I am Dr. Teresa Richter. I am a Naturopathic Physician. I am happy that you have found me and are reading this. You may be wondering what a Naturopathic physician is, and/or why you should see one. Simply put, Naturopathic physicians are primary care physicians. Naturopath's can do just about everything an MD can do. We can diagnose and treat just about any disorder, prescribe drugs if necessary (although not a first choice of treatment if not absolutely necessary), perform yearly physical exams, and help with almost any other ailment. Naturopath's are really integrative medicine specialists as we are trained in both Allopathic and Naturopathic Medicine. We have the best of both worlds, and have many modalities to chose from to provide the most individualized care and treatment possible. The stomach ache that you get may be drastically different than the stomach ache of the person sitting next to you.
Naturopathic medicine is based on a different philosophy than the type of medicine practiced by general MD's. The Naturopathic principles are:
1. First Do No Harm (Primum non nocere)-use medical treatment in the gentlest way first to avoid causing harmful side effects.
2. The Healing Power of Nature (The Vis Medicatrix Naturae)-the body's inherent ability, which is ordered and intelligent, to heal itself.
3. Identify and Treat the Cause (Tolle Causam)-Instead of suppressing symptoms, Naturopathic doctors seek to find and cure the underlying cause of the disorder/disease.
4. Treat the whole person (Tolle totem)-Naturopathic doctors take into account all aspects of a person's mental, physical, emotional, health and environment when approaching the treatment plan.
5. Doctor as Teacher (Docere)-To provide education to the patient, and to empower the patient to take responsibility in their health care.
6. Prevention-Emphasis on disease prevention by taking necessary action to reduce risk factors.
7. Wellness-(from Bastyr University) Wellness follows the establishment and maintenance of optimum health and balance. Wellness is a state of being healthy, characterized by positive emotion, thought and action. Wellness is inherent in everyone, no matter what dis-ease(s) is/are being experienced. If wellness is really recognized and experienced by an individual, it will more quickly heal a given dis-ease than direct treatment of the dis-ease alone. (This principle was adopted by Bastyr University and added to the six principles.)
A typical visit with a Naturopathic doctor is typically anywhere from half an hour to an hour and a half. Naturopathic doctors ask a lot of questions and want to know about all aspects of your life in order to assess where any obstacles may be. It is important to identify and remove these obstacles as they may be blocking your path to healing and optimum health. Our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual beings are connected, so it only makes sense that all things should be considered in the cause and treatment of disease. Naturopathic doctors focus on certain aspects of health and lifestyle that other doctors may not.
As a Naturopathic physician, I want to help people on their path’s to healing and optimal health. I look forward to connecting with all types of patients to help them achieve their health goals. Although my training is primarily general practice, I have solid interests in the relationship between food allergies, environmental allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, and dermatological conditions. I have an intense desire to help those who are suffering by giving them the information and tools so that they may also help themselves. I am very interested in endocrine disorders and women’s health. I strongly believe in removing the obstacles to cure, and starting with the therapeutic order when approaching treatment. I want to employ the naturopathic principles and keep them alive in my practice. I enjoy educating my patients about their health and wellness, giving them opportunities to take responsibility for their own health care.
