The Path of Naturopathic Medicine with Dr. Philip W. Faler, ND
Video Transcription
Dave: So you had every opportunity to go the traditional route in medicine. What made you choose naturopathic medicine instead?
Dr. Philip Faler: Well, Dave, I had been browsing the internet looking at different medical schools, and I came across the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Bastyr and National, and I started to read the philosophy about naturopathic medicine, harnessing the healing power of nature. It’s almost Buddhist. It’s allowing things to go the direction they’re going, optimizing conditions so that the body has the opportunity to heal itself. And to me, that made great sense. I mean, when I think about how to solve problems, I’ll often, even prior to naturopathic medicine, I’ll look at nature and say, “Well, how does it happen there?” Because there’s several million years of trial and error at work, and it’s very refined.
The innate ability for any biological organism to generate healing is a powerful tool. And when I started out, I was somewhat idealistic when I first graduated, “Oh, counseling and homeopathy and nutrition and that’s all.” And then a patient comes in and she’s got pneumonia and she’s 60. And I said, “Well, and antibiotics probably.” And it’s a balance. It’s all about balance. It’s allopathic medicine, Western medicine, great tools, but all by themselves, not enough. And so bringing the two together in an integrative approach, that’s where the real power is.
Dave: What challenges did you face early on on choosing this less traditional path?
Dr. Philip Faler: The first challenge upon graduation is graduating medical school or naturopathic medical school, there’s not a lot of great jobs. You have to be as good of a businessman as you are a doctor, and you have to be a good doctor in order for it to be successful. So that was the first challenge. I took a job working for somebody else for a little bit, but eventually I just got out on my own and started seeing patients and overcame that obstacle of figuring out business as well as medicine.
Dave: And for the people who are new to this style, how do you communicate your passion and get them excited about this as a solution?
Dr. Philip Faler: Most of the people who come to see me have leanings this way to begin with, but it’s just in the stage that we set, in the presence that we set, I’m going to sit down across from my patient, across a desk, and I’m going to sit down and I’m going to say, “How can I help you?” And then I’m going to close my mouth and I’m going to listen.
Dave: Was there a defined aha moment when you knew that you couldn’t take the conventional route and this was the right path for you?
Dr. Philip Faler: It wasn’t about I couldn’t take or that I’m anti anything. It was just, “Hey, this offers more tools.” Right? I can use herbology, acupuncture, nutrition. It’s not quite counseling so much as coaching your patient to say, “Hey, I know you’re used to eating ice cream and cheeseburgers every day, but that’s part of the problem. So let’s start having ice cream two days a week instead of five.” And meeting patients where they are and going from C to D and not trying to go from C to R, you know what I mean? One step at a time. Did I answer your question?
Dave: I think so. It’s something that stands out to you as there are possible solutions to this path that gives me more options to solve their problems.
Dr. Philip Faler: Right. And I wouldn’t want just one tool, pharmacology. Now I want pharmacology as a tool in my tool belt, but I also want to have other options, and that’s why I chose naturopathic medicine. I want to have all the options I can to help patients.
Dave: If you’re curious what drew Dr. Faler to this different approach and how that benefits patients today, simply visit antiagingnorthwest.com to learn more or schedule your own consultation.