Is natural health calling you? Why not train to be a naturopath? But what is naturopathy? Here in the next few lines are the issues of this profession and how to become naturopath.
Naturopathy is a set of natural health methods tending to restore and/or maintain the subtle balance that makes us healthy or not . It is a philosophy, an art of living every day.
The naturopath is neither a doctor (no diagnosis) nor a healer: he is a health educator. It works in prevention or in support of conventional medicine, without ever replacing it.
The body has the ability to heal itself. However, with the hectic lifestyle of Western society, the lack of physical exercise, the poor quality of our food, pollution in all its forms, etc... the body is saturated, it can no longer evacuate waste properly and disorders appear. Innaturopathy, we don't stop at symptoms because they are just the tip of the iceberg.
The fields of action of the naturopath:
- Prevention:maintain a high life force through the 10 natural techniques
- Education: teaching each person to become self-reliant and respect their self-healing life force
- Accountability: become aware of the laws of cause and effect specific to each individual
- Coaching: finding harmony with yourself, others, your environment...
Training in naturopathy
Choosing "the" right school can be a real headache for the future student. In fact, many private schools are springing up every year, some of which are affiliated with a group of schools in anticipation of state recognition, while others are not. It is important to know that naturopathic studies are not supervised by the state and that, consequently, there are no real rules governing the course programs. Each school is independent and offers its own program according to its specialty (hygienist, holistic...) Moreover, since the profession of naturopath is not officially recognized by the State, we do not speak of a diploma but of a certification.
Duration of naturopathic studies
The length of training depends, again, on the schools. From 18 months in intensive to 3 years, the duration depends on the time you can devote to it. It is also possible to follow the courses directly with a trainer or remotely by internet. That said, e-learning courses are usually punctuated by in-center training gatherings. Some schools require an internship of several weeks with professionals.
Financing
Naturopathic studies require a substantial budget. Understand that discount trainings do not allow you to become a naturopath but are considered introductions to naturopathy.
On the other hand, depending on your situation and the training center you choose, it is sometimes possible to ask for financing from the Pôle-emploi or to benefit from the CPF (Compte Personnel de Formation, formerly DIF - Droit Individuel à la Formation). Remember to check with your potential future school.
Personal organization
Studying naturopathy requires a lot of personal work, research, reading, and experimentation on oneself to enrich, integrate and corroborate the teachings received. It takes time and organization, but if you want to go into this line of work, you are already a passionate person!!
Specialize
As stated above, depending on the school you choose, affinities with this or that technique will emerge, whether in phytotherapy, aromatherapy, energy techniques, massage, micro-nutrition, etc.
At the same time, depending on your background, your history and the meaning you wish to give to your professional practice, you will naturally gravitate towards a domain in particular: accompaniment in peri-natal, auto-immune, psychological, pediatric, feminine, detox, etc... It will then be a matter of you specializing and deepening through other trainings, internships, readings outside of your initial curriculum.
The naturopathic studies are exciting and provide a different perspective on health. Regardless of the training center you choose, remember that it is not their teachings that will make you a good naturopath but how you will use your knowledge, insight, experience, and most importantly, your listening skills when you are set up. This is what will make the difference, your difference. Moments of doubt should never make you forget why you headed into this line of work. Now it's your turn to jump into the deep end!