cause that presents itself as the symptoms we experience. Naturopathic physicians seek to identify and remove the underlying causes of illness, rather than eliminating or simply suppressing symptoms.

Doctor as Teacher /  Docere
Doctor in latin means teacher. As naturopathic physicians we strive to educate our patients and encourage them to take responsibility for their health.

Treat the Whole Person
Naturopathic physicians treat each patient as an individual by taking into account specific and unique physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, genetic, environmental, and social factors.

Prevention
Naturopathic physicians emphasize disease prevention as the basis for healthcare. Risk factors, heredity, and susceptibility to disease are assessed and then appropriate interventions are made to prevent illness. Naturopathic medicine is also committed to promoting a healthy world in which all species may thrive.

Wellness
Wellness follows the establishment and maintenance of optimum health and balance. It is a state of being healthy and is characterized by positive emotion, thought, and action. Wellness is inherent in everyone, no matter what the disease(s) he or she may have. If this fact is recognized and experienced by an individual, he or she will heal quicker than if only the disease were treated.