A natural prescription for healthy living

A trip to the doctor can turn into a relaxing retreat if you have an appointment at The Fredericton Naturopathic Clinic.Owned and operated by Dr. Parissa Bunin and her husband Dr. Judah Bunin, the clinic offers an alternative environment for patients seeking the help of naturopathic doctors.

After considering a conventional medical degree, Parissa realized the philosophy of naturopathic medicine was a better fit for her own beliefs.

"One of the principal philosophies of naturopathic medicine, besides 'do no harm' and that sort of thing, is to treat the cause. I found that was pretty attractive in terms of dealing with people's issues. You don't just give them something to get rid of the symptom; you try to find the root of the problem and try to solve that," Parissa said.

Naturopathy is an alternative medical system incorporating natural remedies and healing practices. Naturopathic doctors offer treatments and advice in the fields of clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, lifestyle counselling and some physical medicine, she said.

"A naturopathic doctor is the general practitioner of natural medicine. It's a fairly large scope for naturopathic doctors. We see patients coming in and look at their case history, and try to determine what the best strategy is naturally to treat them."

Parissa completed a bachelor of science degree followed by an intensive four-year doctor of naturopathic medicine program, before becoming professionally regulated in Ontario and opening the practice in Fredericton.

A doctor of naturopathic medicine must be accredited with an alternative medicine degree by a recognized school. In Canada, only two schools offer a program in naturopathic medicine that has been accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME).

Parissa said her favourite part of the job is the opportunity to own her own practice with her husband, and having the flexibility to spend time at home with her children. She said getting to the root of a patient's problem and providing natural alternatives that are successful is also rewarding.

"The other thing I like, and otherwise I don't think I'd be in this profession, is when I do see these amazing changes in people who are desperate and haven't had any success with conventional treatment for whatever reason. You can see these amazing changes just by changing the way they're eating, or their lifestyle, and that's really rewarding," Parissa said.

Most clients come in for digestive issues, hormonal difficulties and anxiety and depression, she said.

"But it's really quite a large scale of people we see, in terms of what they come in for. People come in to see us for cold prevention, something as simple as 'how do I make sure my kids are healthy this winter?'

"And then people have come in to see us also for cancer, because they may be getting the conventional treatment but they want complementary health to help them recover fast or aid with the recovery."

Although the profile of naturopathic doctors has been raised in recent years by movements toward healthy living and natural eating, Parissa said there are still many misconceptions about the job of a naturopathic doctor.

"I think the biggest one is that we are not as educated as conventional doctors to make a diagnosis," she said, adding if people aren't aware of a naturopathic doctor's education, it can cause hesitation.

"We are health-care practitioners. We are allowed to make a diagnosis and treat. Naturopathic doctors are the experts in alternative health."

There are six provinces that offer professional regulation of naturopathic doctors, but New Brunswick isn't one of them.

Dr. Judah Bunin, president of the New Brunswick Naturopathic Doctors Association, said he's passionate about advocating for the regulation of naturopathic doctors in New Brunswick.

"The top priority at this point in time is to rally about public education and raising awareness, because we are a new profession in the big scheme of things. Focusing on need for professional regulation is important," Judah said. "The biggest thing regulation would do for everybody who is interested in naturopathic medicine is making it illegal for somebody to call themselves a naturopath without the proper training. Right now, unless the patient did their own homework to find out their credentials, there's nothing legally anybody could do to stop them from calling themselves a naturopath. It would provide protection for the public."

Parissa said she thinks there is a huge demand for naturopathic doctors, especially in provinces such as New Brunswick where it can be difficult to find a family doctor.

"It would be wonderful if we got regulated and were able to send people out for testing, refer them to specialists and do those kinds of things that we're trained to do.

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EDUCATION: According to the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors, naturopathic doctors must complete three years of pre-medical sciences at a university, a four-year full-time program at an accredited school of naturopathic medicine, standardized board exams, and meet credits as required by provincial regulatory boards.
DEMAND: There are currently 10 active members of the New Brunswick Association of Naturopathic Doctors, according to the association's website, but the demand is growing as alternative health becomes more popular.
SALARY: Ranges from $50,000 to $100,000 a year, depending on how many hours a week the naturopathic doctor chooses to work, or if they own their own practice, said Dr. Parissa Bunin.
HOURS: Could be from 25-40 hours a week, depending on how often the naturopathic clinic is open and the doctor is willing to work.

Source:Business Journal