Nutritional therapist
Nutritional therapists help people by giving advice on diet, nutrition and lifestyle.
- Typical hours37 to 42 a week
What you'll do
As a nutritional therapist, you could:
- talk to clients about their diet, health and lifestyle
- carry out tests
- discuss test results and agree on a treatment plan
- monitor a client's progress
- refer clients on to other healthcare services when necessary
Working environment
You could work at a client's home, at a GP practice or in a therapy clinic.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- excellent verbal communication skills
- active listening skills
- customer service skills
- sensitivity and understanding
- knowledge of biology
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- thinking and reasoning skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a nutritional therapist
You can get into this job through a university course.
University
You'll improve your employment prospects if you get a qualification that is recognised by one of the professional organisations for nutritional therapy.
The Nutritional Therapy Education Commission accredits courses in nutritional therapy at undergraduate degree, postgraduate diploma and master's level.
When choosing a course, make sure that you:
- understand if the course is online, face-to-face or a mix of the two
- find out how much clinical experience you'll get on the course
- check your course has a good reputation
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
Career path and progression
Once you are established, you could:
- specialise in working with people with specific medical conditions like arthritis or chronic fatigue
- expand your business to offer other therapy services
- move into teaching, write about nutritional therapy or do research
Career tips
Many nutritional therapists are self-employed.
When you start, you might need to work longer hours to get more clients and build up your reputation.
You may find it useful to train in related types of therapy to increase the number of clients that you see.
Registration
- you could join an accredited register managed by the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) or the Federation of Holistic Therapists
Guides for this industry
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