What is the difference between a Naturopathic Doctor and a naturopath?
There is much public confusion over this topic and this is why state licensure efforts are of utmost importance. Licensure provides a clear distinction between a truly qualified Naturopathic doctor and a “lay” Naturopath. From the question above, Naturopathic doctors are trained very similarly to Medical doctors where as “lay” Naturopaths typically receive their training through brief correspondence courses. “Lay” Naturopaths focus their training on the prevention of disease, but are not trained in the diagnosis and treatment of specific diseases. Even though they are trained in the prevention of illness, they receive no clinical training. This is why it is very important for the patient to do thorough research into the training of their provider before seeking medical treatment from them.
