What is Naturopathic medicine? The goal of naturopathic medicine is to enable every individual to achieve the most healthy status possible. This is achieved by listening to and observing every aspect of an individual’s health. Providing treatment that will enable the body, mind and spirit to heal is the next step. This might involve removing obstacles (treating an infection for example) or providing the body with something it lacks.  What can I expect during my appointment with a naturopathic doctor? At Peninsula Naturopathic Clinic, we schedule initial visits for one hour. During this time we will explore the details of any concerns, review personal and family health history, develop a list of medicines and supplements currently in use, perform an exam pertinent to any concerns and complaints, and develop a plan. The plan may include diagnostic procedures (analysis of blood or urine, x-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, etc.) and/or therapies to begin addressing any problems. How are naturopathic doctors different from medical doctors? The first difference you may notice is that naturopathic physicians often spend more time with each patient. The naturopathic approach is to examine and treat the whole person rather than a particular system. ”Do no harm” is a primary tenet of naturopathic medicine and the naturopathic therapy of choice is likely to be very safe. Primary therapies for naturopathic physicians include diet, nutrition, herbal medicine, physical medicine, exercise and homeopathy.