Naturopathic Medicine focuses on prevention and self-healing, using natural remedies in a primary care health system. Please see below for details and links to learn more. Naturopathic physicians like Dr. Amy Joye who have trained at an accredited institution can be licensed in 23 American states and the District of Columbia. North Carolina has not yet joined these ranks.

Naturopathic Medicine is grounded in six fundamental principles:

  • Vis Medicatrix Naturae “The Healing Power of Nature”
    • The body has inherent healing abilities
    • Trust the body’s capacity to restore itself to health
    • Support healing by nurturing metabolic processes
  • Tolle Causam “Treat the Cause”
    • Reach to the root of a problem for sustainable healing
    • Look beyond obvious symptoms
    • Address underlying core issue(s)
  • Primum Non Nocere “First, Do No Harm”
    • Use the most natural, least toxic options first
    • Elevate invasiveness of therapies only as needed
    • Create as few additional complications as possible
  • Docere “To teach”
    • Doctor as Teacher
    • Educate patients how to reach and maintain health
    • Empower patients to live their optimal wellness plan
  • Holism
    • Treat the whole person
    • Each individual & their circumstances are unique
    • Integrate physical, physiological, psychological & spiritual dimensions
  • Prevention
    • Be proactive about averting disease processes
    • Focus on overall health and wellness
    • Keep up with regular check-ups & screenings

Health consumers show increasing appreciation and demand for Naturopathic Medicine, which builds on many centuries of healing precepts and has a domestic history in America of over a hundred years. Benedict Lust and Louisa Stroebel Lust were robust contributors to the naturopathic profession in America at the dawn of the 20th century. Dr. Henry Lindlahr brought his experience of “nature cure” in Europe home to the U.S. and contributed foundational texts alongside his wife Anna. Today, accreditation of Naturopathic medical schools ensures high-quality training of the physicians who complete their programs and proceed to serve as clinicians, researchers, and teachers.

An underlying approach to health interventions in Naturopathic Medicine is that we reach first for the least aggressive treatments. Primary goals include establishing the foundation for optimal wellness by removing obstacles to health and stimulating a person’s self-healing mechanisms. We recognize a role for “high force” or invasive interventions in specific circumstances, when an individual’s pathology requires them. In this way Naturopathic Medicine is complementary to other health care approaches, by working alongside them in the service of each patient’s best health. The Therapeutic Order summarizes 7 Principles of Naturopathic Medicine, from the American Association of Accredited Naturopathic Colleges. We begin at the base!


For more information about Naturopathic Medicine and the rigorous assessment of accredited educational & training programs, contact us or visit any of the following institutional sites: