Institute of Natural Healing

How long does it usually take to complete the course?

The counseling and herbal medicine courses can take five months to complete. But you can do it as quickly or slowly as you want. That's the great advantage of distance learning.

Do I need to finish the course within a certain time?

You can take as long as you want. Unlike other organisations, we don't set any time limits.

What do the courses cost?

For prices, click here.

Does the cost for the course include everything I need? Or are there any extra fees?

There are no other costs or fees.

Can I spread the cost of the courses over a period of time?

Yes, you can make five monthly payments. It costs 20% more. You can do this by giving us your credit card details, from which we take one payment a month for five months.

Please if you would like to pay by installments.

How could I get my money back if I don't like the course?

Just return the course in good condition within 60 days of receiving it, and we'll send you a full refund. And if, after seeking work at the end of the course, you don't earn at least the cost of the course inside three months, we'll also refund your fees.

Can I start the course at any time?

Yes. You can start today. Or tomorrow. Or next week. Whenever you want.

Is the course all from home, or do I have to go to a test centre?

It's all from home.

I live in the USA, UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada etc. Is the course suitable for me?

Yes. We have students in 28 countries. And we have two editions of the course. One is for North America and those who want to pay in US dollars. The other edition is for the UK and Europe, and people who want to pay in sterling. But we welcome payment in any currency.

How can I contact my tutor or the Institute?

There have two types of people you can contact - your tutor and a course advisor.

The tutor marks your work, and helps you with any problems. You can fax, email or post assignments to your tutor, whenever you want.

We don't give out the tutor's phone number, because a few people would spend all day talking to their tutors, who would never get any work done.

But sometimes students get stuck, or have an urgent query. If so, you can phone a course advisor at the Institute at any time during work hours. If you leave a message out of work hours we'll ring you back the next day. You can contact course advisors as often as you want, and about anything to do with your subject.

Will the course give me credits towards a degree or some other study?

No. But it will help you set up and run your own business. And we encourage all students to continue their studies after completing the course.

Are the tutors practising therapists?

Yes, all tutors are practising therapists. Some other organisations use college lecturers, which means you don't get the information from the real 'coal face'.

What about legislation covering the licensing of herbalists?

As from May 2012, the Health Professions Council (HPC) will hold a statutory register of practitioners who supply unlicensed herbal medicines to people.

This is, surprisingly, a good thing. Its aim is to enable the supply of unlicensed herbal medicines to continue after 30 April 2011.

The register is designed to let herbalists continue to supply unregulated herbal remedies. It thus overcomes EU legislation, and therefore helps UK herbalists.

In addition, any herbalist who only provides regulated herbal remedies will not need to be licensed.

What if I am prevented from practising due to future legislation?

We will give a full refund to any of our learners who are prevented from practising due to government restrictions.

Can I get insurance to practise as a therapist?

Yes. We can recommend brokers or insurance companies in the UK and the USA who will give you professional liability insurance. If you live in other countries, we can also help.

Can therapies be taught, just like accountancy or the law?

Yes. Only it's a lot more fun!

Will the Diploma enable me to practise professionally?

Yes. the course is designed specifically to help you set up and run your own practice. Some courses, even at university, seem to omit this all-important aspect. We give you enough technical knowledge to practise, and we also provide detailed guidance on marketing, operation and finance to run your own business.

As far as we know, there are no restrictions anywhere in the world that prevent you from operating a complementary practice in the areas we teach. In the US, some states have legislation that prevent the use of certain words, such as Licensed... or Certified... But these do not stop you from practising. There are growing international controls on the labeling and retail sale of certain remedies, rather than the control of practitioners,. And most practitioners find they can operate satisfactorily within these boundaries. You should always check the status of the law with your lawyer.

For more information on practicing in the USA as a herbalist, click here.

Will the qualification get me a job in a hospital or school?

To get a job in a public organisation, you'll need more qualifications than we can offer. Our course is designed to help you work with private clients.

Remember, the easiest way to earn a living is to work for yourself. So in the course we focus on how you can work from home as a counselor or herbal therapist.

Will you show me how to find work?

Yes, the course includes practical guidance of getting work. You can also discuss this with your tutor or a course advisor.

Is there a final exam?

No, there is no final exam. The course is based on continuous assessment, through the assignments you send to your tutor.

And continuous assessment lets you check all the time that you're on course to succeed.

So you should look on the assignment as an exciting challenge. No, it's true! You'll enjoy them. We promise you!

What happens if I fail an assignment?

You do the work again! 80% of students complete the course without ever failing an assignment. But you might misunderstand the question, or produce an insufficiently detailed answer. So the tutor will explain the problem and ask you to send in the assignment again. When you do this, your work will be much better.

Can I submit hand-written assignments?

Yes. That's no problem.

Can I submit assignments by E-mail?

Yes. That's no problem.

Can I join the course without prior experience?

Yes. That's no problem. We make no assumptions about people's prior knowledge. But you ought to have a deep interest in the subject.

Can I tackle the topics in any order I choose?

Yes, you can. So, if you want to tackle a particular topic, you can go straight to that module. This is useful if you have a job or a client that requires you to know about a particular subject. You might note that some other organisations supply only one or two modules at a time.

