Industry Profile -- by Jennifer Bysterveld

Are you interested in natural healing? The idea that the human body has the ability to heal itself? Do you enjoy helping others? Do you envision yourself as an entrepreneur? Perhaps you might be interested in the Complimentary Health Care Practitioners industry. Some dismiss these practices as 'faith healing', while "placebo" is the word that comes to the minds of many. However, this industry is growing in size and acceptance as more and more people look for alternatives for healthy living.

What's It All About?

Complimentary Health Care Practitioners are those individuals or groups which provide services that focus on the prevention and maintenance of health by means of a combination of diet and lifestyle change and natural supplements/techniques. This includes the services of Naturopaths, Acupuncturists, Homeopaths, and Herbalists/Wholistic Therapists. The Complimentary Health Care Practitioners industry (also referred to as (w)holistic, alternative, and preventative) is actually a sub-sector of the Complimentary Health Care industry, but to make things manageable I had to narrow it down. I mention this just so you know why I am not talking about any of the touch therapies (Reiki, Shiatsu), health food stores, or Chiropractory and Massage Therapy (these have greater acceptance by conventional health care and are actually industries on their own).

In the last few years there has been a major increase in the public's awareness of this industry and consequently a greater demand for services. Most practitioners participating in this study attribute this growth to both their client's frustration with some aspect of conventional medicine (eg. rushed practitioners, treatment of the symptoms rather than the cause and thus recurring problems, drug side effects) and to word of mouth.

Skills and Abilities

Aside from formal training, there are some common skills which are important for all occupations in the Complimentary Health Practitioners industry.

• strong wholistic perspective and dedication to the idea of preventative health;
• the understanding that all aspects of an individual's life are related and influence that person's health
• people skills:
1. compassion
2. sensitivity
3. ability to communicate
4. ability to work well as part of a team as many of the clients in this industry seek the services of more than one complimentary health care practitioner

Many practitioners find that clients are drawn to the people-oriented, healing focus of this industry where practitioners emphasize the importance of dealing with the whole of the person. This means that many clients are interested in a close, healing relationship with the practitioner and often this means that practitioners must be willing to accept phone calls outside of their regular hours.

Main Occupations and Wages

The level of training required to work in the industry of Complimentary Health Practitioners depends on the specific occupation. The listing below provides a description of the specific occupations, what type of training is required and the approximate starting wages for each occupation. Some wages are given as appointment fees as actual salaries depend on establishing a client base and the number of hours worked per week. The National Occupational Classification number is also provided to assist in further research of a specific occupation. It should be noted that many of the occupations overlap with a practitioner having training in more than one area.

Naturopath- A Naturopath uses interviews and a variety of tests to prevent disease or assist the whole person in maximizing the body's ability to heal itself. All influences on an individual's health are considered including nutrition, fitness, hygiene, toxic influences, stresses, posture, and present or prior treatments. The natural treatments used by Naturopaths integrate scientific knowledge and traditional healing and may involve any combination of the following: change in diet, herbal or vitamin/mineral supplements, exercise, manipulation, water, heat, vibration, or homeopathic preparations.

Training - A prerequisite of 3 years of study in a basic science program is required to enroll in a 4 year professional degree of Naturopathic medicine. The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Ontario is the only educational institution for Naturopathy in Canada.

• NOC- 3123
• Starting Wage- $50,000-$60,000 per annum

Acupuncturist - The basic premise of acupuncture holds that there are channels or meridians of energy running through the body to various structures or organs and that when the natural flow of energy (called chi) is obstructed, the imbalance may result in disease. Acupuncturists assess the imbalance through interviews, and various tests and then restore the normal energy flow by inserting thin needles into the appropriate points along the meridians. This assists the body's organs to resume normal functioning.

Training - The Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, recently established in Calgary, offers a 3-year Diploma program with 2 years of study in Calgary and one year in clinical training in China. Training in Acupuncture is available from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Extension which offers a Certificate Program in Medical Acupuncture, however this is open to health professionals only (you must hold a professional degree). A 4- year diploma in Acupuncture is available from the Canadian College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Victoria, British Colombia or from the Canadian College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Vancouver, B.C.

• NOC - 3232
• Starting Wage - $30,000-$60,000 per annum

Herbalist/Wholistic Therapist - Both herbalists and wholistic therapists interview clients to gain information on medical history, current health problems, medical prescriptions and lifestyle. This information is assessed, possibly in conjunction with certain techniques such as iridology (a reading of genetic potential and current health problems from the iris of the eye) and specific vitamin, mineral, herbal supplements and/or changes in diet are recommended. These practitioners may also include aromatherapy in treatments (the use of the essential oils of plants with healing qualities). In general, wholistic therapists have more training in various assessment techniques.

Training - The Wild Rose College of Natural Healing (Calgary) offers a Master Herbalist Diploma which requires approximately 9 months of full-time study. A Wholistic Therapist Diploma can be obtained from the Wild Rose College and from the College of Natural Healing Arts (St. Albert) and requires a year and a half of full-time study. Some courses may only be offered by correspondence.

• NOC - 3232
• Starting Wage - Herbalists and Wholistic Therapists charge between $30 and $50 per hour.

Homeopath - Homeopaths interview clients to determine symptoms of health problems, prescribing homeopathic preparations (small doses of plants or minerals) which cause similar symptoms to what the individual is experiencing. Homeopathy operates on the theory that particular symptoms represent the body's attempt to defend against disease. By administering substances which mimic the symptoms, the body's natural defences are assisted in defending and healing. This is akin to immunization in conventional medicine.

Training - There currently are no institutions in Alberta offering training in homeopathy. A diploma in Homeopathic Medicine is available from the British Institute of Homeopathy Canada in Orleans, Ontario, the Homeopathic College of Canada in Toronto, Ontario and the Vancouver Homeopathic Academy in Vancouver, B.C.

• NOC - 3232
• Starting Wage - Homeopaths charge between $50-$80 per visit which are approximately 1 hour in length.

What it's like to work as a Practitioner?

Most Complimentary Health Practitioners in Alberta are self-employed. Several practitioners may practice together in a clinic-type setting, mainly to save operating costs, but currently this is done by a minority of practitioners and hiring by these joint practices is very minimal.

To set-up your own practice you need to be a good self-starter. Beginning a practice may involve certain start-up costs depending on the location; some practitioners practice out of their home to save costs. While the concept of running your own business may sound very appealing, remember that it takes time to build up a client base. A practitioner must create a reputation in order to gain clients. This is generally a fairly slow process resulting from a good ability to promote oneself and word of mouth. However, once established some practitioners have a 2-3 month waiting list of clients. The industry indicates that there is definitely room for more practitioners with proper training in the field. With the significant increase in public demand for Complimentary Health Care, there follows an increase in opportunities for more practitioners.

To Find Out More

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine

Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine
Telephone: 403/263-1689

Wild Rose College of Natural Healing

Homeopathic College of Canada

For more information in Labour Market go to Home Care Providers