Do No Harm

Not all naturopaths agree. Joanie Sevcik-Weichbrodt, president of the Coalition of Natural Health, sees regulation as ineffective. "The problem is, they want only certain schools to be allowed to sit for board exams for licensure," she says. "Only nationally accredited naturopathic schools. They want to put all the other 5,000 to 10,000 natural healers in the State of Colorado out of business; they want a monopoly."

She is also concerned that licensing would restrict the number of people who can use the term "naturopathic doctor." As it is, Sevcik-Weichbrodt doesn't think that those who legitimately call themselves naturopathic physicians are "real" naturopaths; their practice is too tainted by modern medicine. They are, she says, "doctor wannabes. A naturopathic doctor uses only natural forms of healing. [These others] want to be alternative primary-care physicians, and that has nothing to do with a definition of doctor of naturopathy or naturopathic doctor. The true, traditional naturopathic doctors would not do any medically related type of therapy."

The Bresinas weren't aware of these nuances when they went to O'Connell. Catherine Bresina found him online, where he listed such qualifications as "Board Certified Naturopathic Physician," "Colorado Naturopathic Medical Association Member," "Licensed by National DEA," "Licensed by the State of Colorado, Controlled Substances Division," "Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine" and "Masters of Science: Microbiology, Minor: Biochemistry." He does not say where he obtained his master's degree, but O'Connell has claimed he attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The university says he was there for three months but did not earn a degree. He also claimed to have worked in the pharmaceutical industry for ten years. According to police reports, he worked in a pharmacy as a technician until he was fired for allegedly stealing prescription pads and drugs.

One of the official-looking certificates on O'Connell's office walls stated that he received a doctoral degree in naturopathic medicine from the Colorado University of Naturopathic Medicine. The "degree" claims that the CUNM program's "high standards may exceed the credit hour requirements of the Dept. of Education by twenty percent or more" and that the "diplomate endorsement" applies "criteria beyond established standards set by the Dept. of Education." It includes the seal of the unrecognized Colorado Alternative Medical Regulatory Board.

Another certificate was O'Connell's license, obtained from Washington, D.C. The district does license registered naturopaths, but a practicing naturopath need only register to get one. There are no procedures in place to examine educational requirements or proof of residence. Furthermore, D.C.-licensed naturopaths are supposed to provide their patients with a written statement proclaiming that they are only doctors of naturopathy, not medical doctors. They are also not allowed to inject substances into patients or prescribe drugs.

Though Cat didn't know that before her photoluminescence treatment, she still doesn't have ill feelings toward O'Connell. She did, however, tell police that she "probably wouldn't go to him again" unless she had a serious health problem. And she does agree with O'Connell's assessment of why she went into cardiac arrest.

"I could have spazzed," she told them. "Things happen."