Decoding CNDA & JFP's 'Essential Naturopathic Science-Ejected Vitalism Premise' Via CNDA Officers & JFP Authors:

two naturopathy-advocating sources are not being all that transparent / professionally ethical when it comes to communicating that which is 'the essentially naturopathic': a) the California Naturopathic Doctors Association [CNDA]; b) the Journal of Family Practice [JFP]. Both are coding naturopathy's science-ejected vitalism premise while posturing that naturopathy survives doctoral-level scientific scrutiny and meets professions-level ethical stringency. So, I thought I'd step up to the plate and decode these deceptions:

001. CNDA states their dedication to naturopathy's principles / premises [coded, opaquely-expressed], refers us to the JFP, and states naturopathy's supposed science-status and HPN/VMN core-foundation:

001.a. at their homepage:

"the CNDA is dedicated to advancing the principles of naturopathic medicine [...] read 'Naturopathic Medicine: What Can Patients Expect?' [2005] published in and posted with the permission of the Journal of Family Practice."

001.b. in "Frequently Asked Questions":

"question: what is a naturopathic doctor? [ND] Answer: [...] naturopathic doctors [...] are uniquely trained to provide a comprehensive and integrated approach to assist your body's innate healing processes [BIHP, coded vitalism premise...] training consists of a comprehensive study of the conventional medical sciences [...] in their last two years of their intensive clinical training, they[NDs] learn how to integrate the principles of naturopathic medicine into clinical practice."

001.c. in "Naturopathic Medicine - The Basics":

"naturopathic doctors [...their] training consists of comprehensive study of the conventional medical sciences [...] naturopathic doctors are guided by six principles: first, do no harm; the healing power of nature [HPN premise]; find the cause; treat the whole person; preventive medicine; and, doctor as teacher. This set of principles, emphasized throughout a naturopathic doctor's training, outlines the philosophy guiding the naturopathic approach to health and healing and forms the foundation of this distinct health care practice [...] Hippocrates, a Greek physician who lived 2400 years ago, first formulated the concept of vis medicatrix naturae -- 'the healing power of nature' [HPN=VMN]. This concept has long been at the core of medicine in many cultures around the world and remains one of the central themes of naturopathic philosophy today."

Note on 001.: principles, principles, principles; BIHP core; supposed ND science-expertise; HPN/VMN core / central theme.

002. more opacity / coding, and ND science-expertise claims in the JFP article CNDA refers us to:

002.a. in "Naturopathic Medicine: What Can Patient's Expect?" [PMID: 16321345; vol. 54, no. 12 / Dec. 2005; also here] the authors -- ND luminaries of the naturopathic 'profession' including Pizzorno, Snider, Mittman, Dunne -- state:

"practice principles of naturopathic medicine [...] naturopathic medical practice is based upon the premise that it is intrinsic to the nature of living organisms to heal [coded vitalism...] Western medicine rarely [!!!] takes into consideration the inherent organizing forces underlying known physiologic processes [vitalism, coded...] naturopathic medicine calls this primary principle the vis medicatrix naturae, or the healing power of nature [p.1067...] these practice principles form the foundation of the naturopathic approach to health and healthcare [p.1070...] comparison of average number of hours of basic sciences [...] naturopathic [...that is, NDs] 1125 [...] allopathic [...that is, MDs] 1079 [...lot's of ND] basic and diagnostic sciences [...and ND] clinical sciences [p.1072i...] references [...#4] Hough H, Dower C, O’Neil E. Profile of a Profession: Naturopathic Practice. San Francisco, Calif: Center for the Health Professions, University of California, San Francisco; 2001:27 [p.1072]."

Note: principles; "organizing forces underlying" / VMN/HPN foundation; claimed science-expertise; Hough, Dower, O'Neil 2001.

003. what is naturopathy's VMN/HPN & CNDA's BIHP/VMN/HPN, precisely?

003.a. via CNDA President Dr. Arlan Cage, ND:

003.a1. CNDA states in "About the CNDA":

"CNDA's Board of Directors: Dr. Arlan Cage ND, LAc - President, Professional Development Chair."

Note: Cage is a 2002 SCNM ND graduate.

