You find yourself in need of some guidance and are on the lookout for a decent professional, so your first instinct is to type the modality you seek on google search or the maps app on your phone and low an behold, you get inundated with an endless sea of options and have no clue where to start. I’ve got you covered, and I’ll begin by saying that I must be crude and real with you and proclaim from the start that we live in a time of, I won’t be as cynical as to say incompetent, but I will say less-than-ideally-competent practitioners. Unfortunately, many of us don’t have decent referral networks as we don’t have experience working with practitioners nor do we have acquaintances who can point us in the right direction, so the risks of a disappointing experience are considerably higher when the internet is the only tool at your disposal to find a suitable practitioner.

Let’s see to it that I make your seeking journey less risky and burdensome by highlighting some key metrics you can use to gauge if the professional you wish to see is a better option than the others.

1. Bases their practice on protocols and packages or is obsessed about a specific vitamin, nutrient, supplement, etc.  

This is almost a dead giveaway sign of the kind of practitioner I refer to as the “commercialized” practitioner. I am by no means implying that any form of commercial aspect to a holistic practice is unethical, however, if you notice a practitioner selling a specific bundle or protocol to treat something nebulous and complex such as fatigue or IBS, then consider this a red flag. Chances are they will recommend the same protocol to any client who presents with such condition regardless of whatever walk of life the client comes from. This line of reductionistic thinking is the antithesis of holistic practice and goes well into the bounds of standard medical practice. 

You may notice upon visiting the website of the practitioner that hyper-preaches some kind of supplement or protocol that they just so happen to sell it to the general public, no need for a consultation or professional opinion of any kind, just type your credit card details and you’re good to go… not a good sign if you ask me.

Think of it this way as an example; client comes in complaining of fatigue, I suspect most clients have had Epstein-Barr virus in the past so my go to is a B-vitamin complex supplement… not a good diagnostic framework to operate from; fatigue is a multi-variable phenomena, a comprehensive history of the client’s health is needed to denote where their fatigue stems from. In the modalities where practitioners use supplements, sometimes, and sadly, the reason they may resort to prescribing lots of supplements stems from the improper education taught in some holistic circles where practitioners are taught to think like medical doctors; to treat symptoms individually as if they are conditions alone.

2. Uses anecdotal experiences to justify why you should follow their advice or see a practitioner they are referring you to

“You know, I gave Stacey this multi-vitamin and her symptoms went away”, “Any time I get back pains just like you I see this acupuncturist so you should see them too”. Typically, any practitioner using this tactic is likely doing so because they have no idea what you are dealing with, they can’t conceptualize what condition or disorder you may be suffering from based on the set of symptoms that you have presented with so their modus operandi is to start you off with something generic and probably unsubstantiated to see if anything clicks and you start making some semblance of progress by the next consult. Sometimes, practitioners feel pressured to “prescribe” something to their client in the first consult and I’ll be straight with you and say that this is unnecessary as sometimes the first consult is needed just to grasp the client’s personal history if they even manage to get it all in during the first consult. In the case where a client has a specific symptom they want temporary relief from, it’s understandable that they may be prescribed something initially as a temporary crutch.

3. Is “qualified” in and practices multiple modalities

This one is slightly personal, and I’ll say that it treads on an ethical grey area which not many people are aware of but nonetheless, have your antennas high if you notice this in a potential candidate for a practitioner. I am a very firm proponent of mastery and the concept behind this is simple to understand; mastery is essentially the command or grasp of expert or exceptional knowledge and experience in a given field. Ask yourself this simple question; would you rather see a naturopath who has been in the game for 10 years and has focused the entirety of their career advancing in their profession or would you rather see a naturopath who has been in the game for the same length of time but also became “qualified” in massage therapy, reiki, counselling, homeopathy, astrology, and acupuncture during those 10 years? 

I think the answer should be fairly obvious as it is simply too difficult for anyone to be truly proficient at multiple modalities and deliver the same quality of care to every client they see through every modality they practice. It should be noted that to understand the nuances of each individual and how to best tailor treatment individually within any modality is a laborious task that takes diligent reflection and practice and it’s practically impossible to accomplish this successfully if you treat clients using three other modalities. This is where referral networks come handy, they enable you to refer clients on to other practitioners who are better versed in a different modality that you feel your client would benefit from.

4. They don’t list their training or professional association registration on their website

Thankfully, this red flag isn’t common but always keep a keen eye for it as it’s easy to spot. Being registered to a professional association implies that the practitioner has an interest in continuing their education outside of schooling, which is essential as being a practitioner is a lifelong endeavour of continuous learning and improving, and that they have indemnity insurance to mitigate the risk of loss in the case of a litigation. By being transparent about their qualifications and certificates, you get a sense of how they were trained and if their training is sufficient for them to be competent enough to practice right after graduating.

5. They don’t use any objective metrics to track your progress 

This one is critical and unfortunately, you won’t make note of this arcane but devious faux pas until you are in the third appointment or so but regardless, pay extra attention to how your practitioner checks in on your progress from the second appointment onwards as this is where you can quickly gauge how your chosen practitioner approaches the way they manage clients. “How are you doing?”, “are you feeling better?”, “how’s your sleep?”; doing, better, and sleep, are not objective metrics by any means. A good practitioner needs to ask you specific questions relating to your complaints. However, in the defence of practitioners, sometimes clients seem to be just fine with coming in, session after session, making minimal to no headway and not make any note of their continual struggle with the practitioner they’re seeing as they keep receiving “girlfriend magazine” that’s getting them nowhere.   

My take on this is don’t let this be you, don’t fall into the trap of chasing your own tail and make a conscious note of how you’re progressing because at the end of the day, you would much rather spend your hard earned money on someone who is committed to getting results with you than with someone who prefers to keep you on their calendar for months, if not years on end. Good health is not an unsolvable riddle or some kind of esoteric rocket science, unless you have comorbidities that are difficult to manage or complex autoimmune disorders, you should not have to see a practitioner for long, which leads me to my next and final red flag.

6. They don’t refer you on when necessary or don’t have a decent referral network 

I believe it’s essential for practitioners to arm themselves with the indispensable tool of a referral network. It is far better to leave some kind of good impression for a client who could not find resolve than it is for them to leave empty handed in search of someone new to get help from and the easiest way to accomplish this is by knowing who to refer them to next. Additionally, there is no use in holding on to clients for months or years on end if you know there is another professional out there who could handle their needs better than you can. I understand that this strategy of treating clients as quickly and efficiently as possible can be economically risky as replacing clientele can be challenging but I believe the practitioner who delivers proficiently will, at some point, have no issue procuring new clients.          

I hope this list arms you with the tools you need to spot a practitioner that may not be out for your best interests and hopefully skip the painful trial and error process of jumping from one professional to another so you can find the guidance you need as quickly as possible.