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Complementary Health Practitioner Guide – How to Choose the Right One


A lot of terminology is tossed around and misused by well-meaning health and wellness enthusiasts. On the internet and in real life.

Because of that, it can be confusing to try to decipher what all the lingo really means. Especially when you’re trying to find a good health practitioner.

  • Like, what is the difference between a functional medicine doctor and naturopathic doctor?
  • Or a homeopathic doctor, for that matter?
  • Are chiropractors doctors?
  • What is an herbalist, and how do you actually find one?
  • Is a nutritionist the same thing as a health coach or nutrition coach?
  • Are Registered Dietitians the only credible nutrition professionals?
  • What do “natural”, “holistic”, “homeopathic”, “naturopathic”, “integrative”, “complementary”, “functional medicine”, and “alternative” all mean?
  • And most importantly, what is the right type of professional to treat you?



Before we get to the complementary health practitioner guide, let’s define a few terms.

First, think of the medical field as we know it today. Medical school, primary care doctors, specialists, nurses, pharmacists, prescriptions, drugs, surgery. Have an image in mind? This is allopathic medicine, also known as allopathy, or modern medicine. It’s focused on the treatment of disease primarily through drugs and surgery.

Alternative medicine, on the other hand, encompasses everything except allopathic medicine. Think chiropractic care, acupuncture, homeopathy, and herbal medicine. Natural medicine is a term synonymous with alternative medicine.

Prior to the mid-1800s, both allopathic and other types of medicine (not yet called alternative) shared popularity and influence in the United States.

Then in 1847, a group of about 250 medical doctors from 40 different medical societies and 28 allopathic medical colleges formed the American Medical Association. This created an ever-increasing chasm between allopathic and alternative medicine, and legally backed the demonization of alternative medicine in the United States for over 100 years.

In 1987, however, the A.M.A was found guilty of violating the USA’s antitrust laws in their “Principles of Medical Ethics” and was forced to change their prejudiced policies in writing. (Fritchey, Philip. Practical Herbalism. Indiana: Whitman Publications, 2004.)

Very many allopathic doctors and organizations still vehemently denounce alternative medicine, which they believe and preach to be “quackery”.
Likewise, very many alternative practitioners still directly oppose allopathic medicine. They believe it to be completely profit-driven, designed to poison people and keep them sick.

But there is a small spark of a new movement. One where allopathic and alternative medicine make peace with one another and merge to give people a better healthcare experience.

This merging has led to the birth of some new terms, like “integrative” and “complementary”.

Integrative medicine is built on the concept that health is multidimensional. With factors like genetics, socioeconomics, family, culture, religion, emotional wellbeing, and lifestyle (stress, nutrition, sleep, and exercise) being an integral part of understanding and improving wellness. Integrative and holistic health mean essentially the same thing.

Complementary medicine is a direct combination of allopathic and alternative medicine. Typically it involves starting with the least invasive, most nontoxic therapies available to address health issues. Therapies such as nutritional or herbal supplements, osteopathic manipulation, chiropractic, massage therapy, physical therapy, positive changes in diet and exercise, stress management, better sleep habits, and mental health therapy. Only if and when these interventions are not enough (or in emergencies) would a person be treated with drugs or surgery.

Complementary medicine combines the most evidence-based parts of alternative medicine with allopathic medical intervention when absolutely necessary.

Now understanding these terms, let’s delve into the alternative and complementary health practitioner guide.

Doctor with patient (complementary health practitioner guide).


1. Functional Medicine Doctors

Functional medicine is focused on getting to the root cause of chronic disease and treating it with complementary and alternative medicine, to improve health.

Typically, functional medicine doctors order a comprehensive set of labs and get a thorough health history for each of their new patients. Then, they treat the newly uncovered root cause of that patient’s illness with complementary and alternative therapies. This can include diet changes, nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, detoxification support, chiropractic care, and even rehab/physical therapy.

Medical doctors (MDs), osteopathic doctors (DOs), nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PA-Cs), naturopathic doctors (NDs), and chiropractic doctors (DCs), can all choose to undergo additional training and become board certified in functional medicine.

The two most common functional medicine board certification options include The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) and Functional Medicine University (FMU).

Each type of functional medicine doctor has their own set of benefits.

  • DC functional medicine doctors can offer chiropractic care in addition to other types of functional medicine treatment, without having to refer patients to a separate practitioner.
  • DO functional medicine doctors can offer osteopathic manipulation, prescribe drugs if necessary, and bill insurance for their services.
  • MD, NP, and PA-C functional medicine doctors can prescribe drugs if necessary and bill insurance for their services.
  • Of the four types, ND functional medicine doctors have the most extensive education and training in the field of complementary health and treatment methods. This includes modalities like healing diets, nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, supporting detoxification, and much more. Licensed N.D.s can prescribe drugs if necessary, too.