003.a.2. Cage writes about naturopathy's essential vitalism in "Introduction to Naturopathic Philosophy" (2006 archived page):

"naturopathic medicine is based on the philosophy of vitalism: that all living beings possess an intelligent, living energy which gives us an innate ability to heal. Naturopathic medicine, based in European traditions, calls this energy the vital force. Oriental medicine traditions call it the qi; ayurvedic medicine from India refers to it as prana [...] the vital force constitutes a natural wisdom of the body which constantly works to restore health to the human system -- in essence a living, intelligent, feedback control system. Naturopathic medicine is designed to work with this inherent healing ability."

Note: vitalism galore. Visit here (2003 archive.org save) for the essential, requisite vitalism of SCNM, his alma mater: "the healing power of nature [...aka] vis medicatrix naturae [...aka] chi [...aka] prana [...aka] vital force [...which is] the essence of naturopathic medicine."

003.b. via Hough, Dower, & O'Neil's "Profile of a Profession: Naturopathic Practice"[2001] (click here), whom the JFP paper references, who state:

"the naturopathic physician develops a specific written health plan for each patient which is [...] based on naturopathic principles of healing: a. stimulating the patient's vital force to promote healing or, in special instances, supplementing or replacing the action of the vital force [p.091...] vis medicatrix naturae or [aka] vital force [p.093...and we are told] the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), the primary professional association for naturopathic physicians, defines naturopathic medicine as [...a] 'science [...and] naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles upon which its practice is based. These principles are continually reexamined in the light of scientific advances [p.007]."

Note: so, we have the AANP claim that vitalism -- the essentially naturopathic [in all its guises] -- survives continuous scientific scrutiny and that naturopathy has the status of a profession.

003.c. via Snider, P. (ND Bastyr 1982) co-author of the JFP paper and 'gratefully acknowledged' by Hough et al., who states:

003.c1. in "1991 AANP Convention - Into The Light" [see Townsend Letter #105 {April 1992}, p.260-2]:

"we believe in the vital force, which has inherent organization, is intelligent and intelligible [...] we have vis medicatrix naturae. Our way is to research the mystery and beauty of the life force, in which we have faith. Our power and our responsibility is to bring the life force into the light."

Note: belief & faith = a belief system / 'of the religious' / the sectarian!

003.c2. in "Naturopathic Physician on Her Career Choice: 'No Regrets'" [Townsend Letter Feb./ March 2005]:

"[via author Zablocki] naturopathic medicine relies on the vital life force within human beings and the healing power of nature."

004. naturopathy's vitalistic article of faith / belief, which is their basis and which they don't often express transparently and which they claim survives scientific scrutiny, is hugely science-ejected.

005. all the while, simultaneous to this falsehood / inanity, naturopathy claims 'professionalism':

005.a. CNDA states on their homepage:

"California Naturopathic Doctors Association (CNDA) is a professional association of naturopathic doctors (NDs) in California [...] naturopathic doctors are primary health care professionals."

Note: the word "profession", or versions thereof, occurs 19 times in the JFP article and 392 times in the UCSF article; while naturopathy is nonsense, arrived at through deception and science-illiteracy [and nonsense and deception are antithetical to 'that which is professional'].

OncANP - Oncology Based Upon Deceptively Labeled Fantasy:

the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians [AANP] has created an oncology board-certification [see 001., below]. Naturopathy is based upon the premise of vitalism [see 002., below], which is profoundly science-ejected [see 003., below] yet naturopathy claims to be scientific [see 004., below]. This is fantastical, irrational!!! [see 005., below]:

001. the AANP states in "Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians - About Us":

"the Oncology Academy of Naturopathic Physicians [OANP, is] the membership organization of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians, Inc. (OncANP) [...] a recognized affiliate of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians [...our] mission: to advance the philosophy [see 002., below], science [see 004., below], and practice of naturopathic oncology [...OncANP] has two main arms: [1] the Oncology Academy of Naturopathic Physicians -- the membership body of the OncANP; [2] the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology [ABNO] -- the body which will board certify naturopathic physicians in naturopathic oncology."

002. for naturopathy's essential vitalism figmentation premise, click here.

003. for references that state that vitalism has been PROFOUNDLY science-ejected for at least several decades, click here.

004. for naturopathy's scientific-status self-labeling, click here.

005. the math:

Where is the profoundly nonscientific falsely labeled scientific? Where is something as serious as oncology based upon fantastical figmentations and deceptive labeling?

Naturopathy...

