How to Find a Holistic Practioner - Fast

Live Holistically is a multi-author site.
This post was written by: MichelleVan

So, How Do I find a Holistic Practitioner -

The Quick and Easy Way?

• Ask the supplement manager at your local health food store.

That should be the end of the post, but I do have more to say on this issue.

Why Are You Looking for Alternative Health Care?

Lets say that you’ve got some reason you want to find a new practitioner. Perhaps your face has broken out with a measles-like rash or you can’t stop going to the bathroom or you feel blah blah. Whatever the reason, you’d like to go visit someone alternative and get feeling better - without drugs.

Or maybe you’ve been the traditional route, trying different drugs with little success or you feel your medical doctor doesn’t really understand what is wrong. Worse yet, they say it is all in your head and send you off with an anti-depressive or for mental counseling. (yes if you need either of those, of course follow that route, but I’ve known many people with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue where an MD couldn’t - or wouldn’t, help. Luckily that is changing…slowly…)

What Modality Should You Choose?

Who do you choose? Acupuncturist? Naturapath? Herbalist? The choices are endless, and chances are, you could choose any of those and do pretty well. What matters most is if you resonate with the practitioner and the modality they choose to use.

So, How to Start Your Search?

I’m serious when I suggest going to the health food store and asking who they know. They might have a directory or bulletin board where you can start.

You may meet someone with experience themselves and they can give you first hand knowledge.

On the Colorado Front Range we’ve got a great directory that lists the alternative and holistic health care practitioners. If you’ve got one in your area you can probably pick it up free at your local health food store.

I’ve Got Some Names, Now What?

So you get a couple of names, the next step is to call and ‘interview them’, but when I say interview I really mean have a conversation. It should be a two way thing, you talk, they listen, answer, ask questions of you and visa versa. You know how a conversation should go. What shouldn’t happen is you ask questions, get a one or two work answer, and are left feeling like a jerk for calling. (yes it happens!)

If you can’t reach your practitioner because they are too busy, that is probably a good sign. It means they’ve got clients and a full practice. However the therapist or an assistant should telephone or email you back within a day or so to answer all your questions.

Need some questions to Ask Your Potential Therapist?

Here are a few questions to get you started:

• What type of therapy do you practice?
• What personal experience do you have and why did you choose….. homeopathy, herbs, Reiki,…..fill in the blank ..?
• How long are your appointments?
• How long is the initial appointment?
• Approximately how much can I expect to pay in total per visit?
  • This is important as the initial consultation may be more money than a follow up visit, and visits may have additional expenses such as supplements or books that you’ll have to purchase.

What are the Right Answers?
What should you look for in an answer?

• Surprise! The answers matter less than the attitude.

• The therapist should be passionate about what he does and that should come across when talking with you.

• The therapist should be asking you lots of questions - what are your symptoms and what you hope to gain from a visit.

• Answers should include how many visits you’d expect to have and and outline a probable plan of action.

• You should find out what an initial visit consists of. Is it testing? Evaluations? Actual treatments?

What About the Money?

One of the most common objections to seeing an alternative therapist is the cost. It is rarely covered by insurance and often expensive. However, do you really want your insurance company to dictate your health?

If you could feel better, accomplish more of what you wanted, have more energy and live longer wouldn’t you want to spend a little to get there?

I spend cash every month on my health - none of it is considered traditional therapy, but I love how I feel and know that my health is better because of it. Do what is right for you, but don’t use holistic health care as a last resort option just because of the cost. You’ll find spending a bit upfront will cost you a lot less than waiting and tackling a health care issue later.

Other Tips When Choosing a Holistic Therapist:

• Are you equally comfortable with a male or female therapist?

• Would you follow through with the recommended therapy? For instance, if you see a nutritionist, you will probably get advice to change your diet. Are you willing? If you see a massage therapist, you may be given additional stretches to do at home. Is it realistic that you will do it?

• I find that the modality I’ve chosen, (acupuncture, homeopathy, caniosacral, emotional release work, etc.) matters less than a therapist I trust, and connect with.

Once I’ve found that person, I”m likely to stay with them for years, doing a variety of protocols. Most practitioners will continue to learn and grow and add to their repertoire.

My massage therapist (Susan) uses somatic education, energy work, stretches, craniosacral, and lymph massage - and any of those may be used on me when I visit her.

The EAV homeopathic practitioner I used to visit, also used supplements, nutrition, flower essences, and herbal compresses - and I did it all as part of his protocol for me. I was less concerned about the type of therapy I was using, and more concerned that I was getting results.

So, you’ve called and interviewed two practitioners over the phone.

How do you choose?

The same way you’d choose a friend.

• By listening to your heart.

Did you enjoy the conversation? Are you excited about the possibilities of working with him or her? Or, were you left feeling agitated?
You may find that you’ll see a practitioner one or two times and then move on to another one, or that you’ll stay for years seeing them as needed. The point is to listen to yourself, your inner knowing, and trust it.

As the relationship continues, you’ll want to ask

• Am I getting results? Is the process working?

Is your therapist a healer first, and a practitioner second? Remember when doctors used to be doctors because they cared about healing others? It is still possible to meet doctors like that. I want you to find one.

The Bottom Line:

After your first visit ask yourself….

• Will this person will help me feel better? Do I trust them? Am I hopeful?

• Do I believe that my health, - mental, physical, spiritual, emotional - will get better?

If not, start again at the top and re-read this post.

Other resources:

Eric blogs about teaching professionals ways to relate to their clients

And on Conscious Destiny, I write about tips for entrepreneurial therapists.