Nutrition and Natural Health Careers

There is lot of confusion in regards to courses like Nutrition and Natural Health in Australia. This article will explain how these industries work and what type of study will help in what way to work in these disciplines.

1. The first question is who can work as a Natural Health Therapist, Nutrition Advisor?

Anyone with a solid knowledge and/or experience in the relevant subject area can consult/work. However to be covered by insurance you will need to do a course which the insurance companies recognise as a valid level of qualification.

2. What is a difference between a Dietitian and a Nutritionist?

There is a big difference between the two, a dietitian has to attend university for 4-5 years and done an internship in a teaching hospital. To get into the university degree there is also a requirement for a solid ATAR score. While a Dietitian can do general diets, they are specifically trained to work with patients who are undergoing treatment for a serious health conditions, formulate diets for patients admitted in hospitals, prescribe intravenous diets for patients who are unable to consume food normally etc. So a dietitian works hand in hand with the health care system.

A Nutritionist does diet plans and advise people for their general health and well-being, they work with people to ensure people are nutritionally balanced which avoids ill health. They also work with clients suffering from life style diseases like Obesity, Type II Diabetes, Hypertension and various intolerance's and allergies. A person can work as a Nutrition Advisor if they study a course which gives them a solid foundation in the principles of human nutrition and allows them to get insurance to practice.

3. Who is a Natural Therapist? What do you need to study to work as a Natural Therapist?

A Natural Therapist or an Alternative Therapist is someone who practices alternative treatment methods for the betterment of their clients. They use techniques like herbal medicine, aromatherapy, reiki; to name a few. They don’t use allopathic medicines in their treatment methods.

A person who has studied a solid foundation course in Natural Health can start working as a Natural Therapist. Normally Natural Therapists also have a natural flair for the treatment they practice. Just ensure that the course is at a level where insurance is available to practice.

4. Who can provide Health Fund Rebates?

You need a minimum Bachelor’s degree to be eligible to offer health fund rebates from private health insurance. A course which is of a lower level to this will not qualify you to offer health fund rebates. A nationally recognised course still will not make you eligible to offer Health Fund Rebates. A bachelor’s degree is mandatory.

5. Can I practice without being able to offer Health Fund Rebates?

Yes you absolutely can. People are under false impression that a practitioner who can offer health fund rebate will cost them less. That is wrong. A practitioner who can offer Health Fund Rebate will charge accordingly. Only 40-60% is paid by the health insurance. The rest is payable by the client. So for example a practitioner who are able to offer health fund rebate will charge $200 per consult, if the health fund pays $100-120 the rest of the $100-80 is payable by the client. A practitioner who is unable to offer health fund rebate might only charge $100-$80 per consult. As in any industry the higher the qualification of the practitioner the higher the fee charged.

So if the practitioner is knowledgeable and does the job required they will enjoy a successful career.

At Health Academy Australia all our Nutrition and Natural Health Certificates and Advanced Certificates will qualify you to get insurance to work or consult and also provide you an excellent pathway into the Bachelors in Health Sciences.

About the Author:

Vahini Panda is a qualified Nutritionist with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. She is also CEO of Health Academy Australia, a leading online training provider, offering courses in Nutrition, Natural Health, Counselling, Biology and more for the past 11 years.