It's a fact. Naturopathy and natural health practices have a bad reputation right now.
Following several abuses by people claiming to be naturopaths or natural health practitioners, sometimes with dramatic consequences, and the removal of these professions from the Doctolib platform, we are hearing more and more the words “charlatans” or “gurus” applied to the world of natural health.
As with any generalization, we regret that errors, deviations and isolated incidents tarnish an entire profession, especially since sometimes the methods used by some are far from the precepts instilled in practitioners in most serious training courses when they are followed and applied scrupulously.
And that's where the problem lies.
Despite the numerous efforts of natural health unions and federations such as SPN, FENA and OMNES and their repeated appeals to the government, nothing has yet been done to better frame and regulate the profession by giving it a status recognized by the state and thus allow people to find a trustworthy professional.
This is already the case in many countries where naturopathy and other natural health professions are officially recognized and regulated by the state, such as in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden or the United Kingdom.
At a time when society is increasingly turning towards healthier and more natural lifestyles, and when ecological awareness is growing stronger, it seems essential to us to allow people seeking support in this process to do so safely, with qualified advice.
We wish to remind you that naturopathy is an approach to health and well-being that focuses on health prevention and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.
Recognized by the WHO as the 3rd traditional medicine, naturopathy uses a holistic approach: it consists of taking into account the human being in its entirety and acting, not on the treatment of the effects, but on the origin of the ailments so that they do not appear again.
Naturopaths seek to understand a person's lifestyle, diet, sleep and exercise habits, as well as their personal history, in order to offer personalized solutions. A naturopath never makes a diagnosis. Nor does he prescribe medication; he offers advice and support to guide people toward a healthier daily lifestyle.
Naturopathy therefore does not aim in any way to replace conventional medicine or drug treatments, which are essential for certain pathologies, but rather to complement them and to prevent imbalances in order to promote a healthy life.
Furthermore, by opting for a more natural lifestyle, we also contribute to the preservation of our environment. By choosing organic products, supporting sustainable agriculture, and respecting natural balances, we act in harmony with our planet, thus ensuring a healthy and viable future for generations to come.
This is why we encourage individuals, communities, governments, and organizations to recognize the importance of natural health practices and to promote initiatives aimed at integrating them more formally into our modern lifestyles, while also regulating them more strictly. This can be achieved through educational programs, recognized and regulated training, health policies that support more natural approaches, and by promoting scientific research on the health benefits of natural approaches, which will allow us to work more effectively towards closer collaboration between healthcare and wellness professionals.
Natflow press release, June 6, 2023
