With the 2015/16 academic year looming ahead, Laura Baker, Director of Studies for CNM (College of Naturopathic Medicine) in Dublin, has some advice for anyone who would like to consider training for a flexible and rewarding career helping themselves and others to better health, naturally.
If the growing number of students enrolling to study Nutrition at CNM colleges is anything to go by, it’s clear that people are waking up to the power of Nutrition as the cornerstone which underpins good health.
With a food supply that’s dramatically different to that which sustained our ancestors, and sometimes contradictory claims about the benefits versus perils of certain foods, there is a clear need for professional therapists who can help people make the right nutritional choices for themselves and their families.
A rewarding job, with good earnings and the ability to work flexible hours, is eminently achievable with a highly regarded CNM Diploma in Nutritional Therapy. 80% of CNM graduates go on to practice, many on their own, or in conjunction with health centres, gyms and spas. Some work for supplements companies or in health media.
What makes CNM’s approach to Nutrition different is that we teach Naturopathic Nutrition. Naturopathy is a holistic approach to healthcare that is based on a number of principles, including that: prevention is better than cure; the body has an innate ability to heal itself if given the right help; the root cause of a condition should be addressed rather than just the symptoms; and that practitioners never use treatments which can harm.
Teaching is based on a combination of up to date scientific research and natural medicine practices. Students learn about the physiological and biochemical processes of nourishment, as well as about the energetic side of foods and how to pinpoint whether nutritional deficiencies or toxicity may be causing a problem.
Students from a non-health background start with a foundation in Biomedicine before going on to study Nutrition. At CNM Dublin, Cork and Galway, study is part time, over a fixed number of weekends throughout the year. The flexible study programme is specifically designed so that students can manage other commitments and have the chance to ‘earn as they learn’. Students also spend a minimum of 200 hours working in clinic so that they gain the practical and interpersonal skills, as well as the experience and confidence necessary to set up a successful practice on graduating.
CNM graduates include people from very diverse backgrounds. Speaking from personal experience, I worked in the fashion industry before deciding to retrain for a career where I’d really be helping people. I graduated from CNM in 2010 as a Nutritional Therapist, and have used my skills ever since to help people return to better health. Now, as Director of Studies at CNM Dublin I also get real satisfaction from helping students realise their true potential and benefit fully from their learning experience.
If you’re not sure whether you’ve got what it takes to get back into study, whether you’d like to study Nutrition, Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, or another natural health therapy taught by CNM, come along to one of our free Open Evenings, or give one of our friendly and helpful Course Consultants a call and they’ll be happy to make a personal appointment for you and talk through your questions so you can decide whether studying at CNM could be right for you.