Functional medicine doctors can also choose to pursue a specialty, much like traditional doctors. For example, I’m seeing a functional neurologist right now for dysautonomia/POTS treatment. After completing their degree and licensure (as an MD, DO, NP, PA-C, ND, or DC), aspiring functional neurologists earn their board certification through the American College of Functional Neurology. Unlike traditional neurologists, functional neurologists treat their patients with a custom neurological rehabilitation regimen based on the concept of neuroplasticity.

So who should see a functional medicine doctor?

If you have –

  • A lot of chronic, debilitating symptoms and/or one or more chronic illnesses or autoimmune diseases

And you’d like –

  • A practitioner to help you connect the dots to your health problems, and get you on the right track with a functional medicine treatment plan to help heal your whole body

A functional medicine doctor could be the perfect choice for you.

As a bonus, M.D. and D.O. functional medicine doctors can bill insurance and sometimes accept medicaid.

To search for a functional medicine doctor near you, take a look at these directories.

2. Naturopathic Doctors

Naturopathic medicine is focused on working with evidence-based natural, non-invasive types of treatment first. This can include healing diets, nutritional supplements, botanical medicine, detoxification support, and more. Naturopathic philosophy believes in turning to drugs and surgery only if complementary interventions fail.

Naturopathic doctors treat complex chronic illness and autoimmune disease cases through the complementary and alternative methods above, often with incredible success.

In addition, N.D.s have the most extensive training in complementary medicine a person can get.

All licensed N.D.s in the United States have completed a bachelor’s degree in a science related field, completed their doctorate degree in naturopathic medicine from one of five AANMC accredited universities, and passed the NPLEX exam to earn their title and licensure. They are not the same thing as a traditional naturopath, who may have a diploma or two-year degree from an unaccredited, nontraditional school.

So who should see a naturopathic doctor?

Similarly to functional medicine doctors, if you have –

  • A lot of chronic, debilitating symptoms and/or one or more chronic illnesses or autoimmune diseases

And you’d like –

  • A practitioner to help you connect the dots to your health problems, and get you on the right track with a naturopathic treatment plan to help heal your whole body

And you want to work with –

  • A practitioner who is the most extensively-trained in complementary medicine you can get

A naturopathic doctor could be the perfect choice for you.

Some N.D.s can bill insurance and accept medicaid.

To find a naturopathic doctor near you, search this directory.

3. Lyme Literate Doctors

A Lyme literate doctor (or LLMD) is an MD, DO, NP, PA-C, or ND who specializes in treating late stage Lyme Disease and coinfections.

To gain their Lyme literate status, they achieve registry with the organization ILADS. ILADS is devoted to helping Lyme sufferers get access to better testing, doctors, and treatment.

LLMDs treat their patients with a combination of antibiotics given orally and intravenously over a long period of time. Remission is the end goal. Often, LLMDs include supportive therapies like healing diets, nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, and detoxification support in addition to antibiotics as part of each patient’s treatment plan.

So who should see a Lyme literate doctor?

A Lyme literate doctor could be the right choice for you if –

  • You’re suffering from late stage Lyme Disease and/or coinfections, or you think you might be
  • You want gold standard testing, and treatment with multiple long term antibiotics and supportive complementary remedies like a healing diet plan, nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, and detoxification support
  • You want a knowledgeable practitioner who understands what has happened to your health and how to help you heal

Due to regulations, Lyme Literate doctors can’t accept insurance.

To find a Lyme literate doctor, search this directory.

You can also read my post about finding the right practitioner to treat your Lyme Disease and coinfections, to get a better idea of the type of practitioner that might be the best fit for you.

4. Chiropractic Doctors

Chiropractic doctors are health professionals who specialize in the correction of misaligned (subluxated) vertebrae and joints. These spinal corrections help restore mobility, reduce pain, and rid the body of nerve interference. Without subluxations causing nerve interference, the systems of the body can function optimally. If you’d like to read a systematic study review about the effects of chiropractic care on different health conditions, you can do so here.

All chiropractors have completed a bachelor’s degree in a science-related field, completed their doctorate degree in chiropractic, passed a series of examinations, and earned their DC license to practice chiropractic in their state.

