Services Offered - Dr. Ralph Wilson

New Situation as of February 2006: This will be described in the future as details are discerned and appropriately worded for this website. Because the deep focus of my work has consistently been on the Energy/Substance interface [see Expanded Paradigm] and I have conducted my practice so as to honor the contributions of what are sometimes called "Traditional Naturopaths" my practice will likely not change greatly in its structure. However, perhaps insurance companies will now reimburse for my services, and I can directly treat disease if that is desired by the patient.

Earlier wording prior to ND License being available:

Because of D.C. legal guidelines I do not offer the complete services known conventionally as Primary Care. At NIHA I work with M.D. and D.D.S. practitioners when appropriate to give people increased options for cleansing and healing of body and mind. I have an active license as a naturopathic physician in the state of Hawai'i.

Integrating mainstream and holistic care, my practice encompasses all ages, and is not limited by the diagnosis label a patient may have received from a medical physician. See Conditions Treated. I use a variety of approaches to help people use their inborn self-healing energy. The overall model that drives my practice is the Complete Medical System called "Heilkunst" [see Philosophy of Health and Medicine and the “Holistic Integrated Map (Model) to Health and Healing”].

The practice of naturopathic medicine in the District of Columbia is undergoing a gradual evolution. In DC there are practitioners who have graduated from the four-year schools who train primary care naturopathic physicians, and there are practitioners who took other training and have registered as naturopath/N.D.s. At National Integrated Health Associates I work with a number of skilled practitioners who have taken the only option available---under the umbrella designation mandated by the registration process available in the District they have registered as “N.D.”, naturopathic doctor or "naturopath".

My practice at NIHA as a graduate of a four-year naturopathic medical school is based on the depth of training I have received as a primary care naturopathic physician. I configure my practice to conform to D.C. regulations. When my patients need procedures and prescriptions that require a medical license, I refer them for consultation with a NIHA medical doctor. Often we conduct joint practitioner visits so we can smoothly coordinate an integrated program of care. Recently a law was passed in the District of Columbia that would grant a license to naturopathic physicians who graduated from 4-year naturopathic medical schools such as Bastyr University. However, there has not yet been a supervisory board or regulations enacted to control the profession so the law not in effect. There are intense activities behind the scenes on both sides of the issue -- for and against licensing for "naturopaths" -- so this is a drama of healthcare politics that is still unfolding.

Scope of my Naturopathic Care in DC: I particularly appreciate the fact that naturopathic physicians in Washington DC have practice guidelines that respect our trust in the body's innate ability to heal itself. I do not treat specific named medical diseases. The recommendations I give are aimed at helping you learn your strengths and challenges. I help you find your own inner balance, physical-chemical-mental, so your body can heal itself. This means that I when I agree to work with a patient it does not matter what is their official medical diagnosis. I find that usually there is some kind of imbalance in overall health and I work with the individual so they can regain balance. My recommendations and homeopathic/ herbal prescriptions center on natural approaches that support the body's innate ability to heal itself. I do not use prescription drugs, but refer for them from my M.D. associate here when needed.

My commitment to helping people whatever their condition may be is strong. I have training in dealing with the range of primary care needs. I can advise and treat people who have MCS, CFS, MS, ADD, Depression, Existential Crisis, body pains, and much more. When needed I will do this with the medical doctor as part of a team.

A quote that I find particularly relevant is:

"A doctor who prescribes an identical treatment for an identical illness in two individuals and expects an identical development may be properly classified as a social menace." Lin Yutang

Definitions of Naturopathic Medicine

My Training as a Naturopathic Physician
My Mission Statement as a Naturopathic Physician

Outcomes Research and Science

Our clinic is committed to proving the effectiveness of the integrative treatments we do. My intake paperwork includes the Functional Health Assessment Questionnaire. This and other methods are used at NIHA to build our database showing the usefulness of the different approaches we use when we treat health conditions. I am committed to the concept that someday Science will have ways to detect the energies that are used by shamanic healers and are behind the success of empirically successful techniques such as acumeridian treatments.