Choosing a Practitioner

HolisticAloha.com does not make or imply any endorsement or recommendation of the practitioner, practices, or businesses listed on our web site. We urge you to become an informed consumer.

Western medicine places a premium on a professional, academic degree, and even has a hierarchy within its subculture based on education, experience, and specialty. There has been an evolutionary process in the U.S. whereby an organized trade or practice encompassing a body of knowledge gains "professional," legal status. This is usually accompanied by a state licensing procedure and a definition of the scope of practice. Medical doctors (MDs) were the first group to be licensed; osteopathic doctors followed, after 1930, and chiropractors in the 1980s. Among the more available, non-traditional practices, massage is licensed or controlled in most states, as is acupuncture. Naturopaths are still only licensed in a handful of states.

Licensing generally insures that an individual has met minimal criteria for practice in his field, and opens his record for public inspection with regard to state board disciplinary and lawsuit action. Licensing is meant to protect the public, but it also protects the profession from infringement.

Most holistic practitioners are not licensed because licensing doesn’t exist for them per se. However, many have good training and experience in their fields, are talented, and perform valuable services to the public. How do we decide if a practitioner is what he says he is?

1. If licensing exists, check online records. The practitioner will have the license displayed in his/her principal office, or otherwise be able to provide you with a copy upon request. In Hawaii the following health professionals, who may also incorporate holistic techniques in their practice, are licensed by the state (check others at http://www.state.hi.us/dcca/pvd):

• Acupuncturists
• Allied Mental Health Professionals
  • Mental Health Counselors
  • Marriage Therapistsand Family Therapists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Rehabilitation Counselors
  • Education Psychologists
• Chiropractors
• Massage Therapy
• Medical and Osteopathy
• Naturopathy
• Nursing
• Physician Assistants
• Physical Therapy
• Psychologists
• Respiratory Therapists
• Social Worker
• Speech Pathology and Audiology

2. Many practitioners belong to national certifying agencies in their fields. This is either a one-time certification based on education, or an annual certification based on dues and prior training. Ask to see certifications; if in doubt, investigate further with the certifying agencies through an online search or phone call. Certifying agencies generally have established codes of ethics and are not pleased with violations by their members, much less by imposters.

3. Most practitioners will have filed a business d.b.a. or a permit with the local government, especially if they operate an establishment. Check with the Chamber of Commerce to see if any complaints have been filed.

4. The best recommendation is from someone you know, who has either used the practitioner’s services or knows the practitioner personally.

5. Interview your practitioner, preferably in person, at least over the phone. They should be prepared to discuss the benefits of their service, their background/ education, and address any of your concerns. You should discuss specific health issues to ascertain if there is a contraindication for their form of therapy. You might also discuss fees and payment plans.

6. As with any health-related business, you should expect that the practitioner can offer you a clean and safe environment, and that he/she observes personal hygiene as well as infection control measures (such as hand washing); and that your privacy is maintained.

7. Good practitioners are careful not to make claims or statements that infringe upon established medical prerogatives. A practitioner may be able to ease your discomfort, but will never claim to cure your pain. Steer clear of non-medical practitioners who talk like doctors.

8. This site advocates the use of therapies complementary to established medical procedures, particularly if your condition in severe or life threatening. You should be willing to establish a three-way dialogue with your complementary and primary medical practitioners to insure the best total care possible.