While you’ll hear many alternative and complementary medicine skeptics calling chiropractic doctors “quacks”, prospective chiropractors also earn a doctoral degree and study the same sciences medical doctors learn in college, plus some additional material that medical doctors don’t learn – like nutrition and dietetics. Each US state differs in what licensed chiropractors are allowed to do as part of their practice.

Some chiropractic doctors choose to become board certified in functional medicine and extend their scope of practice (as we learned above). Others focus solely on chiropractic care. The type of chiropractor you choose should depend on the type of services you’re looking for.

So who should see a chiropractic doctor?

A chiropractor could be a great option for you if –

  • You have a musculoskeletal condition or injury causing loss of mobility or chronic pain and need acute care
  • You want regular preventative care to optimize your immune and nervous system function and decrease the chance of developing mobility and chronic pain problems

If you’d like to find a chiropractic doctor, your best best would be to search on Google maps, read reviews, and ask friends and family for recommendations.

5. Nutritionists

Simply put, nutrition is the study of food as the fuel the body needs.

Believe it or not, nutrition is a prominent field in both allopathic and complementary and alternative medicine.

In allopathic medicine, nutritionists (Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians, Registered) primarily work in hospitals, in charge of prescribing and modifying diets and dietary supplements for the patients there as needed. They can also work in community and public health, such as government assistance programs or public schools.

In the complementary and alternative medicine space, nutritionists tend to work in private practice instead. Using the mindset of “food as medicine”, they treat complex conditions through healing diets and nutritional supplements.

No matter what you saw on the internet, or what anybody tells you, the legal practice of nutrition consulting in the United States involves strict regulations.

The state the nutritionist lives and practices in determines their requirements.

1. About 1/4 of US states require licensure for nutrition professionals, and the only pathway to licensure in those states is becoming a Registered Dietitian or Dietetic Technician, Registered.

  • Alabama
  • Florida
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Ohio
  • Rhode Island
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee

Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians, Registered are exclusively licensed to practice dietetics and medical nutrition therapy (the treatment of disease through nutrition). They often perform inpatient work in hospitals.

Registered Dietitians complete an ACEND-accredited master’s degree in dietetics (formerly bachelor’s degree), an 8-12 month dietetic internship, pass the RD examination, and earn their license to practice nutrition in their state.

Dietetic Technicians, Registered complete an ACEND-accredited associate’s degree in dietetic technology plus 450 supervised practice hours or bachelor’s degree in dietetics without supervised practice hours. Then, they must pass the DTR examination and earn their license to practice nutrition in their state.

2. About 1/4 of US states require licensure for nutrition professionals, but offer several other pathways for licensure in addition to Registered Dietitian and Dietetic Technician, Registered.

  • Alaska (DACBN & CNS)
  • Delaware (CNS)
  • Illinois (DACBN & CNS)
  • Kentucky (accredited bachelor’s or higher degree in nutrition, as long as it includes the 45 specific credit hours required by the state)
  • Maryland (CNS)
  • Massachusetts (CNS)
  • Minnesota (CNS, accredited master’s or doctorate degree in nutrition)
  • New Jersey (DACBN & CNS)
  • New Mexico (DACBN, accredited master’s or doctorate degree in nutrition)
  • New York (CNS)
  • North Carolina (DACBN & CNS)
  • North Dakota (DACBN, accredited master’s or doctorate degree in nutrition)
  • Pennsylvania (CNS)
  • Virginia (DACBN & CNS)
  • Washington (accredited master’s or doctorate degree in nutrition)

These alternate pathways include Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) and American Clinical Board of Nutrition (DACBN).

The requirements for CNS qualification include an accredited master’s degree in a nutrition-related field, 900-1000 hours of clinical experience, and passing the CNS exam.

The requirements for DACBN qualification include a doctoral degree in a healthcare field, 300 hours of post-doctoral education in nutrition from an accredited institution, one year of clinical nutrition experience, a nutrition research paper submission, and passing the DACBN exam.

These can be good alternative options for people who don’t want to focus their clinical experience on hospital/inpatient, food service, and community nutrition.

3. About 1/2 of US states license Registered Dietitians, but don’t require or offer licensure for nutritionists.
This means that in these states, a person can go by the title “nutritionist” and practice nutrition counseling without licensure. 

A credible nutritionist in one of these states should still hold an accredited degree in a nutrition-related field, to demonstrate that they have the knowledge and experience they need to practice in the field. As a bonus, they might hold CNS or DACBN credentials, but live in a state where this doesn’t grant them licensure opportunity.

A degreed nutritionist might also hold board certification through an organization like the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP), to boost their credibility. The NANP require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree or higher in nutrition (from an approved school), 1200 hours of supervised clinical experience, the passing of their examination, plus continuing education units to renew their certification every two years.

