Naturopathy, is a system of medicine based on the healing power of nature.  It is a holistic system, where the mind, body and spirit, is seen as one. 

There are two areas of focus in naturopathy:  one is supporting the body’s own healing abilities, and the other is empowering individuals to make lifestyle changes necessary for the best possible health. 

The Philosophy of Naturopathy

Living things have an innate ability to heal themselves.  Our vital force promotes self-cleansing, self-repair, and therefore self-healing.  This process can be achieved by focusing on the immune, hormonal, nervous, and detoxification/elimination systems of the body.  Once these systems are in balance, restored health is a probability.

Some of the more common treatments used by a naturopath include:

·    Nutritional counselling

·    Herbal medicine

·    Homeopathic medicine

·    Acupuncture

·    Massage

·    Detoxification

·    Lifestyle and psychological counselling

Benefits of naturopathy

On a physical level, naturopathy provides or supports the effective utilisation of the basic nutrients, molecules and phytochemicals found in foods and herbs that are necessary to rebuild and sustain the integrity of our bodies.  Considerable attention is also given to the support of the digestive process, as this is the system that is at the interface of allowing our bodies to extract (digest), absorb and assimilate (re-build) nutrients that construct our bodies.

Naturopathy, through its holistic approach, focuses also on the causes of symptoms that are outside of the physical realm.  Stress, whether emotional, environmental, nutritional or medical is often seen as a significant contributor to the various biochemical imbalances that can lead to a state of disease.

Naturopathic treatment in particular benefits the following conditions and states:

·    Digestive disorders

·    Nervous system imbalances resulting in anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress, headaches

·    Musculoskeletal conditions

·    Weight loss

·    Allergies, sensitivities and immune disorders

·    Reproductive imbalances eg. menopausal, menstrual, infertility and pre-conception care

·    Cardiovascular system

Naturopathy for the treatment of depression & anxiety

Naturopathy is a holistic system of healing, focusing on the cause of disease by understanding the human body through its totality of body, mind and spirit.  As naturopathy focuses on treating the body as a whole, factors considered in making a diagnosis include your mental, emotional, and spiritual state, your diet, your family history, your environment, and your lifestyle, all of which are contributing factors in the effective treatment of depression and anxiety.