Phytotherapist: What does your day-to-day work look like?

Phytotherapists often work in a paramedical profession or have a naturopathic training within which they apply herbal medicine.

During the first consultation, they first gain an overview of the client's situation, record any health complaints and then carry out an examination using their individual methods. This can be a tongue and pulse diagnosis, a comprehensive blood count, palpation, listening or observation of breathing and voice. The therapist then develops an idea of possible clinical pictures or functional disorders and draws up a treatment plan. Herbal substances can be used or administered in a wide variety of forms. As teas or tablets, in oils and ointments, as wraps and compresses. The herbal active ingredients are often supplemented by further measures and recommendations. These may include dietary advice, exercise therapy or psychological counseling.

Target group and skills: Who is the phytotherapist training course suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The following target group is addressed with training in phytotherapy / herbal medicine:

• People who are interested in the applications of herbal medicine and would like to use them for themselves and their immediate environment
• Persons who would like to become self-employed in the field of health counseling
• People with basic medical qualifications, naturopaths or complementary therapists who would like to continue their training

The following qualities are required for a successful career as a phytotherapist:

• Affinity for herbal active ingredients and healing methods
• Interest in medical and psychological issues
• Enjoy working in an advisory capacity
• Sense of responsibility
• If you have your own practice: economic skills to run your own business

Requirements for admission to phytotherapist training (cert.):

As a rule, phytotherapy / herbal medicine training is open to all interested persons. No specific previous training or professional experience is required.

Some schools require the following points for admission:

• Age of majority
• Apprenticeship qualification with federal certificate of proficiency (EFZ)
• Several years of professional experience
• Sufficient knowledge of German

In addition:

• Some courses require knowledge of the basics of conventional medicine; these can often be completed as part of the training
• Further training for medical staff requires basic paramedical training

Good to know:

As there are no protected professional designations or titles prior to the OdA AM industry certificate or the federal diploma for naturopaths, it is important to prove your own seriousness and professional competence in some other way. This is usually done by registering with the ASCA and/or the EMR.

For inclusion in the ASCA (Swiss Foundation for Complementary Medicine) and/or EMR register, a minimum level of basic medical knowledge (conventional medical knowledge / "Medical basics") and specialist training is required. You will find the relevant current information in the method lists.

Input: Why is registration in the ASCA and/or EMR registry important?

Both the ASCA and the EMR are quality labels for activities in experiential medicine. They both maintain a so-called list of methods, which specifies how many hours of basic medical training and specialist training (method) must be completed in order to be registered with the ASCA and/or EMR.

Many health insurance companies are based on the ASCA and EMR. This means that therapists who are registered with the ASCA and/or EMR can often work in a way that is recognized by health insurance companies (via supplementary insurance). But beware! This is not always the case.

More and more health insurance companies are demanding an industry certificate or a federal diploma from professional organizations (OdA AM, OdA KT, OdA MM, ODA ARTECURA, Swiss Association of Osteopaths FSO-SVO) in order to be able to work in a way that is recognized by health insurance companies. This will continue to increase in the future.

Subject matter and content of the training

The subject matter of a phytotherapist training course is determined independently by the schools; it can therefore vary.

The following topics are often covered in the course:

• Basics of phytotherapy / herbal medicine (origin, history and development)
• Life cycle, metabolism, growth and structure of plants
• Medicinal plants according to disease (cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, thyroid, nervous system, skin diseases, etc.)
• Principles, concepts, possible applications, effect and purpose of the treatment
• Structure of a consultation / treatment (anamnesis, diagnostics, communication)
• Processing techniques (teas, tablets, oils, ointments, wraps, compresses, etc.)
• Indicators, contraindicators and limits of treatment
• As a rule, there are also various excursions, for example to botanical gardens.

Note: Courses that also include the "Medical Basics" (as a prerequisite for admission to the ASCA and/or EMR register) usually deal with these in a separate module.

Costs and financing of further training

How much a phytotherapist training course costs is determined by the schools themselves. The costs can therefore vary from provider to provider.

You can expect the following costs for basic specialist training:

• Course feesBetween CHF 4'800.- and CHF 16'000.-, which usually also includes theExamination feeincluded.

Note: There are also so-called introductory or in-depth courses that last a few days and cost less: between CHF 300 and CHF 1,500.
But be careful with introductory courses if you want to register with the ASCA and/or the EMR! You may not get the required hours of specialist training.

• Some providers requireExtra costsfor
  • Teaching aids
  • Training documents

Please contact the provider of your choice directly for information on possible extra costs.

Course structure, duration of study, training options, teaching format and learning effort

• Study structurePhytotherapist training is generally designed to be part-time and has a modular structure. This means that each module is taken and completed individually.
• Duration of studyThe duration of specialist courses in the field of phytotherapy varies greatly and depends on the provider, range and level: As a rule, courses last between a few months to three years.
• Training optionsWhen the lessons take place is decided by the schools themselves. Some courses offer lessons two days a week and on selected Saturdays. Others only offer lessons one day a week. Others also offer intensive variants.
• Teaching formatHerbal medicine training generally takes place in face-to-face classes. However, there are also schools that offer online courses (e.g. for the theory part)
• Learning effort: You should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your previous knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Degree, diploma and title

Those who have successfully passed all modules of the phytotherapist training course are admitted to the final examination.

A written and oral examination is usually taken to obtain the diploma. Depending on the course, further achievements may be required, such as

• Creating a herbarium with 60 plants
• Written and photographic plant observation over the course of a year
• Term papers
• Presentation of the plant observation

Diploma and title

Successful graduates receive a certificate / diploma from the respective school: "Phyto-Therapist [name of school]" or "Phytotherapy / Herbal Medicine [name of school]" or also "Dipl. Phytotherapist [name of school]".