Naturopath

Naturopaths use a range of natural and complementary therapies to support health and wellbeing

As a naturopath, you'll combine modern scientific knowledge with traditional and natural forms of treatment. You'll base your practice on the belief that the body has an instinctive ability to heal itself and will focus on addressing the underlying cause of illness rather just the symptoms.

Naturopathy is an overarching approach in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and you'll usually specialise in a therapeutic discipline such as:

• acupuncture
• colon hydrotherapy
• herbal medicine
• homeopathy
• naturopathic nutrition
• nutritional medicine
• osteopathy
• traditional Chinese medicine.

Taking a holistic approach, you'll treat the client as a whole being, taking into account their lifestyle, diet, physical, and emotional wellbeing. Methods of assessment and treatment vary depending on your training and may include hydrotherapy, massage, reflexology, exercise, fasting or lifestyle counselling, for example.

Naturopaths support clients with a range of complaints and conditions, such as chronic fatigue, digestive issues, aches and pains, insomnia, skin conditions, anxiety, high blood pressure and allergies.

Find out more about the role of a nutritional therapist, osteopath, homeopath or herbalist.

Responsibilities

Depending on your area of specialism, you will typically need to:

• carry out initial consultations with clients and take a detailed medical history, including symptoms, diet and lifestyle, and any prescription medicines, supplements or vitamins they are taking
• carry out physical examinations and, where trained, non-invasive tests to assess health
• consider possible interactions between prescribed medication and natural therapies before making recommendations
• develop and explain personalised treatment or health plans
• recommend and give advice on diet changes, exercise regimes, lifestyle, herbal medicine and homeopathic remedies
• advise on diet, exercise and lifestyle changes, and recommend natural therapies such as herbal medicine or homeopathy
• provide hands-on treatments (depending on your training) such as acupuncture, reflexology or osteopathy, or use approaches like hydrotherapy, meditation, yoga or coaching
• offer follow-up sessions to monitor progress and adjust treatment as needed
• refer clients to other healthcare professionals when appropriate
• manage client and financial records and general business administration
• create social media and marketing content to promote your business and services.

Salary

• Naturopaths are usually self-employed. Earnings vary depending on your specialism, experience and what you charge per hour. Fees for an initial consultation, which typically lasts between 60 and 90 minutes, range from £45 to £135. The higher fees are typically charged by more experienced or specialised practitioners so expect to start at the lower end. Follow-up sessions are typically shorter (usually 20 to 40 minutes) and therefore cheaper.
• How much you can charge also depends on your reputation and location. Rates are generally higher in London and other major UK cities where living costs are higher. You'll also need to factor in running costs and overheads and whether you work from home or in a shared practice.
• When starting out, your income may be low due to set-up costs and a limited client base, and you may need to supplement your earnings with other work. As you gain experience and build your reputation, referrals via word of mouth are likely to increase and you may be able to charge more per session.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Most naturopaths are self-employed and run their own practice. This means that you can choose your own working hours, although you may have to offer evening and weekend appointments to meet client need. Follow-up and continued support of clients is likely to involve answering phone calls and emails, which may be outside of regular working hours.

Working hours for employed naturopaths will vary depending on the business. Health spas and retreat work are likely to require some weekend and evening work.

What to expect

• Self-employment is common, giving you flexibility over when and where you work, but you'll also be responsible for costs such as room hire, insurance and equipment.
• You can work from home, a therapy centre or health shop, visit clients at their homes, or build an online client base through virtual consultations.
• The role is rewarding but carries significant responsibility as you're helping people improve their health and wellbeing.
• You'll need to be comfortable working with clients on a one-to-one basis and administering hands-on therapies in some roles.
• Building a successful practice requires identifying a niche, creating effective branding and promoting your services through networking and proactive marketing.

Qualifications

There is no statutory regulation of naturopathy and no set entry requirements. However, to practise safely and gain credibility, you should complete recognised training that allows you to register with a professional body such as the General Naturopathic Council (GNC) or the General Council and Register of Naturopaths (GCRN).

To register with the GNC, you'll need at least three years' training in a major therapeutic discipline such as:

• acupuncture
• herbal medicine
• nutritional medicine
• osteopathy
• traditional Chinese medicine.

GNC-accredited courses are offered by the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) and other recognised training providers.

Search the list of GNC-accredited courses.

To appear on the GNC register, you must also join one of its professional associations, follow its code of conduct and ethics and work within the Naturopathic National Occupational Standards (NOS).

