If you are searching for a naturopath in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill or Cary, you will find a wide range of people using the same word. Some completed graduate-level training at an accredited school. Others trained through non-accredited programs that vary in length and content.1 The title alone does not tell you which one you are talking to.
This guide helps you sort that out before you book. It covers what a naturopath does, the training to look for, the questions to ask on a first call, the red flags, and how a naturopath should work with your own doctor. It does not tell you to pick any one practitioner, including us. It tells you how to choose.
What does a naturopath do?
A naturopath looks at your health through everyday habits, such as food, sleep, stress and movement, and may also use herbs and supplements. NCCIH, part of the NIH, describes naturopathy as a medical system that grew out of traditional practices and health approaches popular in 1800s Europe.1
Practitioners use a range of approaches. NCCIH lists dietary and lifestyle changes, stress reduction, herbs and supplements, homeopathy, manipulative therapies, exercise therapy, practitioner-guided detoxification and psychotherapy. Some practitioners also refer patients to conventional providers when appropriate.1 Not every naturopathic practitioner uses every approach, so it is fair to ask which ones they actually use with their clients.
Naturopathy is not rare. NCCIH reports that use among U.S. adults rose from 0.2 percent in 2002 to 1.3 percent in 2022.1 More people are using it, which is a good reason to be a careful shopper.
For a plain description of what a visit with Dr. Werness covers, see what a naturopathic doctor does.
What training should a naturopathic doctor have?
Look for graduate-level education at a naturopathic medical school, typically a four-year program at a school accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME).1 NCCIH also describes "traditional naturopaths," who train through non-accredited programs that vary in length and content.1 That is the difference to look for when you read a practitioner's bio.
The Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC) describes what the four-year path looks like. The first two years focus on the foundational biomedical and clinical sciences, including biochemistry, physiology and pharmacology. Clinical coursework includes clinical nutrition and botanical medicine. For at least the final two years, students work in clinical settings under close supervision.2
Hours give you a sense of scale. Bastyr University, one naturopathic medical school, describes its program as 270 credits with 4,102 didactic and clinical hours, including 1,220 clinic hours.3 Dr. Werness trained in naturopathic medicine at Bastyr. Bastyr lists the program on a 3-year schedule, with a 4-year option. Schools publish their own numbers, so ask any practitioner for the school's name and then look at the program yourself.
A short checklist on training:
| Look for | Ask about |
|---|---|
| A degree from a graduate-level naturopathic medical school1 | The name of the school and the year they graduated |
| Accreditation by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education1 | How they confirmed the school's accreditation |
| Supervised clinical training2 | Where they trained and for how long |
| Any additional certifications | What they cover and who awarded them |
Credentials help, but they do not ensure quality. NCCIH advises being as careful and thorough in your search as you would be when looking for conventional care.4 Check the credential, then check the conversation.
What should you ask on a first call?
Ask about training, experience with your concern, what the visit includes, cost, supplements and how they work with your own doctor. NCCIH advises you to find out about a practitioner's education, training and certifications, and to explain all your health conditions to the practitioner and ask about their experience with people who have them.4
Here is a call script you can use for any practice in the Triangle:
- Which naturopathic medical school did you attend, and was it accredited?1
- Have you worked with people who have my concern? Describe your situation in a sentence or two.4
- Are you willing to work with my own doctor? Ask whether they will share notes with your doctor, with your permission.4
- What will the first visit include, and how long is it?
- What does it cost, and what is billed separately? NCCIH advises you not to assume your insurance will cover a practitioner's services, and to call your insurer to confirm.4
- Do you sell supplements? Ask how many they suggest and why. Supplements are not reviewed by the FDA for safety and effectiveness before they are sold, and they can interact with medicines.6 Ask your doctor or pharmacist before you start one, especially if you take medicines.
- Will you ever ask me to change or stop a medicine? The right answer is no.
