Complementary Therapies
Complementary Therapies
About
Most complementary medicine and alternative therapy practitioners are self-employed. Opportunities are also available working in GP surgeries, hospitals, occupational health departments and sport and leisure centres.
Careers advice
- Prospects: Healthcare
- National Careers Service: alternative therapies
- Think Care Careers
- How can you make a career as a complementary therapist? - report from the University of Birmingham
- Complementary therapy has more opportunities for careers than ever before - article from The Independant
Industry news
- Holistic Therapist Magazine - industry news for holistic therapists (subscription required)
- Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) - sector news, also includes job adverts
Professional bodies
These represent people working in the sector, providing training and networking opportunities. They often provide careers support for students and graduates. They also provide development for people already working in the sector. Follow them on LinkedIn, or visit their websites for news, contacts, work experience and vacancies.
The main professional associations for this sector include:
General
- General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies (GRCCT)
- Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC)
- British Complementary Medicine Association
- Research Council for Complementary Medicine
Acupuncturist
Alexander technique practitioner
Chiropractor
- General Chiropractic Council - statutory regulatory body for the chiropractic profession
- British Chiropractic Association includes information on how to become a chiropractor
Dance movement psychotherapist
Homeopath
Horticultural therapist
Hypnotherapist
- British Hypnotherapy Association
- British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis
- British Society of Medical & Dental Hypnosis (Scotland)
- National College of Hypnosis
- General Hypnotherapy Standards Council
Medical herbalist/Phytotherapist
- National Institute of Medical Herbalists - includes information about becoming a medical herbalist
- The College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy
Nutritional therapist
- Nutritional Therapy Council - includes training information
- British Association for Nutritional Therapy
Osteopath
- General Osteopathic Council - includes information about becoming an osteopath
Play therapist
Reflexologist
Shiatsu practitioner
Sports therapist
- Society of Sports Therapists - includes accredited course information for BSc and MSc programmes
- Sports Therapy Organisation
Making contacts
Making contacts is essential for success in this sector. You could start with:
- Newcastle alumni on LinkedIn – find out what they did after graduation and contact them for advice and inspiration
Social media, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter, is useful for making contacts, finding employers and opportunities. Find out more about how to use social media for your career and subscribe to our complementary therapies Twitter list.
Events
Recruitment fairs, open days, talks and events give insights and opportunities to make contacts. Regular events organised by the Careers Service include Employer & Sector Insights and Recruitment Events.
Related sectors
You may also be interested in:
Or see our other Explore Occupations pages for more options.
Roles & Skills
The majority of complementary healthcare is provided within the private sector, with most therapists working as self-employed. Complementary healthcare is rarely used in the NHS, but limited acupuncture, the Alexander technique and chiropractic treatment can sometimes be available.
Have a look at the job profiles in this sector on Prospects and targetjobs to find out more about what these roles involve and how to get into them. These are just some of the profiles available:
- Acupuncturist
- Chiropractor
- Dance movement psychotherapist
- Homeopath
- Horticultural therapist
- Hypnotherapist
- Herbalist
- Nutritional therapist
- Osteopath
- Play therapist
- Reflexologist
- Sports therapist
Skills employers look for
- communication and interpersonal skills to build up a relationship with clients
- excellent listening skills
- a logical approach to problem-solving
- sensitivity and empathy
- a calm and understanding approach
- practical skills and dexterity
Gaining Experience
Getting into complementary therapies is competitive. Work experience is invaluable in developing relevant skills and demonstrating your interest and commitment.
Finding companies
Work shadowing with relevant practitioners can help to develop your knowledge of the role and gain an insight into what it is like to run your own clinic.
Smaller practices often don’t advertise work experience. You may need to contact them directly, with a speculative approach. Do this early, as it can be very competitive.
Find organisations that interest you and get in touch, always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for. Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills.
Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.
Try the following to find companies to approach:
- The General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies - search the directory for registered practitioners
- Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) - search the directory for registered practitioners
- find contacts through professional associations, institutes and trusts, as listed in the About section
Newcastle Alumni
- LinkedIn Find Alumni Tool - see where Newcastle University graduates are working for inspiration
- Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) - see where Newcastle University graduates were working six months after graduation
See making contacts and researching employers for advice on how to find and approach people for help with your career.
Finding Jobs
Most complementary medicine and alternative therapy practitioners are self-employed, or find work in complementary therapy centres.
The NHS employs therapists to offer complementary therapies, such as osteopathy and acupuncture to patients. See NHS jobs for vacancies and NHS choices for details of trusts to contact speculatively.
Some professional bodies advertise opportunities in e-newsletters, journals or magazines on a subscription basis. Below are links to directories of current registered practitioners, for inspiration.
General
- Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) News - includes job postings
Acupuncture
Alexander technique
Chiropractic
- General Chiropractor Council
- British Chiropractor Association - classified adverts
- United Chiropractic Association (UCA) - classified vacancy adverts
Dance movement psychotherapy
- Foundation for Community Dance
- Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy also produces the e-motion newsletter which may contain vacancies.
Herbal medicine/phytotherapy
Homeopathy
- Alliance of Registered Homeopaths
- Homeopathic Medical Association (HMA) - also includes lists of homeopathic pharmacies and hospitals
- Society of Homeopaths
Horticultural therapy
- Horticulture Jobs
- Community Care
- Thrive - job opportunities
Hypnotherapy
- General Hypnotherapy Register - contains details of available posts
Nutritional therapy
Play therapy
Reflexology
Shiatsu
Sports therapy
Finding companies
Find organisations that interest you and get in touch, always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for. Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills.
Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.
Try the following to find companies to approach:
- The General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies - search the directory for registered practitioners
- Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) - search the directory for registered practitioners
- find contacts through professional associations, institutes and trusts, as listed in the About section
Newcastle Alumni
- LinkedIn Find Alumni Tool - see where Newcastle University graduates are working for inspiration
- Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) - see where Newcastle University graduates were working six months after graduation
Training
For most careers in complementary therapy you need a qualification approved or accredited by the relevant professional body.
Check entry requirements for each role using the role profiles in the Roles and Skills section.
See Further Study for more information on finding, funding and applying for courses or come and talk to us. No appointment is needed.
Work for Yourself
Being self-employed or working as a freelancer is very common in the complementary therapies sector.
START UP provides information on the range of activities and support available to eligible Newcastle students and graduates interested in developing enterprise skills or starting their own business.
COBRA has factsheets and reports on starting up and running a business. COBRA can only be accessed through a University computer on the Newcastle campus.