When hiring a professional—be it a home builder, a plumber, or a landscape designer—you’d likely research their history, examine their educational background, and get some information about how they work and where their expertise lies. You may even ask for references from former clients to get a more objective view of their work habits and performance.

The same should be true of your personal holistic doctor, massage therapist, naturopath, homeopath, colon hydrotherapy technician, dietician, or acupuncturist. Choosing a holistic health care practitioner is not a process you should take lightly since they hold your health in their hands! This is especially true since there are a vast number of practitioners out there who actually make us sicker than when we first began. Your health is a precious thing that needs to be protected and handled with care.

It is therefore your responsibility to take your time and choose a holistic doctor or other natural health care professional with intentionality and precision. Here are some tips for choosing a holistic health care professional the next time you’re looking for someone to help you achieve optimum health:

1. Check for licenses and certifications:
   1. First and foremost, check to see whether your prospective health care practitioner is licensed. A third-party licensing organization ensures that the person has gone through extensive training, perhaps participated in practical instruction, and has passed a standardized screening system for proficiency and knowledge in their chosen specialty. A few licenses you could look for include holistic medical doctor (MD), acupuncturist (L. Ac.), and doctor of chiropractic medicine (DC).
   2. Not all specialties have a licensing program, in which case you need to look for other certifications that demonstrate a standard level of training or practical experience. Although certifications are often less rigorous than licenses, they are still a measure of a person’s commitment to achieving credibility in their field. Practitioners with certifications include massage therapists (CMT’s), homeopaths, and other body workers.
2. Interview the practitioner: You’ve established that they have qualifications to be practicing holistic health care, but now you should endeavor to find out how they approach healing and wellness to ensure that it aligns with your philosophy of health. You can do this by conducting a brief interview with the prospective health care professional. Find out if they have five minutes to spare to answer a few questions over the phone or in person. You may have to pay a small fee for an initial consultation, but this investment will be well worth it to ensure that you’re choosing a good fit for your health care needs. If the practitioner cannot speak to you because of a tight schedule, see if a support person can answer some questions for you instead. The following questions will give you a great start in determining whether to seek healing from a potential holistic doctor or health practitioner:
   1. How long have they been practicing their particular health profession?
   2. What types of treatments are used to produce results?
   3. What fees do they charge for their services? Do they offer payment plans? A sliding scale for those with financial need?
   4. When are they available for client visits? Is there a waiting list to get into see them?
   5. How long is the average visit with a client? Do appointments generally start on time?
   6. Are they available during emergencies? If not, what do they recommend in emergent circumstances?
   7. Do clients generally see the practitioner long-term? If so for how long? If not, what is the average number of visits a client usually has before they are feeling healthier?
   8. What is their philosophy of healing? Do they see a clear connection between mind, body, and spirit?
   9. Do they have particular experience working with individuals who have similar conditions to those you suffer from?
   10. What role do they see you playing in the healing process? Are you included in the treatment planning and apprised on progress?
   11. Do they work cooperatively with other holistic health care professionals if required?
3. Get references: Once you’ve satisfied yourself that your prospective practitioner has the technical qualifications you’re looking for and that they will provide the kinds of services you’re looking for at a price you can afford, you’ll also want to get some references from individuals who have actually received treatment from the practitioner. Ask the health care provider for references who would be willing to talk to you about their experience. There are two important things to ask these references:
   1. Did the practitioner treat them with respect and appropriate levels of attention and thoughtfulness?
   2. Did the patient/client feel they benefited from receiving treatments from the practitioner?
4. Assess personality: Remember that ultimately, the choice of who to see for your health needs is entirely up to you. As such, whether or not you feel personally comfortable with someone who will be taking care of your health is important. You therefore may want to ask yourself questions such as these:
   1. Does the practitioner demonstrate genuine interest in your wellbeing?
   2. Do you feel at ease in their presence?
   3. Is their voice and demeanor welcoming and inviting?
   4. Do they allow you enough time to have all of your questions answered or do they rush you?
   5. Do they answer your questions honestly and with sincerity?

Now that you’ve gone through this long assessment process, you should be able to choose a holistic doctor or other natural health care professional with confidence and begin your treatment with a sense of anticipation and ease. Once you begin the healing process, remember to be patient with yourself—many natural healing systems take time to work! After all, you likely didn’t get sick overnight. So trust your research, trust your health care provider, and dig deep to get the best results from your healing experience as you can. You’ll find the process rewarding and exciting as you begin to feel healthier and happier.