It’s important to make sure the nutritionist you work with has met the legal requirements to practice nutrition counseling in their/your state.

You can check your state laws on the practice of nutrition here and here.

The difference between a health coach with a nutrition focus and a nutritionist is that coaches provide general nutrition education and guidance to empower clients to discover, hone, reach their own health goals, while nutritionists can deliver personalized nutrition/meal plans to their clients. If you’d like to learn more about the different between a nutritionist and a health coach, you can do so here.

So who should see a nutritionist?

Depending on their speciality, nutritionists can treat a wide array of people and conditions, including –

  • People with eating disorders and disordered eating who need help restoring a healthy eating pattern and meeting their nutritional needs
  • Athletes who need to optimize their diet for enhanced performance
  • People with food allergies, intolerances, and Celiac Disease who need help planning a diet that meets their nutritional needs
  • People with complex chronic illness and autoimmune disease who want to approach treatment primarily through healing diets and nutritional supplements

If you decide to work with a nutritionist, it’s important to find one that has experience in your problem area. Be sure to look for someone with training in functional medicine for the best possible experience.

If you work with a Registered Dietitian or Dietetic Technician, Registered, it’s especially important to check that they have training and experience in functional and integrative medicine, because their degree coursework and clinical rotations are not focused in that area.

If you’d like to search for a nearby nutritionist, you can browse the following directories:

6. Health Coaches

Health coaches are experts in behavior change and integrative medicine. Integrative medicine, as we know, is the theory that health is affected by many factors and that a healthy lifestyle is essential for improving wellness.

There is some confusion about what health coaches do vs. what nutritionists do. Especially because some health coaches call themselves nutrition coaches, when their niche is in nutrition rather than exercise or lifestyle as a whole.

So…what is the difference?

Health coaches work with clients to help them discover and achieve their wellness goals through motivational interviewing techniques. They use a very client centered and collaborative approach, helping clients come to the realization of what they want to do to achieve their goals and how.

Health coaches can teach their clients about nutrition, diets, supplements, and provide hands-on support like grocery store tours, cooking classes, or teaching clients how to meal plan according to their budget. Some health coaches focus on nutrition, others on fitness, and others on stress reduction and mental health.

Nutritionists, on the other hand, can legally treat disease with nutrition and provide nutritional counseling. Their jurisdiction is more in delivering meal plans and treating nutrition-related problem areas than in improving lifestyle, although it can overlap a little.

Education for health coaches isn’t regulated very much yet.

There are set standards coaches have to meet to qualify for employment through agencies, health insurance companies, workplaces, and medical networks, though.

To get a job with a company rather than starting their own business, health coaches must have a minimum of an associate’s and preferably a bachelor’s degree in a science and/or health related field, in addition to a health coaching certification. Most companies prefer National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) certification.

It is possible that as legislation for health coaching develops, NBHWC certification may become a requirement for health coaches.

To become a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), an aspiring coach must earn an associate’s degree or higher, complete an NBHWC-accredited health coaching program and a minimum of 50 health coaching sessions, and pass the NBHWC exam.

If you’re working with a health coach through your workplace, health insurance company, or any other public institution, you can rest assured they have reputable credentials and thorough training.

If you’re thinking about working with a coach who has an independent practice though, definitely research their undergraduate education, health coaching certification, and experience before you make your decision.

Sometimes, Registered Nurses, Registered Dietitians, and nutritionists choose to also become certified health coaches. Training in motivational interviewing and behavior change can improve their communication skills and give them better results in their practice.

So who should work with a health coach?

If your health practitioner has told you to make health/lifestyle changes or you know you need to make health/lifestyle changes, but it just seems too difficult and overwhelming and you have no idea where to start – a health coach could be a great option for you.

They will help you realize your goals, come up with an achievable plan that works for you, and transform your health one step at a time – with you in the driver’s seat.

If you’d like to find a health coach near you, check out the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching directory.

7. Homeopathic Doctors

Popular belief equates homeopathic medicine with naturopathic and complementary medicine. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Homeopathy is a very specific type of energy medicine. It is founded on two principles.

  1. Substances that would cause unpleasant symptoms or even poisoning when consumed by a healthy person are diluted with water or sugar and shaken (successed) until no molecules of the original substances are left in the water or sugar. Only the “energetic imprint” of the substances remain in the water or sugar. This is homeopathic medicine. According to this homeopathic principle, the more diluted the medicine, the more potent it is.
  2. Like cures like. Meaning, homeopathic doctors choose a remedy for each patient by selecting the homeopathic medicine that, in a healthy person, would cause the symptoms the patient is currently experiencing if consumed undiluted.

