• The healing power of nature. This comes from the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates and is at the centre of naturopathic treatments.
• Find and treat the cause. This means that rather than simply suppressing symptoms, the focus is on understanding and treating the cause.
• First do no harm. This is also a teaching from Hippocrates and means that the best treatment is the gentlest with the greatest capacity to encourage self-healing.
• Treat the whole person. This means looking at all the bodies organs and systems together and all aspects of a person – mind, body and spirit.
• Prevention rather than cure. This means that rather than seeking to simply treat an ailment, the aim is directed ultimately at prevention through identifying the cause and working towards restoring health long term.
• Wellness. This is a concept that encompasses the state of a person’s whole being that involves having positive emotions and thoughts.
• Doctor as teacher. This means rather than just handing out remedies the focus is on education and empowering others to own their health journey.