How I approach your health goals as a naturopath

Today I'm going to be talking about the therapeutic order in naturopathy. I'm doing a couple of articles on the philosophies around naturopathy because I think there's a lot of misunderstanding. There's a newish show on Netflix looking at the natural wellness industry and some of the shadow side of that, which I very much like to distance myself from. But I am keen for people to hear the other side and the beautiful traditions and philosophies that we as trained naturopaths follow, and how we approach client care.

Before I start, though, I want to mention that there’s a difference between a textbook and a real person. When I’m working with someone, I’m usually bringing all of these layers in at the same time. I’m not saying, “We’re only doing the first layer; wait until next week for layer two.” It’s never like that. But if the foundations aren’t in place, any improvement will be superficial at best—and probably fleeting. To get real change, we need to lay the foundations.

1. Establishing the Foundations for Health

The first foundational piece of the therapeutic order is simply: establish the foundation for health.

In the example of cardiovascular or cardiometabolic health, this means having the diet and lifestyle you’d expect for someone who is healthy in those areas.

Think:

· An anti-inflammatory diet

· Low processed foods

· Lots of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains

· Plenty of hydration—water and herbal teas

· Good quality sleep

· Some exercise

Pretty straightforward, right? But it can get more specific depending on the individual. As a naturopath, I’m looking at you, the person in front of me. Do you have these foundations? Which ones need bolstering? And sometimes a habit might be “healthy” in a generic sense but not actually healthy for your situation.

So this first step is about identifying the foundations that will help you as an individual get healthier.

2. Removing Obstacles to Cure (or to Improvement)

We’re not promising cures—but we want to remove as many obstacles to improvement as possible. If the obstacle is still there, it’s very hard to move past it.

Some examples:

· Smoking is an obstacle to improved lung and immune health

· Gluten is an obstacle for someone with coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity

· Processed foods are an obstacle for most of us

· Excessive alcohol

· Staying up all night, scrolling the phone until 2 a.m.

We look at your life, your routines, and your habits, and identify what might be blocking your progress.

Sometimes the obstacle is mindset—being unwilling to try something that could be really beneficial, or holding on to beliefs that make change harder.

3. Stimulating Self-Healing

This can sound a little airy-fairy, but for me it simply means creating the conditions where the body can start to make progress itself.

Examples:

· Spending time in nature

· Getting the right nutrients in your diet

· Meditation

· Emotional processing

· Journaling

· Letting go of resentment or stress

· Encouraging endorphins and feel-good chemicals

· Supporting healthy biochemical conditions

If I nourish myself with all my thyroid nutrients, my thyroid has what it needs to function at its best. If I meditate, maybe I let go of some toxic stress chemicals. If I spend time in nature, maybe my happy hormones increase.

These are the small but powerful things that support our healing journey.

4. Supporting and Restoring Weak Systems

When you come to me as a client, I look at which systems are struggling:

· Immune

· Respiratory

· Cardiovascular

· Microbiome and gut

· Nervous system

· Endocrine system

We know which nutrients and herbs support which systems. So if you’re showing weakness in one area, we can bolster it with targeted support—nutrients, herbs, diet, lifestyle shifts.

This is where things become more personalised and therapeutic.

5. Addressing Physical Alignment

This step is usually outside what naturopaths in Australia directly do these days—we don’t often do massage or bodywork. But I can certainly see when musculoskeletal issues, headaches, posture problems or alignment issues might be contributing to your symptoms.

So I may:

· Refer you to an exercise physiologist

· Suggest specific stretches

· Encourage posture adjustments

· Recommend sleep positioning strategies

Even though it’s external, it’s an important part of removing obstacles to healing.

6. Natural Symptom Relief

This is the final layer that still sits within naturopathic practice.

It could be:

· Natural pain relief for headaches

· Iron tablets for iron deficiency

· Energising herbs

We’re addressing the symptom—but only while also working on the deeper foundations, obstacles, and system restoration underneath.

Symptom relief is useful, but it’s just one part of a larger, layered approach.

What Sits Beyond the Naturopathic Scope

Other parts of the therapeutic order include pharmaceuticals and surgery—which are beyond our scope.

We respect that they are essential components of the healthcare system. When you come to me, I work within my scope, but I also:

· Refer on where appropriate

· Encourage multidisciplinary care

· Work safely alongside medications

· Communicate with other practitioners when needed

A Holistic, Layered, Real-World Approach

I hope you get a sense that naturopathy is a thorough, holistic, layered approach to health—and not a “quick fix” or bandaid philosophy.

We focus on:

· Foundations

· Obstacles

· Self-healing

· Supporting weak systems

· Alignment

· Natural symptom relief

· And respect for medical interventions

This is the therapeutic order we are trained to follow, and it’s the framework that guides how I work with my clients.

I hope this helps clear up some confusion around how naturopaths approach things—or certainly how I approach things as a naturopath.

And as always I’m keen to hear from you – how does this approach resonate with you? What was familiar, and what was unexpected? Let me know!

17 - How I approach your health goals as a naturopath