Holistic medicine is gaining more popularity lately. With a focus on understanding the cause of symptoms and using alternative medication, holistic medicine is endorsed by most health experts as the best for patient care.

Practitioners of this extensive branch of medicine believe that an individual is made up of various interdependent parts, and when one of these parts isn’t working, it affects the rest. Thus, when people have spiritual, emotional, or physical imbalances in their lives, it might negatively affect their health.

If you’re considering getting a holistic medicine certification to become a natural health practitioner, this step-by-step guide is for you. However, before we dive into the necessary steps, let’s understand what holistic medicine means and its principles.

Understanding Holistic Medicine

Holistic medicine examines the individual’s mind, emotion, spirit, and body to provide optimal wellness and health. According to its philosophy, you can achieve optimal health, holistic medicine’s primary goal, by attaining proper balance in life.

Holistic medicine considers the roles that lifestyle, diet, environmental exposures, and sleep play in an individual’s life. It also sees the whole body as a complete system that works as one rather than focusing on individual organs.

The American Holistic Health Association (AHHA), a nonprofit connecting people to wellness resources, has always stressed the need to care for an individual’s mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional state to achieve optimal health. According to holistic health practices, when one part of the human body is disrupted, it affects the rest.

Holistic medicine looks at the whole body and focuses on the body system mechanism rather than the physical symptoms. Holistic health practitioners work to improve the entire body instead of treating a specific body part.

Holistic medicine can be incorporated into various healthcare jobs as part of patient care. With a certification in holistic medicine, you can focus on naturopathic medicine or work as a nurse, physical therapist, surgeon, or even a life coach to help people succeed.

Principles of Holistic Medicine

One primary principle of holistic medicine is the belief that unconditional support and love are potent healers. Also, it believes that humans are responsible for their well-being and health. Other principles include:

• Treatment transcends alleviating the symptoms. There’s a need to fix the cause of the sickness.
• The patient is a human being, not a disease.
• Healing addresses every aspect of the patient’s life and requires a team approach between the doctor and patient with the use of various health care practices.
• Every human have innate healing powers

How to Get a Holistic Medicine Certification

The following steps will enable you to gain a holistic medicine certification, including the holistic therapy certification.

1.    Discover Your Passion

Passion should be your driving force, just like in other careers. If you’re interested in holistic medicine’s financial rewards, you’ll discover that the job isn’t as rewarding as you wish.

However, if you have a passion for holistic medicine and wish to pursue the knowledge more, consider making it a career option.

Learn more about holistic medicine and connect with people in that field. From there, you can categorically decide if you want to pursue a career in it or you were simply fascinated.

2.    Research

Before jumping into the holistic medicine train, ensure to do some detailed research about it. You can start by researching the career opportunities available for you in your community as a holistic medicine practitioner.

Although holistic care is quite profitable and gaining more popularity, you’ve got to ensure it’s a reasonable option in your location. You can also consider relocation if you’re willing to, especially if the population in your area is resistant to holistic medicine.

Once you discover the opportunities that await you as a holistic medicine practitioner, ensure you understand the duties. Go online, watch videos and read articles on what holistic medicine practitioners are doing, the type of treatments they use, and how they approach patients. That way, you become familiar with it.

3.    Decide on a Specialty

Seeing as there are many aspects of holistic medicine, it’s crucial to choose your specialty. This way, you can provide the best service in that specific niche.

Some popular specialties in holistic medicine include neuropathy, nutrition, and acupuncture. Carefully select an area of expertise that aligns with your current knowledge and interests.

Then check the training program options available to you regarding your preferred specialty. You can opt for an offline program in your community or surrounding towns. However, you can go the easy way and register for a health professional program online for your holistic medicine certification.

4.    Get Qualified

Before you can practice holistic medicine, you’ll be required to get some qualifications. Simply put, you’ll need a relevant degree and a certification in your specialty.

If you have a degree in physiology or anatomy, you’ll find it especially helpful when learning how to treat common body ailments. Typically, you might have to get a degree in a related field to open up doors for further certifications.

One such certification you’ll need to get is the accredited CNHP certification. This way, patients are convinced you’re qualified to treat them.

5.    Get Licensed

Once you’ve gotten your certifications, degrees, and qualifications, next is to get a license and be able to practice medicine.

Although there isn’t a special license for holistic medicine, you’re allowed to practice holistic medicine when you get a permit for a specific branch of medicine. For example, if you want to utilize a holistic approach to psychotherapy, get licensed in psychology.

6.    Facility or Independently?

After getting certified and licensed to practice holistic medicine, you’ll need to decide whether to work in a facility, for instance, a clinic or a hospital, or independently. At a facility, there’s the security of benefits and salary. Conversely, as an independent practitioner, you can control your practice and set your schedules.

Final Thoughts

Getting a holistic medicine certification is a challenging but admirable decision. When you follow the steps above, you can work in the field you love and enjoy the freedom that comes with operating an independent practice.

A holistic medicine approach enhances life and health. The patient feels more engaged, integrated, and balanced in their healing and health more than before. Holistic medicine is worth exploring due to its life-changing effects on several facets of daily living.

To kickstart your journey into holistic medicine, consider going through the Academy Epic website to learn more.