Conventional wisdom holds that we go to a dentist for our teeth and an optometrist for our eyes, but what is a Naturopath? When would I visit a Naturopath and how could a Naturopath help me? Fortunately, Sharon Krahn, a Traditional Naturopath in Dallas and owner of K6 Wellness Center, is here today to help answer those questions with a guest post.

~~

I am often asked about the scope of my practice as a Traditional Naturopath. There seems to be an abundance of confusion as to what Naturopathy entails. Jenny and I have had a handful of interesting conversations and I am delighted to have this opportunity to address some of the most common questions surrounding my field.

Q: What is Naturopathy?

First, let me begin by outlining what Naturopathy is NOT:

• Emergency trauma care – including the ability to reattach severed limbs
• Anti-technology
• Dream interpretation
• Fortune-telling
• Forsaking all fashion sense and deodorant
• Casting spells
• Killing chickens
• Cauldrons
• Other spooky practices

What it is:

Naturopathy is the broad study of all natural healing practices and principles as related to physical, emotional/mental and spiritual health. This includes: nutrition, lifestyle modification, herbs, homeopathy, various forms of bodywork, emotional therapies, energy work (physics, not voo-doo), and exercise. While its focus is mainly on healthy living and disease prevention, Naturopathy also offers natural solutions to infections, chronic diseases, addictions, obesity, and many other health challenges.

Q: Why should I use a Naturopath?

I cannot speak for every Naturopath, so I will speak for myself and my practice at K6 Wellness Center. I am trained to work with people to prevent the occurrence of disease and to help people already suffering from many forms of heath issues including allergies, diabetes, heart disease, autism, obesity and auto-immune diseases. Using today’s technology (in the form of electro-dermal screening) we can detect potential issues early and help you develop a plan that will allow your body the resources it needs to heal and to effectively avoid future recurrences.

At K6 Wellness Center, we see clients of all ages for a variety of issues. It is a rare treat to get a new client that is healthy and is simply interested in having a resource for help should the need arise. More commonly, we see people who have reached the end of their “rope” and have been forced to look outside the medical box for answers to their health problems. I delight in these cases because I am deeply committed to discovering the root cause of their problem and correcting it rather than covering the symptoms with a natural “band-aid”. Every person is a unique individual with unique needs. Naturopaths do not dwell on a diagnosis, nor do we diagnose disease. We educate our clients about their unique situation and make individualized recommendations as to how they can resolve their health problems.

The human body is not a series of compartments that have limited interaction. It is a wonderfully designed organism that functions in the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional realm – simultaneously. Naturopathy considers this and addresses each person as such. If you run to the doctor every time you have a sinus infection or if you are “managing” the effects of a chronic disease, consider consulting with a Naturopath to see what the root cause of the problem is and how it can be corrected naturally.

Something to Think About:

Two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese – causing us to be world leaders in Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and other conditions of “affluenza”. American health care is really more disease management – it has very little to do with health. If you are truly interested in being healthy, go see a Naturopath!

~~

How about you — have you ever visited a Naturopath? Do you have more questions for Sharon to answer either here or on the K6 Wellness Center blog?