Practitioners of Natural Healing

Nature of work

Practitioners of natural healing provide alternative health care to patients using traditional Chinese medicine techniques and other forms of treatment including acupuncture, herbology or reflexology to promote, maintain and restore the holistic health of patients. They usually work in private practice, including group or team practices, or are work for clinics, health clubs and spas.

Job duties

Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners:

• Diagnose the diseases, physiological disorders, and injuries of patients.
• Treat them using raw herbs and other medicines, dietary supplements, or acupuncture.

Acupuncturists:

• Diagnose symptoms, physiological disorders, and injuries of patients.
• Treat them by the insertion of acupuncture needles or through stimulation techniques like acupressure, moxibustion, cupping or electrical current.

Herbalists:

• Assess patients and advise them on the use of herbs to treat conditions like arthritis, rheumatism, asthma, skin disorders, and stomach ailments.
• May cultivate herbs and manufacture and sell herbal compounds.

Osteopathic manual therapists:

• Diagnose, treat, and manage musculoskeletal and other related disorders of the body's structure by moving, stretching, and massaging a patients' muscles and joints to correct biomechanical dysfunctions.

Homeopaths:

• Assess illnesses and treat them by administering, in chemical or herbal form, a small dosage of a remedy made from natural substances or by suggesting lifestyle changes.

Reflexologists:

• Apply gentle finger pressure to specific spots on the clients' feet or hands to promote relaxation and better health and well-being.

Sample job titles

• certified rolfer
• herbal practitioner
• holistic practitioner
• homeopath
• homeopathic physician
• hypnotherapist
• reflexology therapist
• registered acupuncture practicioner
• shiatsu therapist
• traditional Chinese medicine practitioner

Skills

• Compassion, sensitivity, and a desire to help people are important. Workers in these jobs need to have an interest in working with people on a one-to-one basis and a willingness to make direct physical contact with clients. You should be able to communicate with clients and inspire trust, put people at ease, be observant, and notice a client's symptoms and response to treatment. Maturity and good judgement are essential. It is important to understand and practice professional ethics.

Job requirements

• Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners usually require a three- to four-year diploma program in traditional Chinese medicine from a private institute or completion of a program in traditional Chinese medicine from recognized medical schools abroad.
• Acupuncturists usually require a three-year diploma program in acupuncture from a private institute or completion of some university undergraduate studies in science and training in a related health care discipline or work experience under the supervision of a registered acupuncturist.
• Reflexology Therapists must be registered with a recognized professional association for their clients to be reimbursed for the cost of reflexology services through their health care benefit plans.
• Other jobs in this group usually require completion of training programs specific to their type of practice and some supervised practical training.

Other considerations

• Hours of work vary depending on the therapist’s practice, but generally include evenings and weekends. Those who are self-employed may need to have business licenses, police security clearance, and CPR and First Aid training. Advancement in these jobs usually takes the form of building a larger client base.

Regulations

Contacts