Naturopath, Natural Therapist, Naturopathic Physician, Osteopath, Chiropractor, Massage Therapist, Homeopath, Acupuncturist, and the list goes on and on………so how do you find the right one for you?
I think what is important to know is that there is no shortage of alternative health practitioners – the privately run colleges make sure of that! With little regulation and an educational industry driven by money, there are hundreds of new graduates every year ready to hang their shingle and start practising. So here are some tips to help find the right one for you.
- Experience is one of the first things I look for, particularly clinical experience. Knowledge and theory are wonderful but making the successful transition to applying it practically takes time and practise, especially if you are looking for results.
- Look for accreditation by an industry professional body such as ANTA (Australian Natural Therapists Association) so at least you know the qualifications are recognised, professional insurance is in place and you have more chance of being able to claim your consultation with private health cover.
- Price is difficult to comment on as the reality is the better practitioners will charge more. However they will also generally offer better value, service and guarantee results.
- Promotion of wellness generally across all aspects of life with advice and treatment not just centred on supplements and products. The aim should be long term wellness not just a bandaid approach to treating symptoms.
Its also important to remember that your natural therapist is going to take a holistic approach and not just treat your symptoms so it is not realistic to expect all the answers in one visit and your program is likely to involve some time depending on the condition. A ‘guessimate’ in many chronic conditions is 3 months plus another month for every year you have had the condition. You should also be prepared to be asked to make some dietary and lifestyle changes! If you are after a quick fix or miracle cure overnight you should probably rethink spending the money!
