The physician's role is to facilitate this process with the aid of natural, nontoxic therapies. Discover and Treat the Cause, Not Just the Effect - tolle causam Physicians seek and treat the underlying cause of a disease. Symptoms are viewed as expressions of the body's natural attempt to heal. The origin of disease is removed or treated so the patient can recover. The multiple factors in health and disease are considered while treating the whole person.
Physicians provide flexible treatment programs to meet individual health care needs.
The Physician is a Teacher - docere The physician's major role is to educate, empower, and motivate patients to take responsibility for their own health. Creating a healthy cooperative relationship with the patient has a strong therapeutic value. Physicians assess patient risk factors and heredity susceptibility and intervene appropriately to reduce risk and prevent illness. Prevention of disease is best accomplished through education and a lifestyle that supports health. The use of plant medicine is core to Naturopathic practice and is therefore central to the curriculum.