Sterling Hart, Naturopathy, Holistic Health, Family Health and Wellness

What is Naturopathy?

Naturopathy is distinguished by its treatment principles:

The Healing Power Of Nature:
Naturopathy recognizes an inherent self-healing process in a person, which is ordered and intelligent. In practice, we support, facilitate and assist this process by identifying and removing obstacles to health, creating both healthy internal and external environments for a person.

Identify and Treat the Cause:
Naturopathy strives to discover then remove the underlying cause of an illness, not just eliminate or suppress symptoms. We strive to restore function rather than simply replace it.

First Do No Harm:
1. The use of methods and medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful side effects, as well as applying interventions with the least possible force to restore health.
2. The mere suppression of presenting symptoms is avoided as suppression interferes with the healing process.
3. Respecting and working with the inherent self-healing process.

Treat the Whole Person:
Each person is a complex being of physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, biological, environmental and probably other influences. We treat people, not diseases.

Doctor as a Teacher:
Doctor in Latin means teacher. Naturopathic practitioners strive to educate and partner with people regarding their health. There is no split in authority, the person being treated is the consumer and is ultimately in charge.

Prevention is the Cure:
Naturopathy is rooted in the education and promotion of healthy lifestyles. In practice, risk factors, heredity and susceptibility to disease are assessed followed by appropriate interventions to prevent illness. Naturopathy is also committed to the creation of a healthy world in which all species may thrive.

Is naturopathy right for you?

Stepping out of the traditional model of healthcare (whether it’s completely or if you’re just looking to augment your traditional care with natural methods) can make some people feel uncertain about what will be expected of them and how they will be treated. I have listed a few guidelines below but also make myself available to each of my clients via email and cell phone if there are additional question/concerns. Working with you in learning to read your body’s signals, nourishing it appropriately, exercising it according to its fitness level and then trusting in its healing abilities are my goals for you.

A successful client will:

Be committed to change from the outset. Compliance with the individualized recommendation is essential for a good outcome.

Be flexible in how you can be treated. We are always looking to remove the underlying cause of illness so that your whole body becomes healthier; which means your recommendations may include starting in areas of the body that you don't think need support.

Be patient. While we usually get some margin of improvement within a few weeks, and in many cases within a few days, natural therapies (and even conventional medicine) can take months to finish its action.

Ask questions. Most natural health practitioners feel it is an important part of their job to answer questions. After all, the better you understand what is going on, the more committed you will be to it. Do not stop in mid-treatment just because you are feeling better. Even if you are feeling better, you are not necessarily healed. And often the symptoms will come back 2-3 months after you stopped the recommendations and we have to start at the beginning again.

Communicate. Please tell us if things are going as expected or not. We have many different ways to approach conditions and sometimes it takes us a few tries to get the right one for you. After all, each person has a different constitution, so what works for 70% of people may not work for you. Be completely candid. Often there is an emotional component to illness. If we don't know that you lost your job, had a car accident or suffered the loss of a loved one a few months before the condition started, we won't be as effective because the emotional and physical stress of these seemingly unrelated situations often contribute to the illness.

Stay in touch. Healing will progress much more quickly if we know what is going on while it’s going on. For example, ff you are experiencing detox symptoms that are too uncomfortable for you, please contact me as soon as possible. Do not wait until your follow-up appointment!