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What is the difference between a Naturopath and a Homeopath?
 Patients often ask: “What is the difference between naturopathy and homeopathy?” There is a great deal of confusion around this issue; and when I check my website statistics I find some of the commonest search terms that bring people to my site include “should I choose a naturopath or a homeopath?” or even “naturopathy vs. homeopathy” as if the two were somehow in competition or opposition.
People seem to understand that both are natural medicine but there is a fundamental difference. Indeed this is true, but in choosing this Perth clinic you are assured in getting the best of both worlds, because together they can work cooperatively in the best interests of your health. In fact that is the way it should be. However, because of the manner in which both systems are commonly practised, it so rarely is.
Both naturopaths and homeopaths believe in the healing power of nature, or at least they should do. They are therefore both “vitalist” systems of medicine. Vitalism is opposed to the approach of orthodox medicine, which is “mechanistic” and mostly treats the human body as a machine. On the other hand, natural medicine believes the body has its own innate wisdom, and that provided the right environment exists, the body can begin healing itself. Whereas the true ideal of naturopathy originally was to focus on the natural resources available to the patient in the form of healthy diet and lifestyle, and use no medicine whatsoever, homeopathy was a system of medicine invented to work in harmony with natural law, when these resources were not enough by themselves to restore the sick person to health.
 Homeopathy is a truly unique system of medicine. It is the only form of medicine that works on a single underlying principle, through what appears to be a natural law. All three thousand or more homeopathic remedies work in the same way, through providing information to the body, not through a chemical action. Even herbs are chemicals; in that way they work like drugs and like drugs they can have side effects. It is the job of the homeopath to find the remedy that has the right information for the pattern of imbalance that the patient has on all three levels: mental, emotional and physical. Homeopathy is therefore truly holistic and works to stimulate healing through natural law. It does treat disease, but it does this by initiating and guiding the natural healing energies of the body. If you would like to know more about homeopathy please visit the page homeopathy explained
Naturopathy originated in the natural healing systems of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Many of the original naturopaths were in fact homeopaths who wanted to investigate more deeply the healing properties of foods, water and the natural environment. They also often used the traditional knowledge of the herbal lore from the folk traditions of Europe and Native American customs, and the wisdom of these approaches was also incorporated into homeopathy.
 From the 1970’s and 1980’s in Australia a new paradigm of naturopathy began to emerge from the natural therapy colleges. A naturopath began to be seen as a practitioner with an overview of herbal medicine and modern approaches to nutrition, but with an emphasis on the role of vitamins and minerals. Homeopathy is studied, but it is now often only an elective and only learnt to the level of first aid applications. An emphasis on medical sciences and “evidence based” therapies, while necessary, has meant that many naturopaths now use vitamins, minerals and herbs in a less than holistic way, treating named conditions, like “alternative doctors” rather than holistically stimulating the healing energies of the body. They have therefore often lost sight of the original vitalist tradition of naturopathic pioneers. This too suits the pharmacies and health food stores who these days often employ naturopaths to “move product” within the traditional mechanistic medical framework of a remedy for a condition.
At this clinic we believe in the complementary role of original, true naturopathy and true, rational homeopathy. We should say that, unlike the inventor of homeopathy Samuel Hahnemann, many modern homeopaths do not give enough emphasis to the things that maintain health: lifestyle, diet and relationships. We could criticise many of them too for believing that healing comes only in a bottle.
As always, I like to think the Greek myths enshrine a fundamental truth. The god Asclepius (pictured) was revered as the father of Medicine and healing. The caduceus or staff entwined by two serpents that has been adopted as the symbol of modern orthodox medicine came originally from him. However, Asclepius’ staff in fact has only one serpent. In an unconscious irony, the winged caduceus with twin serpents that was mistakenly adopted belongs to the god Hermes, who is the patron of thieves, rogues and cattle-rustlers!
 Asclepius had two daughters: Hygeia and Panacea. Hygeia had dominion over the natural things that are responsible for maintaining health: healthy food, environment, clean water and a happy and healthy mind. The other daughter called Panacea was the inventor of medicine. Sometimes one or the other is needed and sometimes both.
True naturopathy practised holistically is the proper heir of Hygeia and homeopathy is the most rational system of medicine that works through natural law by the hands of her sister Panacea. That is the approach we believe in at this Perth clinic: naturopathy for the common sense things that determine health and homeopathy, the only truly natural system of medicine, when that is not enough.
We promise not to load you up with an expensive shopping bag full of supplements and potions like most naturopaths do these days.
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Address
Cottesloe Naturopathic Clinic
Unit 5, Napoleon Close Arcade
12-18 Napoleon Street
Cottesloe
Western Australia 6011
Telephone 08 9385 1484
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www.cottnat.com.au
Email
michael@cottnat.com.au
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Follow up phone consultations now available for country WA patients, after initial visit.
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All treatments and advice are individually prescribed through consultation only.
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