Naturopathic Heritage LibraryA contemplative wing of the Academy
A teacher's legacy
James Sensenig, ND
A place to encounter Jim's teachings, scholarship, and enduring place in the naturopathic profession. This archive begins with a presentation on naturopathic philosophy and the tribute offered by his FNMI colleagues. Further writings and recordings will join them over time.
Friend, colleague, healer and visionary leader.
From the Foundations of Naturopathic Medicine Institute memorialJames S. Sensenig, ND · Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine · 1993.
A formatted reading edition of the transcribed lectures, with tape divisions and speaker cues. The supplied edition retains uncertain spellings and incomplete passages; no audio comparison is claimed.
PDF · 191 pages
Read the lecture notes →James S. Sensenig, ND · May 23, 2004 · Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Tempe, Arizona.
The closing plenary transcript from the first Naturopathic Gathering, the student gathering led by elders.
PDF · 13 pages
Read the closing plenary →The story of the annual, elder-led gathering for naturopathic students. Originally by Joe Holcomb and Luke Gonzales; updated by Tim Ammons.
This is distinct from the Gathering of Elders meetings that helped shape the Academy's textbook.
Explore the history in Historical Archives →Presented February 6, 2003, for the Naturopathic Medical Research Agenda opening session, Scientific Workgroup.
PDF · 52 slides · 5.5 MB
Read or print the slides →55th Annual NW Naturopathic Physicians Conference · May 6-8, 2011 · Vancouver, BC, Canada.
PDF · 49 slides · 5.9 MB
Read or print the slides →Rebuilt for the Academy from Jim's teaching presentations. Slides only; presenter notes are not included. These historical teachings are preserved in their original context, rather than presented as current clinical guidance.
Printing is enabled; ordinary copying and editing are restricted in compatible PDF readers. Editable presentation files are not offered.
Visit Teaching Tools →Landscapes of Naturopathic Thinking: A Dialogue with Naturopathic Scholars on William A. Mitchell's “Equation of the Healing Power of Nature”
Jim Sensenig's contribution, exploring causation, the historical meaning of the Vis, and the language of scientific paradigms.
Read the transcript →James Sensenig, ND · Third Annual Naturopathic Gathering · National College of Naturopathic Medicine · February 10-12, 2006.
A four-page presentation preserved in the supplied file Naturopathic Principles Consensus. Its slides explore naturopathic principles, doctrines, and philosophy.
Doctrines, Laws & Tenets is also available as a readable teaching outline from the supplied Word document, which identifies this same presentation.
Read the teaching outline →PDF · 4 pages · 100 KB
Read the presentation →Recordings forthcoming.
This part of the archive will gather Jim's recorded teachings and conversations, alongside transcripts and related writings as they become available.
In Memoriam · FNMI
A historical tribute from the Foundations of Naturopathic Medicine Institute, the Academy's former institutional name. The following words are preserved from the memorial supplied to the Library.
Dr. Jim Sensenig's contributions to the restoration of the naturopathic profession and advancement of truly curative medicine were immense. Our profession and the human community owe him a debt of gratitude that can never be adequately expressed and honored.
Jim was relentlessly committed to the foundational principles of curative medicine. He was inspirational to students and young doctors who came to naturopathic medicine because they wanted to cure their patients rather than follow the easy path of palliation and simplistic symptom relief. When he saw too many drift into green drug medicine, he recruited thought leaders to help get the profession back on track. The monthly calls he initiated became a welcome safe space for the many physicians who realized that lack of understanding of the true causes of disease lead to short term apparent relief while allowing, and even aggravating, the real reasons people were suffering.
Few realize how critical Jim's leadership in the late 70s was to the resurrection of our profession. He brought together diverse leaders to create the infrastructure required to bring naturopathic medicine from the fringes as an oppressed profession to the huge growth in numbers, 4-fold increase in state licensure, widely recognized thought leadership, and respect we enjoy today:
The impact of his leadership is long and impressive. To those of us who had the privilege of working with Jim on the FNMI project, one of its co-founding Senior Editors; his commitment to the vitalistic principles espoused by Henry Lindlahr and his predecessors in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries gave great encouragement to us all that we must consolidate the pathway to a medical system working more in harmony with the Laws of Nature. His determination to bring the North American profession back to that path will continue to reverberate throughout the global naturopathic community as his wisdom becomes more widely disseminated.
Our profession and everyone seeking health and healing were blessed by Jim's life.
Rest in peace friend, colleague, healer and visionary leader.