Naturopathic Doctor Helps Patients Heal Themselves

Many are beginning to see a shift in medicine, away from traditional ways of treating disease or aliments. Consumers are no longer simply making appointments with their primary care medical doctor—they are selecting various options available to them for maintaining their health.

Naturopathic medicine is one of them.

Victoria Rhoades became a board certified naturopathic doctor in 2006 and moved to Lake Forest Park to start her practice in December 2009 on Bothell Way Northeast. 

“I am offering an alternative to medical doctors,” she said.

Rhoades’ practice and treatments focus on the whole person as a complex system, while medical doctors tend to focus on specific symptoms and prescribing medicine. She performs annual exams for women and will prescribe medication, if needed, for an acute infection or chronic condition.

Mostly, however, Rhoades says she is a “guider, a collaborator, and a partner.” She does not demand her patients make changes in their lives unless she determines there is an immediate need. 

Her first appointment can run up to an hour and a half. She gets to know each individual’s personal health problems extensively, and guides her patient to make better health decisions.  

Rhoades particularly enjoys working with patients on diet, exercise and lifestyle issues.  

She prefers to use treatments that are noninvasive and believes strongly in the body’s innate ability to heal itself. She encourages patients to look at their lives and look for obstacles that might be preventing good health. 

For example, if a patient comes to Rhoades complaining of fatigue, she will ask questions about the patient’s environment and lifestyle. She will then help to remove what’s unhealthy while explaining possible methods to deal with what cannot be changed. 

Rhoades believes health often comes from within. Many people are staying indoors, are not happy with their lives and are too busy for healthy diets. “Finding and removing the obstacles is going to have a much more profound effect on someone’s life then giving them a pill,” she said. 

Her strong emphasis on a natural approach to medicine is something she has practiced herself for many years. Before she became a doctor she worked as an environmental engineer for nearly 12 years. 

“After a lot of time and thought I started schooling at Bastyr University in Kenmore at age 45,” she said, adding that she wanted to work more closely with people and help them in a way she couldn’t as an engineer. 

A big difference Rhoades noted between engineers and doctors was how they related to people. When she was an engineer and talking with colleagues, she had to make her case. She had to produce evidence. She felt doctors were more personable and had to be able to negotiate with all types of people. She found this change to be enlightening and more rewarding on a personal level. 

“Being a doctor has given me a way to connect with people on a very different and private level,” she said. “We all have so much in common with each other.”