Decoding ILANP's Falsely Postured Vitalistic Central Premise 2008:

I always find it fascinating that naturopathic medicine does not transparently communicate its essential premises: e.g., a science-ejected, sectic belief set centered around the idea that the human body is run by a 'purposeful life spirit' bioagency. Instead, from practitioners upward and from major institutions downward, naturopathy often chooses to employ a very misleading, opaque, coded description [see 001. below] that does not reveal its actual context [see 002. below], in direct violation of professions-level ethical standards [see 004. below]:

001. the Illinois Association of Naturopathic Physicians states [coded]:

001.a. in "Principles" (archived here):

"[our foremost, #1 - HPN] the healing power of nature. NDs act to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery. Their goal is to facilitate and augment the inherent self-healing process in each individual [...#2, NDs] acknowledge, respect and work in conjunction with the individual’s self-healing process."

Note: naturopathy's HPN is expressed as "inherent self-healing process [...and] the individual's self-healing process."

001.b. in "Frequently Asked Questions" (archived here):

"naturopathic physicians seek to restore and maintain optimum health in their patients by emphasizing nature's inherent self-healing process, the vis medicatrix naturae [...] licensure will allow NDs to practice as trained, namely to diagnose and treat disease using naturopathic principles. By establishing licensure for naturopathic physicians, the public can be assured of the physician-level naturopathic medical training of these healthcare professionals."

Note: the "inherent self-healing process, the vis medicatrix naturae [VMN]" is naturopathy's "healing power of nature," by their direct equation. These guiding "naturopathic principles" are stated as the context within which NDs operate. Also stated is the label "professionals."

002. HPN-VMN decoded:

when you actually delve below the veneer of the misleading naturalistic language NDs employ, you see the actual context that ISN'T being communicated: you find that naturopathy's central premise is a vitalistic, spiritistic, teleological sectarian article of faith that has no scientific support and essentially is science-ejected.

003. yet, naturopathy maintains a false science label:

ILANP states in "Frequently Asked Questions" (archived here):

"naturopathic doctors are doctors who specialize in science-based natural medicine."

Note: the label of "science" is falsely being placed upon the essentially naturopathic [e.g. 002. above], and this is what I call nowadays a "confidence game."

004. naturopathy's false professionalism label:

the big inanity: how is informed consent and fiduciary duty possible when a supposed 'science-based medical profession' is essentially based upon modes of deception and falsehood ?!?!?!?!

"There Is No Life Force" - P.C.W. Davies (ISBN 0618592261; 2007):

Paul Davies (PhD{physics} UCL) writes in "Cosmic Jackpot: Why Our Universe is Just Right for Life"((ISBN 0618592261; 2007):

"two hundred years ago, many scientists were content to treat life as a fundamental phenomenon because they believed that some sort of life force or vital essence was responsible for the remarkable qualities that living organisms display [...] today we know that there is no life force. Living organisms are machines, and they derive their extraordinary qualities from their great complexity. What makes life special is not the stuff of which it is made, but the things it does [p.224]."

Naturopathy's Essential Vitalism Secticity - UBCNM SGA 1999, the ND Oath:

an excerpt from my UBCNM 1998-2002 archives concerning naturopathy's essential science-ejected vitalism premise -- the primary sectic belief of naturopathy's sectic belief system -- as taught and required at AANMC naturopathic colleges and university programs [see 001. below]; and a UBCNM web page that directly equates naturopathy's "life force" with naturopathy's "healing power of nature" [HPN; see 002. below]; and a Canadian ND who demonstrates, through naturopathy's official oath [see 003. below]: a) naturopathy's obligation to HPN / vitalism; b) naturopathy's false label of "science" they -- by oath -- place upon 'the naturopathic principles;' c) the wacko idea that this lie of 'naturopathy's scientific vitalism premise' is 'from a position of integrity and without prejudice, serving humanity' while the a priori, dogmatic belief called vitalism is itself a sectic nonscientific prejudice falsely postured as scientific and of the 'without prejudice' / nonsectarian:

001. the secretary of the UBCNM student government writes in "Naturopathic Student Government Meeting Minutes" {1999-08-24}:

"vitalism club [...] the vitalism club will have meetings to discuss and explore the life force which is a part of us all. Dr. Sensenig, N.D. will be advising";

Note: Sensenig was the founding dean of the college, and the founding president of the AANP.