GCRN registration requires a degree-level qualification from a World Naturopathic Federation (WNF) school. In the UK, this is The School of Health. You can also register with an equivalent qualification that includes at least 2,500 hours of classroom-based learning and 500 hours clinical practice.

When choosing a course, check that it meets professional insurance requirements and includes some attendance, as training delivered entirely online will not meet registration requirements for either the GNC or GCRN.

Naturopaths with suitable training can also apply for voluntary registration with the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), which demonstrates your commitment to high professional standards.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• a warm and friendly approach to build rapport with clients and put them at ease
• confidence talking to people of all ages and backgrounds
• excellent listening and questioning skills to take a thorough client history
• the ability to influence, support and motivate clients to follow their treatment plan
• a non-judgemental attitude
• a passion for natural approaches to health and wellbeing
• critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• an understanding of professional boundaries, confidentiality and ethical practice
• commitment to ongoing learning to keep up to date with research and developments
• self-motivation, proactivity and resilience to promote and grow your business
• organisation and administrative skills to manage client records, finances and appointments.

Work experience

Experience in roles that involve supporting people one-to-one, listening carefully, assessing their needs and helping them plan actions is particularly useful. This could include healthcare, counselling, coaching or community support work.

Showing an active interest in natural health, by using food as medicine or exploring herbal remedies, for example, can also strengthen your application. Working in a health food shop or gaining experience with wholefoods and plant-based cooking can help build a good foundation of knowledge.

You can find out more about the profession by arranging to speak to a practising naturopath. Use the GNC and GCRN registers to identify practitioners in your local area. With the permission of the client, you may even be able to sit in on consultations. You could also seek work shadowing opportunities at alternative therapy centres.

Other useful experience includes volunteering at wellbeing fairs or holistic health events, assisting in community health projects, helping in student or training clinics, or supporting workshops on nutrition and lifestyle. These experiences can give you practical insight into client care and the naturopathic approach.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Naturopaths usually work on a self-employed basis and you're most likely to set up your own practice after you've completed training. You can choose to work from home and adapt a part of your home into a space in which to treat patients. Alternatively, you can be based in a complementary health clinic, working as part of a team with other complementary health practitioners.

An important part of running your own business is promoting your services through a website, social media, recommendations from previous clients, talks to local groups and presence at wellbeing events.

If you establish your own niche, such as eating disorders, skin problems or fertility, it may be possible to build relationships with local healthcare providers and support groups to generate referrals.

If your course is accredited by the GNC or GCRN, you can feature in their searchable registers of naturopaths.

There are a few roles in paid employment or freelancing opportunities. These could be based with luxury health spas, wellbeing centres, health shops, companies hosting wellness retreats, hospitals and other healthcare settings.

The College for Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) advertises its own and nationwide vacancies at CNM Jobs and Opportunities.

Professional development

It's vital that you continue to develop your practice and stay up to date with new scientific technologies and research through continuing professional development (CPD).

Becoming a member of a relevant professional body is useful for providing access to training, events, advice and networking opportunities. These bodies will expect you to undertake a certain amount of CPD annually as a requirement of continued membership.

CPD activities can range from webinars, short courses, online courses and sector events to day-to-day research, personal development and work shadowing. Relevant bodies include:

• Association of Naturopathic Practitioners (ANP)
• British Society for Ecological Medicine (BSEM)
• General Council and Register of Naturopaths (GCRN)
• Institute of Clinically Applied Holistic Therapy (ICAHT)
• Naturopathic Nutrition Association (NNA)

Courses are also run by training providers such as the College of Naturopathic Medicine. They provide a range of short courses as well as options for postgraduate study.

Career prospects

It takes time to build your business and clientele, and you must be committed to developing a role in which, for the short and medium term, salary levels and client numbers may be low. Success depends on your ability to establish and build your reputation, which in turn depends largely on the amount of effort you put into building and marketing your business.

You may find that you adapt and adjust your business and practice as you gain experience and start to recognise themes of need from clients and/or your local community.

You might start to identify specialist areas, build partnerships and establish strong referral routes. As you become established you may look for opportunities to develop your professional practice and expertise through further training.

Besides one-to-one work with clients, you may also seek to promote your field and reach out to more people through presentations, blogs, videos and articles.

There may be some opportunities for experienced naturopaths to expand into teaching and training or consultancy and public relations work for companies involved in the natural health product industry.