Working With Clients as a Holistic Nutritionist
In 1996, I realized that I would love working with clients as a holistic nutritionist. I had retired from teaching grade 3 when my children were born, became a Vice President and General Manager of a weight loss company after they started school, and had recently closed my esthetic business, where I had included weight loss counselling. I had the time and desire to learn more about the body and how to keep myself and my family healthy. My husband had been diagnosed with MS and I was determined to help him without the use of medication, with some pretty scary side effects, being offered by his doctors.
I made a commitment to dedicate 20 hours per week to my studies, while taking a correspondence course in natural nutrition (old school for online learning before computers became widely used). I graduated six months later, joined NCOC (Nutritional Consultants of Canada), and became a Registered Nutritional Consultant. I realize now that the education at that time didn’t compare with the depth of information that Edison Institute of Nutrition provides today.
At that time, there were only a few accredited schools and most holistic practitioners had only graduated within the past year or two. We were starved for additional knowledge, particularly in regard to supplements and protocols, which were not taught at that time, and how to use what we had learned at school. A group of us came together and began to study under an experienced Nutritionist, Carola Barczak. Carola was brilliant. She taught us how to create a proper nutrition practice. At each meeting, she brought in a new client and demonstrated how to conduct an initial consultation. At the same time, Lynne Hinton provided onsite Live Blood Cell Microscopy which allowed the client, and each of us present, to see what was happening in the client’s body, in real time.
Seated at a desk, in an office-like setting, Carola listened to the client’s story, recorded his/her medical history, analyzed the client’s deficiencies, using David Rowland’s Nutribody Questionnaire®, and created a unique protocol for each. After the client left, she explained her thinking when making her suggestions. Through this process, Carola introduced us to excellent product lines, what to offer them and why, in conjunction with diet and lifestyle recommendations. Each client would return, the following month, to discuss the changes they experienced, and she would give them their next protocol. This was the birth of the Nutritional Preceptorship Program, which has gone through many transformations, but is still in existence today, as www.nppwebinars.com
I learned the importance of helping each and every client feel safe and heard. Many of our clients have seen a myriad of practitioners before entering our office, often with little or no success. Other clients had recently received a difficult diagnosis and were feeling overwhelmed and betrayed by their body. I learned to listen, without interrupting, and take thorough notes, that I could review before each appointment. I asked questions that helped me understand their issue, their state of mind, their lives, and the history of their symptoms and complaints. I made a point of finding out what they were prepared to do in order to get well and tried to meet them where they were in their healing journey.
I only recommended product lines that I had used myself and trusted completely. I always had the products available in my office, not comfortable sending them to a health food store for advice on the best product to purchase. After every appointment, my clients left with what they needed in order to implement their protocol for the next 4 – 6 weeks. We also agreed on a method of communication, in case they had additional questions before our next meeting, and scheduled a date and time when we would next meet.
Edison has developed a greater in-depth course curriculum for the Diploma in Holistic Nutrition. After graduation, I realized the importance of continuing education. I went on to study Biotherapeutic Drainage with incredible teachers like Dr. Mikhael Adams, ND, Milton, Dr. Gerard Guinot, MD and Homeopath, Belgium, and Dr. Robert Abel, ND, Texas, and many others. I studied Muscle Testing, an energetic way of selecting the best remedy for each client, with Tracy McBurney, https://edisoninst.com/courses/continuing-education/intro-muscle-testing/
Live Cell Microscopy with Lynne Hinton, https://edisoninst.com/courses/certificate-programs/ldc-microscopy/ Auricular Medicine with Dr. Mikhael Adams, and, in addition, Iridology, BEAM, EFT, and, in 2008, graduated from the British Institute of Homeopathy. To this day, I am continually taking courses and staying current in order to give my clients the best care possible and can honestly say that I am very proud of the results I have seen in my clients and my husband’s MS remission, in 2002.
Still interested? What is your first step? Choosing the school that is perfect for you. If you can get recommendations from friends or family that attended a particular school, that would be helpful. In addition, check out the website for each school, reviews by their graduates, fees, and the programs that they offer. Which will fit best into your lifestyle and schedule? Which are accredited by the best associations, like IONC, CANNP, or NANP?
I am still seeing clients, part owner and lecturer for NPP Webinars, and an Instructor and Curriculum Advisor at Edison Institute of Nutrition https://edisoninst.com/ I love this profession and all of the possibilities it has afforded me.
If you contact Edison, you will be connected to the best holistic nutrition online school with a faculty that is ready to answer your questions and provide assistance, whether your issue is technical help, administrative help, or course clarification. Even though Edison Institute of Nutrition is an online program, every test is personally reviewed by the instructor for that course.