002. UBCNM states in "Guiding Principle #1":

"the healing power of nature, vis medicatrix naturae: the body has the inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. The healing process is ordered and intelligent; nature heals through the response of the life force. The physician's role is to facilitate and augment this process";

003. the naturopathic oath obligates one to such vitalism, per "Naturopathic Physician's Oath" hosted by CNPBC ND Seth-Smith, P. (ND ?) :

"I dedicate myself to the service of humanity as a practitioner of the art and science [yikes!!!] of naturopathic medicine [...] I will conduct my life and practice of naturopathic medicine with integrity and freedom from prejudice [!!!...] I will honor the principles of naturopathic medicine [...including] to cooperate with the healing powers of nature [life force!!!...] with my whole heart, before these witnesses, as a doctor of naturopathic medicine, I pledge to remain true to this oath";

Naturopathy - "Religion Rather Than Science" - Wired Inspired, 2008:

a recent Wired Science article reminded me of what I've learned about the essentially religious / sectarian nature [context] of natural medicine / naturopathy, falsely [shamelessly!] presented by naturopathy to the public as science when profoundly not:

001. Wired Science states in "McCain's VP Wants Creationism Taught in [Public] School" {2008-08-29}:

"Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin wants creationism taught in [public school] science classes [yikes!...yet] state and federal courts have repeatedly rejected so-called creation science in public schools, calling it religion rather than science [...e.g.] the latest courtroom defeat came in the 2005 Kitzmiller v. Dover case, when the superficially religion-neutral theory of intelligent design was classified as religious creationism [...e.g.] the Supreme Court ruled in 1987 that teaching creationism [in public schools] violated the separation of church and state";

Note: historically, in the sense that creationism is supernatural and theistic dogma / based upon articles of faith / a creed, it is not scientific / based upon evidence / subject to revision -- therein, it is religious.

002. naturopathy's supernaturalism and theism type:

002.a. naturopathy is based upon the belief that physiology is run by a 'purposeful life spirit';

002.b. the theistic type that naturopathy essentially entails is "autoentheism." This is a term I coined to succinctly describe the naturopathic belief that 'god is within oneself controlling physiology as that life force';

003. the kicker, of course, is that naturopathy claims to be scientific, when essentially not [science PROFOUNDLY rejects vitalism, rejects supernaturalisms]. It is, essentially, religious / sectarian rather than science:

for a brief definition of sectarian, see Popular Science Monthly {Nov. 1889, v.36, p.122}:

"science is never sectarian; philosophy is never sectarian. Sectarian teaching begins when you ask a man or a child to assume what can not be proved, for the sake of keeping within the dogmatic lines that fence round some particular creed."

University of Bridgeport's Falsehood 2008 - Their Naturopathic 'Confidence Game':

[ten years ago this month, I began an ND at UB, and therein, I gained expertise in these matters over the course of four years there. Overall, I consider naturopathy to be 'an unethical sectarian pseudoscience.' Here's my commemoration page].

a warning, from one who was snookered, concerning UB's game of labeling their 'naturopathic program educational product' as "professional" and "science" [see 01. below], when naturopathy is essentially about falsely representing profoundly -- for decades and centuries -- nonscientific premises like vitalism [see 02. below] and supernaturalism [see 03. below] as scientific [for what science says, see 04. below] through the use of a confidence-building "university" & "professionally accredited" veneer:

01. the University of Bridgeport states in "UB Spotlight: Health Sciences Programs":

"the University's professionally accredited health sciences programs [...include] the College of Naturopathic Medicine [...our] Naturopathic Medicine (N.D.) [degree] offer[s] state-of-the-art curricula [...] the members of the faculty include skilled instructors with backgrounds in the biomedical and clinical sciences";

Note: UB's use of the label SCIENCE upon the naturopathic, and their emphasis on "state-of-the-art," profession's level curricula, with a skilled SCIENCE faculty. Let's shine my spotlight a little closer, to see the actual-underneath of the naturopathic, below this veneer:

02. vitalism is at the heart of naturopathy:

"guiding principle # 1: the healing power of nature, viz [sp., vis] medicatrix naturae: the body has the inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. The healing process is ordered and intelligent; nature heals through the response of the life force [...] guiding principle #3: the process of healing includes the generation of symptoms which are, in fact, an expression of the life force attempting to heal itself";

