Naturopathic and Energy Medicine

Naturopathic Medicine is a primary health care profession — the philosophy, science, and practice of preventing, diagnosing, and treating conditions of the human mind and body. It is a profession distinguished by the principles upon which its practice is based:

• The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae):  Naturopathic doctors recognize and trust the body’s inherent wisdom to heal itself. We facilitate this natural capacity for self-healing by identifying and removing obstacles to health, and by supporting the creation of a healthy internal and external environment.

• Identify and Treat the Causes (Tolle Causam):  Naturopathic doctors recognize symptoms are manifestations of an underlying imbalance and rather than suppressing them, we address the underlying causes.

• First Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere):  Naturopathic physicians utilize methods and medicinal substances that minimize the risk of harmful effects and apply the least possible force or intervention necessary to diagnose illness and restore health.

• Doctor as Teacher (Docere):  A principal objective of naturopathic medicine is to educate the patient and emphasize self-responsibility for optimal wellness.

• Treat the Whole Person:  Naturopathic doctors view the body as an integrated whole in its physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions.

• Prevention:  The prevention of disease and the attainment of optimal health in patients are primary objectives of naturopathic medicine. Naturopathic physicians assess risk factors, heredity and susceptibility to disease, and make appropriate interventions for illness prevention.

German physician Benedict Lust brought Naturopathic Medicine to the United States in 1892 and as he defined it, is the use of nontoxic healing methods derived from the best traditional healing systems from around the world. Naturopathic Medicine has evolved with advances in science and medicine, and has grown into a recognized profession of primary care physicians who are specialists in conventional diagnosis coupled with natural treatment protocols.

Naturopathic physicians attend a 4-5 year postgraduate medical institution where they are scientifically trained in both the medical sciences and natural healing modalities such as: clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, counseling, and physical medicine. Naturopathic physicians are currently licensed to practice as primary care doctors in fifteen states of the US.
Naturopathic medicine combines safe and effective traditional therapies with the most current advances in modern medicine. It is appropriate for the management of a broad range of health conditions affecting people of all ages.

What to Expect in Your First Naturopathic Visit

Before you meet with Dr. Marie for the first time you will fill out a a comprehensive health questionnaire that gathers key facts about your past medical history and current symptoms.  In your first visit (which is typical one and a half hours long) she will listen closely to your current health concerns and goals, discuss your personal health history and do a review of your basic organ systems.

Dr.  Marie will perform a general physical exam and make recommendations for blood work for a thorough evaluation.  All labs are interpreted with a naturopathic lens – the conventional normal range (which is based on middle-aged hospitalized men) is narrowed significantly to an ‘optimal’ zone designed to point out early signs of nutrient deficiencies, immune imbalances, hypoglycemia, liver, kidney and adrenal stress.  In addition to blood work, Dr. Marie incorporates functional laboratory testing when appropriate – salivary hormone tests, digestive analysis, or urine testing for toxic elements.

You will leave the first visit with a customized treatment plan that incorporates: homeopathic, herbal and nutritional supplements, therapeutic diet & lifestyle suggestions, mind/body practices to relieve stress and support your body’s innate healing wisdom.  She may also make recommendations for energetic bodywork or acupuncture when appropriate.

Energy Medicine

Each one of us has a luminous energy field (LEF) – the aura of energy and light that surrounds and informs our physical bodies. Many are familiar with acupuncture meridians and chakras – both of these systems are contained within this field.  The LEF connects to our physical body via the chakra system and nervous system.

The chakras are vortexes of energy that extends a few inches outside our body and connect to our spine and endocrine glands.  The chakras actively ‘download’ information from the luminous field into our nervous systems.  The nervous system by virtue of being ‘charged’ creates its own layer – the bio-energetic field, which comprises the innermost layer of the LEF.

The LEF is sea of energy that nourishes us and is vital to our wellbeing; when it becomes depleted through stress or trauma, we are prone to illness.  It is also a blueprint that contains information about our past experiences and traumas.  These experiences create ‘imprints’ in our energy field that cause patterns in our lives and health which we repeat until we heal the imprint and pattern.

Dr. Marie uses shamanic and energetic methods to heal imprints, release clogged energy within the chakra system and replenish this vital field of energy.  Healing sessions can take place in person or remotely.

She begins by briefly discussing your concerns and then is able to energetically ‘track’ which chakra carries this information.  By gently opening the chakra and guiding your breath, she facilitates a release of stored energy.  Dr. Marie will often use hands on healing methods such as Craniosacral therapy and Reiki to facilitate the process.  She may use a rattle or gentle whistling to further assist is shifting the energy.  Dr. Marie may also sense intrusive energies in the body or field and may guide their healing and release with her voice and use of a quartz crystal.  She makes herself available as a conduit for a lineage of healers who assist in illuminating and re-vitalizing the chakra system once the wound has been cleared.

Dr. Marie began studying energy medicine 12 years ago with her first course in Craniosacral therapy at the Integrated Bodyworks Institute.  She has since gone on to study Reiki and Native American shamanic healing.  She is a mesa carrier in Andean shamanic healing tradition and is currently enrolled in the Healing the Light Body program of the Four Winds Society.  Dr. Marie uses energy medicine alongside her naturopathic modalities, and has seen it safely and effectively treat a wide variety of physical and emotional complaints.  Energy medicine can often provide relief and lasting healing to conditions that don’t respond to conventional methods.