Promoting the Profession
Practicing in the field of traditional naturopathy signifies an adherence to the basic tenets of naturopathy and then teaching those principles to others. The professional educates about how to live a healthier lifestyle that embraces these tenets — eating whole foods, breathing fresh air, drinking pure water, enjoying the gifts of sunlight, getting adequate exercise and rest — and then teaches the client how to translate that into her or his own individual life.
Naturopathy has a long and interesting history. The professional practice of traditional naturopathy has essentially been around as long as the name “naturopathy” itself. However, over the years the term has been adopted by two legions of professionals. The distinction is significant; all practicing professional traditional naturopaths must have a clear understanding of this distinction. Promoting the profession of traditional naturopathy often requires explaining this distinction to clients, colleagues, and other practitioners.
Practitioners in the field of naturopathy are either professional traditional naturopaths or naturopathic physicians. The traditional naturopath works to teach and empower the client to learn more about the body’s own innate healing abilities; therefore, the role is as an educator or consultant. Training for this profession involves gaining an understanding of how the body works, natural approaches to supporting the body’s health, and how to communicate that information to the client.A naturopathic physician works with patients, diagnosing disease and prescribing treatments to address the illness. This practitioner functions from the medical model and is educated at a residential medical school. Medical practitioners must be licensed by the state in which they practice.
Perhaps the greatest area of confusion is in the realm of titles. For a practicing traditional naturopath the advanced degree of choice is the doctor of naturopathy or N.D. degree, which is the degree offered by Clayton College. The confusion arises because schools of naturopathic medicine offer two different degrees, “doctor of naturopathic medicine” and/or “doctor of naturopathy.” The title doctor of naturopathic medicine better describes these schools’ programs and the naturopathic physician’s scope of practice. The distinction is best explained within the context of broad fields of practice. A physician is clearly working in the medical field. The traditional naturopath works exclusively in the field of education and consultation. This explanation is then supported by the distinction between the types of education that the professionals complete — medical school versus healing arts training.
Promote your profession by taking every opportunity to clarify the role of the traditional naturopath who chooses to practice in the field. Translating the mission of CCNH into practice is precisely what the professional traditional naturopath does in the greatest sense: Teach others to be healthy!
Susie Hale, N.D., Ph.D. • CCNH Director of Practitioner Education
 |
|
 |
|
|
|