How to choose a naturopath in Australia
Did you know there are also no formal prerequisites for becoming a naturopath in Australia? So what do we need to look out for to choose a naturopath we know we can trust? What’s the difference between the various qualifications out there? To start, they should have qualifications, registrations and memberships relating to the field.
Qualifications
Ideally, naturopaths should hold either a Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy) or an Advanced Diploma of Applied Science (Naturopathy). Please note there are no longer accredited Advanced Diploma courses available to study in Australia. The minimum qualification today is a Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy). Courses typically involve four years of full-time study of subjects ranging from biology, pharmacology, chemistry and biochemistry, nutrition and herbal medicine, as well as over 360 hours of clinical practicum.
Professional Membership
Associations tend to only accept members who have tertiary qualifications in the field of naturopathy. They also require members to have professional indemnity insurance, a current First Aid certificate and are committed to continuing education to remain up-to-date with scientific advancements.
Regulation
The naturopathic profession continues to be self-regulated. However, there is a national register — the Australian National Register of Accredited Natural Therapists (ANRANT). This was established to provide education and the minimum standards of practice for naturopathy. These include:
- Code of Conduct
- Proof of identity requirements
- Criminal history register standard
- English language skills register standard
- Guidelines for the advertising of naturopathic and Western herbal medicine services
- Professional indemnity insurance registration standards
- Guidelines for professional development
- Guidelines for patient record-keeping
- Recency of practice guidelines
- General registration requirements
- Limited registration requirements
- Non-practising registration requirements
In addition to this, A national code of conduct bounds all naturopaths, so their clinical environment must be clean, tidy and not expose their clients to any risk of injury or infection.
My hope is in 2024, Naturopathy will join Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and require a minimum amount of education, continuous professional development, and competency. In the meantime, the best thing to do to gauge your naturopathic practitioner is ask. Look for qualifications and membership certificates on their clinic wall. Look at their Practitioner Profile on their website. And if in doubt, you can always contact me.