I haven't studied for years. The thought of returning to study makes me nervous.

Don't worry. We sympathize. But this course is nothing like your memories of being stuck inside a stuffy classroom on a summer's day with an old-style teacher droning on.

For a start, this is a subject that interests you (or you wouldn't have got this far).

And getting this deep into the website shows that you can absorb information and concentrate for long periods of time.

Also, you'll see that we write clearly and simply. And that's how we've written the course materials. It's true that some organisations write long and boring pages that make your eyes glaze over. We promise you that our course is nothing like that. You'll find this course is informative and enjoyable. In fact, many students are almost upset at finishing the course.

Do I get the whole course or just individual modules one at a time?

We send you the whole course when you enroll. This means you can study any topic you want to. You can also see what topics are coming up. Getting everything in one package makes it easier for you to get an overview of the course. As we mentioned above, some other organisations supply only one or two modules at a time.

How does this course compare with others?

We think this is the best course in the world. Bar none. But please examine other courses before making a decision. Consider these points:

1. Is the course comprehensive?

2. Will your studies be supported by a tutor? Research shows that people succeed much better on courses that include a personal tutor.

3. Is it interactive? That is, do the course materials regularly make you stop and think, and do exercises? Too many courses consist of page after page of boring lecture notes.

4. Does it teach you about setting up your own business? College courses are often weak on this point.

5. Is it accredited?

6. Can you get a refund if you don't like the course?

So, how can I find out about other courses?

1. See if any courses are available at your local college or nearby university.

2. Scour the internet. But beware: hundreds of dotcom entrepreneurs think they can teach therapies.

3. See if you can contact a careers advisor. Careers advisors know nothing about complementary therapies, as they would be the first to admit. And the careers books they consult will probably suggest getting a three-year college degree in your chosen therapy. Which may (or may not) be a good thing, but it isn't an option for most of our students (many of whom already have a degree!).

Can a newcomer break into herbal medicine and earn money?

Yes. We show you how.

Are there any restrictions on me setting up as a herbalist?

As far as we know, no country in the world can stop you setting up your own practice.

However, in many countries only a doctor or vet may prescribe treatment to humans or animals. In the course we give you advice as to how you can earn a living without infringing the law.

To keep you straight, we also provide detailed advice on forming a company, keeping records, and paying tax.

Do you provide support after I complete the course?

Yes, you can join as a member of the Institute, and get continuing access to your tutor and to course advisors. Plus you get the recognition that comes with being a member of the Institute.

What organisations can I join as a member?

Our counselling graduates can join the American Counseling Association as a Regular Member. They can join as a Full Member (Category B) of the Canadian Counselling Association.

Our Herbalist graduates may join the National Herbalists Association of Australia as a Companion Member. They can join the Herb Society as an Ordinary Member or Overseas Member. They can join as a member (in various classes) of the Canadian Herb Society.

Graduates of all our therapy courses may join the International Guild of Professional Practitioners as an International, Associate or possibly Full Member, depending on experience. They may also join the American Herbalists Guild as a General Member or possibly Professional Member depending on experience.

Please note that we have not sought accreditation from these organisations - there are simply too many of them - though we may do so at some point. Our accreditation comes from NCFE (above).

There are many other organisations around the world - too many to mention here. We're always pleased to advise potential students on whether our course would allow them membership of a specific organisation. Please note that from time to time these organisations change their criteria for membership, making it easier or more difficult to join. It is wise to check with them if membership is important to you.

Remember that you don't have to join any of these organisations to practise. But they can help you network and keep up to date.

Are herbalists allowed to make their own remedies?

Yes, we are. This is a unique right for herbalists in the UK, but it is currently under threat from the incoming and proposed legislation.

No other health care practitioners are allowed to make their own medicines, and it is a right of which we are very proud. However, new laws that restrict medicines and demand regulation may soon threaten this right. Unfortunatley it's simply not possible to test and licence every single remedy that is made by each independent herbalist. There may come a day when we are not legally permitted to prescribe medicines that are not licensed. But we will still be able to give advice on remedies made by a range of companies.

How can I be sure that you're legitimate, and that you won't disappear with my money?

Here are some answers we hope will reassure you.

• We've been in operation since 1995; so we're very established.

• We publish our physical address at the bottom of each page - and you are welcome to visit us.

• We're audited by NCFE twice a year (you can phone them to verify they do that).
  

• You can read the Reviews of our students on the web site.
  

• You can ask us for the contact details of former students who will talk to you about their experiences.
  

• We publish an Ethical Statement here: www.inst.org/ethics.htm
  

• We're registered at Companies House: registration number 352 4886
  

• Our VAT number is 729 1528 23
  

• Our bank is NatWest, 7 High Street, Wells, Somerset (we have money in the bank and no loans or overdraft).
  

• We're registered with the UK government's Register of Learning Providers (www.ukrlp.co.uk); Number 10009490.
  

And finally, we love what we do; and we wouldn't do anything to jeopardise it.

Any other questions?

If you have a question, why not email us now? We could add it to our list of FAQs.