Note: UB's claim is that there is a 'purposeful life spirit' bioagency that is scientific in fact. Here's an aggregation of naturopathy's essential vitalism;

03. supernaturalism is at the heart of naturopathy:

"Dean's welcome [...] are you interested in a career in a field of medicine that works to support the natural healing power of the body, mind, and spirit? In naturopathic medicine we call this vis medicatrix naturae (the healing power of nature), and it is our guiding philosophy";

Note: here's an aggregation of naturopathy's essential supernaturalism;

04. meanwhile, science PROFOUNDLY rejects and does not support vitalism and does not support supernaturalism;

Note: as Stephen Novella, MD recently wrote,

"it is a menace to the public when governments license nonsense. It is a betrayal of the public trust, it diminishes all professionalism, and it generally propagates confusion in an area where licensure is meant to provide clarity. One egregious example is naturopathy [...] naturopaths are health care pseudoscientists. Essentially, they are what happens when medicine is completely disconnected from science, evidence, and even common sense";

what to take away from all this:

UB absurdly labels what is profoundly nonscientific as scientific, from the confidence-building position of a "University" claiming a 'professions-level science curriculum' -- this is flim-flam; and what's even worse, UB claims that this confidence game complies with the ethical standards of the professions!

BTW, here's the definition of a "confidence game":

"the elements of the crime of the confidence game are (1) an intentional false representation to the victim as to some past or present fact . . . (2) knowing it to be false . . . (3) with the intent that the victim rely on the representation . . . (4) the representation being made to obtain the victim's confidence. . . And thereafter his money and property" [from "Law Dictionary" (ISBN 0764119966, 2003)].

M.T. Murray (ND Bastyr 1985) on Science & HPN - 'If We're Going to Be Exact...' (1996; ISBN 0761504109):

a short exploration of the "healing power of nature" science-ejected, coded vitalistic premise of naturopathy -- as opaquely expressed by Murray in 1996 -- of course, absurdly claimed to be firmly scientifically established and to have growing scientific support:

001. in the book "Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements" (1996; ISBN 0761504109), Michael T. Murray (ND Bastyr 1985) writes about science and the "healing power of nature:"

001.a. "science is paving the way for the medicine of the future - a medicine that recognizes the healing power of nature [HPN is naturopathy's fundamental premise; see 001.b.]. What exactly is science? [...] the term science refers to 'possession of knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding.' Scientific knowledge is based upon the scientific method, meaning that the understanding is based on the collection of data through observation and experiment [...] we use science to explain the nature of the human body and the environment. Breakthrough developments in many areas of science are occurring at an incredible pace, particularly in areas of medicine. [Historically,] what was once considered scientific medicine is often discarded when a deeper understanding is achieved. For example, in the 1800s scientific medicine involved bloodletting and the administration of very toxic substances [{this is not a bad definition of science} p.005]."

Note: the claim is that science is increasingly supporting naturopathy's "healing power of nature."

001.b. "[naturopathy is based upon] five time-tested principles [...first, foremost] the healing power of nature. The body has considerable power to heal itself. It is the role of the physician or healer to facilitate and enhance this process [p.006]."

Alert, since we're being "exact:" has the HPN been "exactly" / transparently defined here? My expertise tells me NO, NOT AT ALL -- because I know, exactly, what the healing power of nature contextually actually means for naturopathy -- it is the article of faith / belief known as vitalism, a concept profoundly science-ejected and lacking a shred of evidence to support its existence. It is USUAL for NDs / NMDs not to communicate this actuality. So the claim, that science is increasingly supporting naturopathy's "healing power of nature," plainly, is deceptive naturopathic bullshit, when things are looked at "exactly" -- transparently, historically.

{If you have any doubt about naturopathy's essential science-ejected vitalistic belief premise, Bastyr University states here, in a 2004 web page with a title containing the label "science," of course, per "Ayurveda: [is] The Science of Life:" "Christy Lee-Engel, ND [is] assistant dean of the university’s naturopathic medicine department [...and who said] 'underlying naturopathic and ayurvedic medicines is a faith in the healing power of nature [...] as you find with traditional Chinese medicine [qi], they emphasize living a healthy lifestyle by creating conditions in which the vital life force can do what it’s designed to do' [...] ayurveda was designed to maintain and establish the balance of life forces.” And, of course, Bastyr calls all this "science-based natural medicine" [ISYN!]}.

