A naturopath is a specialist who works in the field of naturopathy. Naturopathy in turn is a form of alternative medicine (meaning not the medicine recommended by national health professionals). Naturopathic medicine is based on the concept of vitalism which is based around the idea of 'vital energy' or an 'energy force'. In naturopathy it is believed that this guides a range of the body's processes such as metabolism, growth, immune system etc. This also favors a holistic approach to medicine by nature, stating that a change to the vital force will affect the entire body rather than just part of it, and meaning that the reverse is also true. By maintaining your health around your whole body you are able to affect other body parts that are seemingly disconnected. Naturopathy in some ways is similar to other traditional forms of medicine such as the belief in 'Qi' in Chinese medicine, and is simply a different interpretation of some of the same ideas. However as an alternative medicine naturopathy is not recognized by the wider medical community. That is to say that while some doctors may be sympathetic to the concepts, they will not generally recommend naturopathy and there is no consensus in the wider scientific community. That said some people will find that naturopathy has benefits to them and that they can gain from it when used supplementally alongside other medicines. At the same time, for mild complaints and to maintain steady health, they might choose to use naturopathy instead of medicines and drugs that can have sometimes unwanted negative side effects for the body.
It is also worth noting that naturopathy is a wide school that covers a range of practices and modalities. While some of these will appeal to some people, others will be less desirable so it's a matter of being discerning and of picking what makes sense to you and what seems to work for your particular condition.
When you see a naturopath your session will normally begin with a long consultation. Here you will be interviewed and that interview will focus on lifestyle, medical history and a range of physical features and even personality traits. The idea here is already the holistic approach - that any of these seemingly unrelated matters might be connected to symptoms, and this can flag up issues that the person wasn't previously aware of. Traditional naturopathy focuses on lifestyle changes that will then help to support the body's natural ability to heal itself. Traditionally a naturopath will not prescribe any kind of medicine, serum or potion, though this can again vary from place to place. However as naturopathy also includes homeopathy, you might find yourself being recommended a homeopathic remedy which are highly diluted concentrations of active agents designed to encourage the body to heal itself from conditions. The substance is chosen because it mimics the effects and symptoms of the condition, and the idea is then that the body will attempt to combat that effect and will at the same time combat the original problem as it does. Other methods include everything from ozone therapy, abstination from alcohol and smoking, fasting, meditation and manipulation. Note that you should always consult a doctor as well.
