What Questions to Ask to Find A Reputable Alternative Practitioner

By Dr. Daemon Jones Expert HERWriter September 27, 2011 - 12:46pm Rate This

Photo: Getty Images

One of my colleagues suggested that I write a blog about what questions should you ask to find reputable holistic practitioner or alternative practitioner. I thought this was a great topic to talk about.

There are so many types of practitioners that focus on holistic there a few simple ways to make sure you are choosing the most knowledgeable practitioner. The first step in finding a good practitioner is to ask doctors that you trust.

For example, I have relationships with conventional medical and mental health doctors who will refer patients to me because they trust my training and patient care skills. This is a great option because we share information to support patient’s health.

If your doctor is not aware of alternative practices or doesn’t recommend alternative practitioners I would recommend contacting the national or local associations for the type of doctor you are looking for and ask them for a list of practitioners. These organizations will only recommend people that have passed the licensing requirements or are in good standing in the state.

I have found three examples where you can go to there websites and find a doctor:

Naturopathic doctor - http://naturopathic.org

Chiropractic doctor - http://www.acatoday.org/search/memsearch.cfm

Acupuncture - http://www.nccaom.org

Once you have found a practitioner that you want to visit, call the office and ask to talk to the practitioner or the assistant about the practice. All the alternative practices that I know have an assistant or the doctor themselves that will be willing to talk about what types of services that practice provides.

If you have a special condition or concern the practitioner will answer questions before you make an appointment so you will feel comfortable about coming in the office. During this call you can ask questions like how long as the practitioner been in practice are their special treatments or diseases that the practitioner treats often.

You can ask if the practitioner has ever treated or diagnosed your symptoms. Asking if the practitioner has relationships with conventional doctors in case you need a referral is helpful too.

Rate This

0 comments View Comments

We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.