Homeopathic doctors can be MDs, DOs, or NDs who choose to become board certified in homeopathy and earn homeopathic diplomate status.

So who should see a homeopathic doctor?

Homeopathy and energy medicine are so different from other types of alternative and complementary medicine. For that reason, it’s important to research it in depth before you decide whether seeing a homeopathic doctor is the route you want to take.

If after researching you decide to see a homeopathic doctor, it’s important to search for a classical homeopath rather than a naturopathic doctor or functional medicine doctor who uses professional lines of homeopathic medicine in their practice. Classical homeopaths specialize in homeopathic remedies and their clinical application.

8. Herbalists

Herbal medicine is the study of plants and the medicinal effect of their properties on the human body.

Most health professionals know next to nothing about herbal medicine (yes, even Registered Dietitians), with the exception of naturopathic and functional medicine doctors – though herbalists generally know more.

Herbalists have the most extensive education and training a person can get in the field of medicinal plants.

The types of clinical herbalists who see clients can be broken down into three main categories:

Western Herbal Medicine

Western herbalists study the chemical properties of medicinal plants and how they effect the human body from a western perspective (eg. antimicrobial, immune modulating, symptom-regulating, protective and healing to specific organs of the body, supportive of the detoxification organs and process). They also study the historical use of medicinal herbs and the studies we have available on the medicinal effects of herbs.

A western herbalist’s education and credentials in the U.S. can include –

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Traditional Chinese Medicine herbalists study plant medicine from the perspective of an eastern mindset. This includes elements, flavors, temperature, and yin/yang aspects. TCM practitioners prescribe herbal remedies based on their patients’ element, flavor, temperature, and yin/yang imbalances, choosing herbal medicines that neutralize any imbalances.

Traditional Chinese Medicine herbalists have ACAOM-accredited graduate-level education in TCM and hold their credentials as Diplomates of Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, and/or Oriental Medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbalists often work as the doctors in acupuncture clinics in the United States.

Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurvedic practitioners base their study and application of herbal medicine on the Ayurvedic mindset, the traditional medicine of the countries of India and Nepal. This involves the theory of tridosha (vata, kapha, and pitta) that become imbalanced through disease and require a combination of food and herbal medicine to correct.

Ayurvedic practitioners get their master’s degree in Ayurvedic Medicine and hold professional membership with NAMA (National Ayurvedic Medical Association).

Not many accredited colleges offer master’s degrees in Ayurvedic medicine, but the following do:
– Mount Madonna Institute
– Maharishi International University

In India and the surrounding regions, Ayurvedic practitioners have the higher education opportunities and jurisdiction to practice as doctors, but not in the United States.

So who should see an herbalist?

Simple. Anyone with a lot of chronic and debilitating symptoms or known chronic illness/autoimmune disease who wants to pursue treatment primarily with herbal medicine from a knowledgeable practitioner.

Herbalists have the education and experience to truly understand the chemical complexities of medicinal plants and how they help the body heal.

If you’d like to locate an herbalist near you, you can search the following directories:

Who is probably not a reputable practitioner?

For every credible practitioner, there is another who didn’t get the education or training they needed to practice legally and ethically in the United States.

How can you tell the difference?

Knowing a few credentials and titles to steer clear of will help a lot.

1.Certified Holistic/Natural Health Practitioner (This credential takes only 1-2 years to earn at a nontraditional, unaccredited school and people who practice under this designation can get into legal trouble for practicing medicine or nutrition without a license.)

2. Nutrition Consultant (Or any nutrition program that claims you can legally practice as a nutritionist in the United States with only a “certification” and no accredited degree.)

3. Traditional Naturopath (This credential can be earned in as little as two years with no prerequisite education requirements at a nontraditional, unaccredited school. Yet graduates often claim the title ND and practice as though they have a doctorate degree. They can get into legal trouble for practicing medicine or nutrition without a license.)

4. Certified Aromatherapist (An aromatherapy certificate can be a nice add-on for some professions, like massage therapy. Most of the time, though, MLMs give these meaningless credentials to their reps and then consumers think it’s a valid title they can trust.)

5. Any MLM “Coach” or “Consultant”

Whichever type of complementary or alternative practitioner you choose to look for, a few key researching tips can help you find the right one.

Look into the education and credentials of the health practitioner in question, pay attention to their specialties and experience, get a personal recommendation, and read any reviews.



If you’re interested in becoming a complementary health practitioner, check out this ultimate guide.

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