002. yet, Dr. Murray tells us:

002.a. "most natural healing therapies are based upon scientific investigation [!!!...] this increased understanding is a result of more strict scientific investigation [!!!...] the scientific investigation has not only validated the natural approach but [!!! etc....] we are seeing evidence of an increased acceptance of these [naturopathic] principles [e.g. vitalism!!!] and the practice of natural medicine, an acceptance that is a direct result of increased scientific investigation [!!!]. Scientists are validating the time-tested principles of naturopathic [p.006] medicine [!!!] and other natural therapies. This validation of natural medicine is not entirely surprising [!!!]. After all, if these principles and techniques are based upon truth, they should stand up to strict scientific scrutiny [p.007]."

Note: so, naturopathy labels the PROFOUNDLY science ejected, 'increasingly firmly science-based.' Their central concept and claim -- vitalism -- fell apart due to the march of science -- "a deeper understanding" was achieved -- yet, vitalism is falsely labeled 'firmly scientific' -- in this day and age. Meanwhile, naturopathy's 4th principle, per this book, is "the physician is a teacher. A physician should be foremost a teacher, educating [and] empowering" [p.006].

Let's correct that, to reflect what actually occurs: 'miseducating, deceiving' -- 'the physician is just plain wrong.'

for Dr. Murray's biography, click here, where you can be told: "he is a graduate, faculty member, and serves on the Board of Trustees of Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington."

Naturopathy's Essential Vitalism & Spiritism - In Their Own Words (2001; SCNM's Kim, Poorman, Mittman) per ISSN 1533-2101:

so, here we have -- published in a CAM journal, ISSN 1533-2101, currently edited by Susan A. Gaylord, PhD -- naturopathy's luminaries stating their vitalistic, spiritistic, teleological science-ejected obligation / premise that is 'the essentially naturopathic' {falsely labeled as scientific}:

01. in "Naturopathic Medical Education: Where Conventional, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine Meet" {here's the abstract; Complementary Health Practice Review, vol. 7, no. 2, 99-109 (2001)}, authors Kim (ND ?), Mittman (ND NCNM, DHANP AANP), and Poorman (PhD ?) -- all, at the time at least, of AANP-FNPLA-AANMC's Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences -- state:

01.a. naturopathy's essential vitalism:

"[naturopathy is] based on a philosophy which acknowledges and encourages patients to actively participate in their health care [...] using a holistic approach [...our] principles of naturopathic medicine [...are] emphasized through a naturopathic physician's training [...and are] the foundation of this distinct health care practice [p.101...#1] first do no harm [...] illness is a purposeful [teleological!] process [...] the process of healing includes the generation of symptoms that are, in fact, expressions of the life force [...] the physician's actions can support or antagonize the actions of [this] vis medicatrix naturae, the healing power of nature [...] naturopathic physician's respect and and work with the vis medicatrix naturae in diagnosis, treatment, and counseling [...the] self-healing process [...#2] the healing power of nature (vis medicatrix naturae) [...] the healing process is ordered and intelligent [teleological]; nature heals through the response of the life force [...] naturopathic medicine recognizes this healing process [...] the naturopathic physician's role is to facilitate and augment this process [p.102...] the philosophy and principles of naturopathic medicine, introduced in the first week of school, are embedded and interwoven throughout the entire fabric of the program [p.108]";

01.b. naturopathy's essential spiritism-supernaturalism:

"causes may occur on many levels including [...the] spiritual [p.102...] health and disease are conditions of the whole organism [...including the] spiritual [...] since total health also includes spiritual health, naturopathic physician's encourage individuals to pursue their personal spiritual development [...] the physician must also make a commitment to his/her personal and spiritual development [p.103]";

01.c. naturopathy's false overarching 'science claim':

"graduates take national board examinations in both basic and clinical sciences to become licensed as general practice naturopathic doctors [p.100...] naturopathic medicine is a [...] science [...] as primary care practitioners, naturopathic physicians [...] as in other medical schools, [have] a solid foundation [...in] conventional medical sciences [p.101...] the degree of doctor of naturopathic medicine requires four years of graduate level study in the medical sciences at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences [p.104]";

02. meanwhile, upon the preponderance: science does not support vitalism; science does not support supernaturalism; science does not support teleology.

what to take away from all this: they are science-illiterate, and deceptive. And, labeling something what it PROFOUNDLY isn't -- is absurd.