What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathic Medicine is a unique and distinct system of health care that emphasizes the use of prevention and natural therapeutics. Naturopathic Doctors are trained to serve as primary care general practitioners who are experts in the prevention, diagnosis, management, and treatment of both acute and chronic health conditions.


Six Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

  • Do No Harm
  • The Healing Power of Nature
  • Find the Cause
  • Treat the Whole Person
  • Preventative Medicine
  • Doctor as Teacher

For more information on Naturopathic Medicine, visit California Naturopathic Doctors Association (CNDA) and American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP)

What is Functional Medicine?

Along with completing Naturopathic Medical School, Dr. Nicole Lean Lyons is currently training to be a certified Functional Medical Doctor. Functional Medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. It is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, Functional Medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. Functional Medicine practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, Functional Medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.

Seven Principles of Functional Medicine

  • Science-based medicine that connects the emerging research base to clinical practice
  • Biochemical individuality based on genetic and environmental uniqueness
  • Patient-centered care rather than disease-focused treatment
  • Dynamic balance of internal and external factors that affect total functioning
  • Web-like interconnections among the body’s physiological processes also affect every aspect of functionality
  • Health as a positive vitality, not merely the absence of disease
  • Promotion of organ reserve

For more information on Functional Medicine, visit The Institute for Functional Medicine