Our Mission is to serve the health care needs of our community by providing natural and safe means of treatment and prevention of illness. We serve as a resource for holistic health education and work with other health care practitioners to optimize the health of the community. Our goal is to transform the healthcare system from one of disease management to health promotion.
Solace Natural Medicine offers a full spectrum of care from acute and chronic health conditions to preventative medicine using the best of science-based modern medicine and centuries-old natural therapies. We will use the least invasive, most appropriate medicines available to restore health. We will provide time for you to ask questions and to understand all of your medical options.
Dr. Solace provides a detailed treatment plan which may include dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, herbal medicine, nutrient therapy, homeopathy, and bio-identical hormones.
What are the different Naturopathic Therapies?
Clinical Nutrition and Diet Therapy - Dr. Solace uses a highly personalized approach to diet and health, emphasizing food quality and self-care. Food allergy and sensitivity, digestive support, immune support and weight-related dietary change are particular areas of expertise. Many types of diets are prescribed, but an emphasis on a whole foods diet is the common denominator. Dr. Solace also uses specific nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fats, amino acids) to control inflammation and brain chemistry, to support the body's response to stress, and to enhance detoxification.
Botanical Medicine - Plants have been used as medicine since antiquity. Many pharmaceuticals attempt to imitate plant actions in a chemically altered (therefore patentable) form. Many plant substances are powerful medicines that are safe and effective when used properly. Botanical medicines are not benign and should be administered by a trained professional such as Dr. Solace who is educated on the potential side effects of botanical medicines combined with pharmaceutical prescriptions. Dr. Solace uses a variety of botanical medicines such as whole plants and extracts from plants in single or combination formulations.
Lifestyle Counseling - Mental attitudes and emotions are important elements in overall health and should be considered when treating illness and disease. Dr. Solace is trained in various counseling techniques and offers support for those dealing with work-related stress, relationship issues, life transitions, and health problems, particularly chronic health problems. Whether making a life transition or dealing with the everyday stress of the modern world, Dr. Solace offers confidential counseling services to encourage emotional growth and balance.
Environmental Medicine and Detoxification - Numerous studies indicate that we are regularly exposed to toxic substances through our foods, homes, and business environments. These chemicals enter the body and are often broken down and eliminated without any repercussion. However, life stressors, poor diet, lack of exercise, and other health problems can cause the body to store these chemicals rather than break them down. Over time this can overwhelm the body's detoxification pathways and lead to illness. Dr. Solace offers environmental assessments to identify toxins and detoxification services to purify the body and improve health.
Homeopathic Medicine - Homeopathy is a system of medicine that is more than 200 years old. This medical system uses homeopathic remedies (highly dilute substances derived from plant, mineral, or animal sources) to treat a wide variety of acute and chronic health problems. Homeopathic remedies act to enhance the body's innate healing ablity and to strengthen the entire system. Some conditions that do not respond well to conventional medicine will respond to homeopathic therapies.
America's healthcare system is overwhelmed by the cost of treating an "epidemic" of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and many others. As the cost of pharmaceutical medicines to treat disease symptoms doubles every few years, Naturopathic Physicians are addressing the cause of disease.
The Naturopathic Physician is the most fully trained health care professional licensed to practice this new paradigm which combines traditional healing methods with modern science and research.
The Seven Principles of Naturopathic Medicine are:
The Healing Power of Nature Naturopathic medicine recognizes an inherent self-healing process in the person that is ordered and intelligent. Naturopathic physicians act to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery, and to facilitate and augment this inherent self-healing process.
Identify and Treat the Cause The naturopathic physician seeks to identify and remove the underlying causes of illness, rather that to merely eliminate or suppress symptoms.
First Do No Harm Naturopathic physicians follow three precepts to avoid harming the patient:
1. Utilize methods and medical substances which minimize the risk of harmful side effects, using the least force necessary to diagnose and treat. 2. Avoid when possible the harmful suppression of symptoms. 3. Acknowledge, respect and work with the individual’s self-healing process.
Doctor As Teacher Naturopathic physicians educate their patients and encourage self-responsibility for health. They also recognize and employ the therapeutic potential of the doctor-patient relationship.
Treat the Whole Person Naturopathic physicians treat each patient by taking into account individual physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social and other factors. Since total health also includes spiritual health, naturopathic physicians encourage individuals to pursue their personal spiritual development.
Prevention Naturopathic physicians emphasize the prevention of disease — assessing risk factors, heredity and susceptibility to disease and making appropriate interventions in partnership with their patients to prevent illness. Naturopathic medicine is committed to the creation of a healthy world in which humanity may thrive.
The Hierarchy of Therapeutics The philosophy of using medicines with the least force necessary to bring about a long lasting, non-suppressive therapeutic effect in someone who is sick.
The Education and Licensing of a Naturopathic Doctor:
Naturopathic medical colleges are four-year, graduate-level medical schools with admissions requirements comparable to those of other medical schools. The Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree, NMD, is awarded after classroom, clinical, and practical study. NMDs are trained in a wide range of medical sciences including: anatomy, cardiology, neurology, physiology, biochemistry, radiology, pathology, obstetrics, minor surgery, microbiology, gynecology, pharmacology, pediatrics, immunology, dermatology, lab diagnostics, clinical and physical diagnosis.
Throughout the four years, there is training in naturopathic therapeutics including therapeutic nutrition, botanical medicine, homeopathy, natural childbirth, hydrotherapy, naturopathic manipulative therapy, and other therapies.
The accrediting agency for naturopathic medical schools and programs in North America is the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, CNME. There are presently five colleges accredited by the CNME in the United States: Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Tempe, AZ, National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, OR, University of Bridgeport College of Natural Medicine in Bridgeport, CT, and National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, IL.
Licensing and Regulation
Currently, eighteen states and terriories have licensing laws for naturopathic doctors. In these states, naturopathic doctors are required to graduate from one of the four-year, residential naturopathic medical schools and pass an extensive postdoctoral board examination (NPLEX) in order to receive a license. Licensed naturopathic physicians must also fulfill state-mandated continuing education requirements annually. In addition, they have a specific scope of practice defined by their state’s law. In most states with licensing laws, naturopathic physicians are licensed as primary providers and can perform the same type of care as any other general practice physician. The states with current licensing laws for naturopathic physicians are Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and territories: Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands.
A Word of Clarification on the ND Qualification and Credentials
Unfortunately, there is some confusion between licensed naturopathic physicians, with a four-year, graduate-level education, and people who call themselves "naturopaths." There may be people who call themselves "naturopaths" but who have not gone to an accredited school or passed a national board exam. These people may have only correspondence or online training and did not receive any clinical training. In Idaho a person calling themself a "naturopath" may use the same initials, ND, as identification. However, they have not graduated from an accredited educational institution and have not been board certified by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE).
If you wish to receive health care from a practitioner who is trained and licensed to diagnose and treat disease, you are looking for a naturopathic physician, such as Dr. Brandi Solace. In a state with licensing laws, it is important to ask if the ND is licensed as a naturopathic physician. In other states, you could ask if your practitioner took the NPLEX board exam or attended one of the four-year accredited naturopathic colleges named above. For more information and to find other licensed Naturopathic Physicians please visit www.naturopathic.org
Please note that many "naturopaths" have unique skills ; however, it is important to understand that they are limited in training and scope of practice. We feel that those seeking health care should be able to make an informed distinction between those professionals with similar names and the same identifying initials.