- What do you expect to happen? Listen for realistic language about small steps, not promises.
A good first call is short, clear and unpressured. You should not feel hurried toward a bigger purchase.
What are the red flags?
The main red flags are promised results, one product that does it all, success stories offered in place of evidence, pressure to buy large supplement bundles, and any advice to stop a prescribed medicine. The FDA lists several of these as common signs of health fraud.5
The FDA's warning signs include:
- A claim that one product does it all. Be suspicious of anything said to fix a wide range of diseases.5
- Personal success stories used as proof. The FDA says testimonials are easy to make up and are not a substitute for scientific evidence.5
- Quick fixes. The FDA notes that few conditions can be addressed quickly, even with legitimate products.5
- "All natural" claims. The FDA says terms like "all-natural" do not necessarily equate to safety.5
- Conspiracy theories, such as a claim that the government or drug companies are hiding an answer.5
NCCIH adds a few more to watch for. It says to be careful with terms like "secret ingredient" and with anything that sounds too good to be true. It advises asking whether there is scientific evidence, not just personal stories, to back up a claim. It also warns against using an unproven approach as a substitute for conventional care, or as a reason to delay seeing your provider.7
Supplements deserve their own caution. NCCIH says "natural" does not always mean "safe," and gives kava, which can cause liver disease, as an example.6 A practitioner who sells a large bundle of products to everyone, regardless of what you came in with, is selling a product line, not a plan.
If something about a practice makes you uneasy, you are allowed to leave and call your own doctor. You do not owe anyone a second visit.
How should a naturopath work with your doctor?
A naturopath should be willing to work with your own doctor, share what they learn with your permission, and never tell you to stop a medicine. NCCIH advises you to find out whether a practitioner is willing to work together with your conventional health care providers, because safe care depends on everyone communicating.4
That is how Dr. Werness works. He works alongside your own doctor, not in place of your doctor. He never asks anyone to stop a medicine, and he starts with one change, not ten. His approach looks at five parts of daily life: Soil (food), Roots (stress), Rhythm (sleep and energy), Ground (time outside and movement) and Circle (the people around you). You can read more about him on the about page.
NCCIH also advises you to tell all your health care providers about the complementary approaches you use.4 If you take a supplement, tell your doctor. NCCIH says some supplements can raise bleeding risk or affect your response to anesthesia before surgery, and that St. John's wort makes many medicines less effective.6 A short list of what you take, written down, helps everyone.
If you are comparing practices, you may also want to read about functional medicine in Raleigh and about what "holistic" should mean in practice in our guide to a holistic doctor in Durham and Chapel Hill.
Where can you see a naturopathic doctor in Raleigh, Durham or by video?
Dr. Maurice Werness, ND, is a naturopathic doctor based near Durham. He works with people across the Triangle, including Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Cary, and by video. The first step is a free 20-minute conversation, with no obligation.
You can also start on your own with the free Garden Check-in, which asks seven plain questions and takes about three minutes. Your answers stay in your browser unless you choose to send them. If you would rather talk, use the free conversation to ask the questions in this article and see whether the fit feels right. If it does not, you have lost nothing.
When should you see your own doctor first?
See your own doctor first if a symptom is new, severe, getting worse or has no clear cause, and before you begin any wellness plan for it. Cleveland Clinic says to talk to your healthcare provider if you are tired all the time, and to call if tiredness lasts more than a few days, makes it hard to work or handle daily tasks, started suddenly, has no clear cause or comes with weight loss.8
Cleveland Clinic says to get immediate medical attention if you have fatigue along with shortness of breath, or chest, arm or upper back pain, a heartbeat that is unusually fast, slow, pounding or irregular, a headache or vision changes, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain, or muscle weakness.8 In an emergency, call 911. It also lists thoughts of harming yourself or others among those signs.8 If that is you, call 911, or call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
A naturopathic doctor does not replace that care. Use one alongside your own doctor, and bring them what you learn.