NATUROPATHIC PSYCHOLOGY

INTRODUCTION TO NATUROPATHIC PSYCHOLOGY

My closest friend has always been my mentor in matters of health and nutrition. James Hutton is like a brother in our relationship but also a constant resource for his extensive medical knowledge. My interests and training corresponded with psychology, bending toward mind as Jim veered thru the body. We both have a penchant for the liminal and further reaches of conceptualizations…he delights in technical engineering like exotic Italian sports cars while I prefer meditating and gardening. Thus, in our professional lives are perspectives that mimic our philosophical choices. I remember years ago when Jim called to enthusiastically describe going to medical school for naturopathy, a program of study closely aligned with his ideas on health and nutrition. He opened this world for me too, and I am continuing to learn the burgeoning art and science of naturopathy, though not as a physician.

Over the years I have listened and began to add further readings on a regular basis which has substantiated adoption of a personal lifestyle that appears to promote positive health and well-being.

In fact, large numbers of people have been gravitating to lifestyles based on organic foods, vegetarianism, nutritional supplementation, alternative medicine, and similar consumer choices. It’s a growth industry that is rapidly becoming mainstream, setting up legitimacy as well as controversy. But a growing body of data is being generating by research that is passing peer review and being published in reputable journals. The complaint of a lack of research can no longer be bleated, no more than criticism leveled at many generally accepted allopathic practices and medications. The body of research in the literature generally supports this lifestyle and many of the naturopathic practices and substances. Complementary and integrative medical approaches are commonly seen in many locales.

There has also began to emerge a branch of thought that primarily coincided with the use of herbs for psychological well-being such as valerian and kava kava for relaxation or ma huang and ginseng for energy. Other nutritional supplements were found to have a potentially beneficial effect on the brain such as ginko biloba and phenostilderene. Even depression has been addressed by St. John’s wort and SAM-e. A large number of substances are being analyzed for the effects that are occurring mentally or psychologically. A situation of critical mass is solidifying – the branch of thought has become a discipline, a field of study. A quite natural nomenclature adapts neatly and clearly condenses into a description called naturopathic psychology.

Many "discoveries" in science came from simply giving a name to something already acknowledged or known but not described in quite such a way to attach a necessary qualification. Gravity was always known but not described so scientifically until Newton nor did electricity make itself a real force until Franklin flew his kite. In this way, naturopathic psychology does not make a new discovery; the creation of this field simply branches from the larger tradition of naturopathy. Naturopathy evolved from ancient traditions that have used herbs for healing in addition to several modern approaches to prevention of disease, primarily focused on diet and nutrition yet including several methods that depend on the body’s ability to heal itself. Naturopathic psychology is another step in the specialization that formed naturopathy.

The descriptive term, naturopathic psychology is an attempt to legitimize the use of herbs, nutritional supplements, and natural healing practices in counseling. An entire intermediary level of treatment is opening up as a basic aspect of the treatment continuum. In the same manner that a psychiatrist may include psychotherapeutic techniques in practice and use prescribed medications as additional tools to assist in patient management, now a psychologist has available a cornucopeia of remedies besides standard counseling methods that may benefit the mental health consumer, either in lieu of medication or as an important stage in the treatment process. Naturopathic psychology takes an holistic approach, steeped in the influences of humanistic and transpersonal psychology.

Naturopathic psychology is based on several fundamental tenets: The first and foremost concentrates on the natural healing process, emphasizing that the primary task of the healer is to remove obstacles that might slow or prevent the natural tendency for organisms to maintain a balance and harmony of good health. Secondly, that a cause for much of poor mental health is attributable to poor nutrition…both cognitive and emotional elements of the psyche can be directly influenced by diet, vitamins, cultivated extracts, and substances that are already found in the body. Third, healing practices in naturopathy can have beneficial psychological effect such as hydrotherapy, massage, diet, herbs, neutraceuticals, and fasting. There is a natural, given state of positive mental health, genetically endowed and humanly expressed.

The natural healing process is derived from basic assumptions about the way the universe works. For most observers, the physical universe has been ongoing for billions of years and should continue for as many or more years to go. In the immediate environment, the ecological balance of minerals and the organic life of plants and animals has maintained its fecundity for many millions, if not a billion or so, of years. Concurrently, there is no reason not to expect it to continue for many years to come, even if we are at risk of altering the climate and overpopulating human carrying capacity.

{dated:3/18/01}