Therapy Guide

This guide was written to assist you in making a decision about the suitability of a Natural Health Practitioner for your needs.

1. Choosing a Natural Therapy - Make yourself familiar with various therapies and decide which one you think will most suit your needs. Start with the short guides offered next to the appropriate therapy in the directory. We also encourage you to goto your local library for books and periodicals on the topic, contact the various professional associations for each therapy or speak to a therapist and inquire about the therapy.

2. Therapy Assessment - Find out about your chosen therapy. How does it work, what are the benefits, risks and side effects? How effective is it for your problem? Keep in mind that most natural therapies are not simply concerned about your disease or one part of your body, as much as they are concerned about your entire wellbeing and balancing your health on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level. You may want to speak to other people who have used the therapy and get their opinions.

3. Practitioner Qualifications - You will usually find that Natural Health Practitioners have a high degree of qualifications, sometimes both mainstream and alternative. If you want to make sure, there are several ways you can check out your chosen Natural Health Practitioner’s qualifications. The first is to contact the practitioner and ask, most times a visit to the practitioner’s office will also give you the information you need as qualifications will be displayed. Also ask them if they are member of any professional associations, then contact the association and ask about that member. Many associations have strict guidelines on member qualification requirements so ask about those also. You could also contact the institution where the practitioner studied and ask them about the course(s) and it’s requirements. The Natural Health Directory now requires that all practitioners provide evidence of their qualifications before they are allowed to advertise.

4. Expertise - Find out how long the practitioner has been practicing. If your practitioner has been recently graduated, find out what kind of practical requirements they had to complete before getting their qualification. Usually some type of clinical or practical experience is required before a qualification is awarded to a student.

5. Service Quality - Service quality can be very subjective as we all have differing opinions and expectations, however, there are certain things that can give you some indications of the type of service you may get:

• How much time do you spend with the practitioner?
• The condition of the clinic and office.
• The manner and tone that is used by the staff and practitioner.
• How quickly your inquiries are handled to your satisfaction.
6. Costs - Make yourself familiar with your practitioner's fee structure before you see them. Call a few practitioners to see whether your practitioner is competitive for the same level of care and expertise. Some associations make fee recommendations to their members, but the fee is usually dependent on the practitioner's level of qualifications and expertise. Many health funds now cover natural therapies which should make them more accessible to all. Check with your health fund for more information.

7. What you should tell your Natural Health Practitioner - You must tell your natural health practitioner about all conditions and ailments that you have, any medications that you take even if you don’t take them regularly and any treatments you have received or currently undertaking, as well as supplements you already take. Some medications may interfere with the effectiveness of some supplements and some natural therapies.

8. What you should tell your Doctor - If you have a condition which is being treated by a doctor, you must also tell your doctor of your decision to use a natural or alternative therapy. You must also tell your doctor about any supplements you are taking even if you are not taking them regularly. Some supplements may interfere with some medications and some mainstream therapies. You must not stop taking any medications before consulting with your doctor.

Good Health!