Naturopath
What the work is
Treats clients using a system based on traditional naturopathic philosophies and principles through employing various tools and techniques, such as diet and lifestyle education, nutrition, herbal medicine and other practices.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Completes detailed assessments to determine factors contributing to clients' states of health, including obtaining case histories, physical examinations, laboratory testing, and tongue and pulse diagnoses
- Categorises and determines the underlying causes of clients' symptoms, along with clients' capacity for improved health
- Employs a range of therapies and practices, including nutritional advice, herbal medicines, lifestyle counselling, hydrotherapy and naturopathic physical medicine, to meet individual treatment goals
- Prioritises non-invasive or non-pharmacological interventions and preventive care
- Monitors clients' progress and adjusts treatment plans as necessary
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small complementary health clinic in a fictional regional town, with a quiet treatment room and a waiting area. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A client with long-term aches says they finally sleep through the night
- A client leaves saying they feel listened to, perhaps for the first time in a while
- You and a client's GP agree on a plan that suits the client
Hard days
- A client hopes you can fix something that needs a doctor, and you have to say so
- A newspaper article attacks your field and clients arrive worried
- Running your own clinic: bookings, bills and hours you cannot easily charge for
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 269933, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.