About Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic medicine is a multifaceted, non-invasive approach to health-care that uses natural therapies to stimulate and support the body to heal itself.

Guiding Principles

There are 6 guiding principles in Naturopathic Medicine:

  1. First, do no harm.
  2. Identify and treat the underlying root-cause of disease.
  3. Treat the whole person through individualized care.
  4. Trust the healing power of nature.
  5. Teach as well as treat.
  6. Focus on preventing disease.

Naturopathic Doctors provide primary care or complementary care, depending on their patients’ preferences.

Training and Accreditation

As with conventional medicine, naturopathic training requires three years of undergraduate pre-medical sciences and a four-year full-time program in health sciences, naturopathic principles and modalities.

Upon completion of the regulatory board exams, including the NPLEX, Naturopathic Doctors are required to maintain their competency by meeting continuing education requirements.

In Canada, Naturopathic Doctors are trained at accredited educational institutions and governed by professional licensing and national standards of practice. Their profession participates in federal health committee initiatives and state-of-the-art scientific research.