Is the naturopath in? The first step to empowering yourself about your own health might be finding a naturopathic consultant

When it comes to complaints about Western medicine, the most pervasive could be that doctors are too busy to spend time with their patients and become a vested partner in their health. That's why Susie Hale, professor of traditional naturopathy at Clayton College of Natural Health in Birmingham, Alabama, has a dream: "That every physician has a naturopathic consultant working in the office to help educate every patient about the body so that people are not walking out befuddled by everything that they've been told in a five-minute physician visit."

the philosophy of naturopathy To understand Hale's dream, it helps to be aware of what traditional naturopathy can offer. "Traditional naturopathy is a philosophy of life, an approach to living and a system of health," Hale explains. "It is the belief that the body has innate abilities to heal itself if given certain support. The elements that we consider most important are proper diet, pure water, fresh air, sunlight, exercise and rest." It is those elements that the traditional naturopath will examine when trying to determine how to improve your health. It's a system that's meant to complement what your medical doctor does. Naturopaths are not trained as physicians (see What's the Difference? on p. 49) and have not graduated from a medical school. Instead, their training generally consists of coursework in various areas of natural health, such as herbology, homeopathy, holistic nutrition and detoxification.

The key to traditional naturopathy is how its practitioners use their knowledge to provide helpful information to their clients. "Traditional naturopaths avoid procedures that are common to medical care--diagnosing and treating medical disease, prescribing drugs and pharmaceuticals and performing invasive procedures," says Boyd Landry, executive director of the Coalition for Natural Health in Washington, DC. "Instead, they focus on health and education, teaching their clients how to create internal and external environments that are conducive to good health. Traditional naturopaths want to educate clients to the point where they can take care of themselves," he adds. That's how traditional naturopaths differ from physicians--they're trained to act more as peers, rather than superiors, offering advice on ways to successfully implement lifestyle changes. Hence, a naturopath is ideally suited to work alongside an MD to build the doctor's prescriptions into an individually tailored plan designed to promote the client's overall health.

But Landry also strongly suggests taking the information the other way and involving primary-care physicians in alternative care: "If a naturopathic consultant suggests you take garlic for high blood pressure, go to your cardiologist and say, 'I went to see someone who's in the alternative health field. This is what he or she recommended I do in conjunction with what you've prescribed. Before I start this process, is there a conflict?' That's important because as the medical community becomes more comfortable with [being involved with alternative treatments], you'll see better results."

quest for a consultant Of course, Hale's utopian vision has yet to come to pass, and until it does, you're unlikely to find a traditional naturopath by just going to your doctor's office. To make the search easier, Hale has the following recommendations:

* ask around in the alternative health arena. Local health food stores will often have bulletin boards and magazines or newspapers available with information about local practitioners. Trust word of mouth. As Landry says, "If you're [a good naturopath], people will find you and want to spread the word."

* interview a few candidates. Ask how they typically conduct a session and get details on their basic health philosophy. For example, ask: "What would a typical session with you be like?"

* determine their field of focus. Because traditional naturopathy is a broad field, a practitioner might focus on just one aspect. For instance, he or she might just want to talk to you about nutrition and building health through it, or might concentrate on women's health. So, make sure to ask if they specialize in a certain area.

* check credentials. Ask about education and whether the practitioner is certified by the American Naturopathic Certification Board (ANCB). Passing this independent exam allows a practitioner to use the designation CTN (Certified Traditional Naturopath) and requires a certain amount of continuing education. While recommended, certification is not required for practice. Also, Landry points out that the ANCB is a private certification company--CTN is not the same as state certification.

* avoid cure-alls. Steer clear of anyone who guarantees a specific result, such as: "Come see me, and I will heal your cancer." Also be leery of traditional naturopaths claiming to be physicians. Only naturopathic physicians can diagnose and prescribe medication.