Accredited Holistic Health & Herbalist Programs
AADP: The American Association of Drugless Practitioners Certification and Accreditation Board provides full board professional accreditation and certification to both institutes of higher education and professional practitioners. Students who have received their diplomas are encouraged to apply at www.aadp.net.
Accreditation is voluntary and does not carry any influence for those who receive diplomas. At Genesis we operate under a code of ethics and a mission that prohibits us from offering programs that are not worthy of accreditation.
WILL I BE A CERTIFIED MASTER HERBALIST?
There is currently no certifying agency or licensing board for herbalists in the United States. When schools say they offer a Certified Master Herbalist course or diploma program it simply means they are going to give you a certificate after completion – all schools give their students a certificate/diploma. At Genesis School of Natural Health we believe in complete honesty and transparency. We do not offer degrees because we are not part of the government educational system. We offer professional level diplomas and certificates of completion.
WHAT IS ACCREDITATION?
One of the most frequently asked questions we receive at Genesis School of Natural Health is on the subject of accreditation. Understanding what accreditation means is important when looking at non-traditional schools
General Definition: Accreditation constitutes public recognition that an educational program meets the administrative, organizational, and financial criteria of a recognized agency.
Recognized agency? In the United States, educational standards for schools are set by a network of agencies approved by the U.S. Office of Education (USOE) or the Council on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation (CORPA). USOE or CORPA do not accredit individual schools, but they approve the national and regional agencies that do so. Almost all such agencies are voluntary and nongovernmental.
Government Accreditation is not the same as Professional Accreditation. Professional Accreditations that are NOT recognized by the US Secretary of Education include (there are more):
- American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP)
- Hygienic Doctors Association (HDA)
- American Naturopathic Medical Accreditation Board (ANMAB)
- American Naturopathic Certification Board (ANCB)
- International College of Holistic Medicine (ICHM)
- American Council for Holistic Medicine (ACHM)
- International Association of Natural Health Practitioners(IANHP)
- National Association for Nutrition Professionals (NANP)
Key Points
- Accreditation for Natural Health programs in the United States is an entirely voluntary process.
- Non-traditional schools apply and pay for professional accreditation and the standards, in my opinion, are low.
- Diplomas and “Degrees” from Genesis School of Natural Health, Trinity School, Natural Healing College, New Eden School, The University of Natural Medicine, and American School of Natural Health (as well as the many not listed) are not Government Accredited schools.
- Genesis School of Natural Health is professionally accredited partly because it is misunderstood and we don’t want to miss the opportunity to teach and train a student because they were not aware of the meaning or process of becoming professional accredited. We also want to support the accreditation companies important mission of helping all natural health professionals and their clients keep their health freedoms!
A Few Schools That Are Professionally Accredited
Trinity School states: “Trinity School is accredited and recognized by the American Naturopathic Medical Accreditation Board (ANMAB) in Las Vegas, Nevada (www.anmab.org). We have not, nor do we plan to seek accreditation through the U.S. Department of Education.”
Note about Trinity School: The Whitman Group is a an umbrella company that includes the businesses: Certified Natural Health Professionals (CNHP), Reagans Book Store, Limited Edition Herbs, Inc., Health Freedom Expo, Traditional Flower Remedies (Bach Flowers), Nutritional Resources Inc., The Certification Program for The American Association of Nutritional Consultants (AANC) and more.
Natural Healing College states: “Our graduates diplomas are eligible for board certification through numerous independent agencies that specialize in setting standards for holistic programs to make sure the programs are well rounded and meet the holistic educational standards such as American Council of Holistic Medicine (ACHM), American Naturopathic Certification Board (ANCB), American Association of Drugless Practitioner (AADP). “
New Eden School states: “Full Accreditation with the American Council for Holistic Medicine (ACHM)”; New Eden has school approval with the American Naturopathic Certification Board (ANCB)”; “New Eden School has school approval with the International Association of Natural Health Practitioners (IANHP).”
The UNM states: “The University of Natural Medicine is devoted to higher education in the field of Integrative and Natural Medicine, with individually designed Degree and Diploma Programs, Independent Study, and an International Faculty of over 75 distinguished educators and practitioners.” The University of Natural Medicine is accredited by the American Naturopathic Medical Accreditation Board (ANMAB).
American School of Natural Health states: “We are also accredited by the Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP) and the National Association for Nutrition Professionals (NANP).
Genesis School of Natural Health is accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP): The American Association of Drugless Practitioners Certification and Accreditation Board provides full board professional accreditation and certification to both institutes of higher education and professional practitioners. The American Alternative Medical Association is a division of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners Certification & Accreditation Board. Our students will qualify for certification with most organizations listed above and others. I hope this has cleared up the confusion! If you have any additional questions use our contact form and we will reply in a timely manner.
Graduates: Boards & Certifications
What Students Need To Know
When a student has completed all the program requirements and receives a diploma from a non-traditional school (not a state college or university) they are eligible to apply for Boards & Certifications by a professional group and it is not required and holds no legal function.
The requirements for each organization vary and are briefly described below. Some organizations prefer (but don’t require) that the students have completed courses from a school they have accredited/accepted.
The purpose of this article is about transparency. We are not against certification organizations. We do want our students to understand what certification is and what it is not.
KEY POINTS
- Certification is a voluntary process. Voluntary means that it is not required by law and it is not required or needed to work in the field of natural health. It means that you want a certificate that says you are board certified and you are willing to apply, pay, and maintain the certification. Certification is not a permission to act, but rather a statement of completion or qualification. Certification is a private matter, issued by a private organization. It does not involve regulation of the state.
- Licensure is a non-voluntary process by which an agency of government regulates a profession. It grants permission to an individual to engage in an occupation if it finds that the applicant has attained the degree of competency required. Once a licensing law has been passed it becomes illegal for anyone to engage in that occupation unless he or she has a license.
- In the absence of licensing, the First Amendment of the Constitution protects our freedom of speech to provide information to clients related to their health. However, this is restricted by the necessity to avoid practicing medicine without a license. -American Herbalist Guide
- Currently, 17 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands have licensing or regulation laws for naturopathic doctors. In these states, naturopathic doctors are required to graduate from an accredited four-year residential naturopathic medical school and pass an extensive postdoctoral board examination (NPLEX) in order to receive a license. – naturopathic.org
- Herbalist certification is not required in California (or any state I am aware of), nor does the state issue licenses to certified herbalists. Practitioners only need be licensed if they plan to practice herbalism in conjunction with acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, or other forms of licensed alternative medicine.
- If you attend a Professionally Accredited school and you receive Board Certification you are NOT eligible for licensing! Licensing for Naturopathic Doctors is saying you are a medical doctor who also uses natural methods. In my opinion this is a perversion of naturopathy – support organizations fighting state licensing.
- Board Certification for herbal, nutrition, naturopathy, holistic health…is not required to open an office/start a business, work for another natural health professional, attend continuing education classes, hold seminars and classes, write articles…
"When my Student Advisor called to follow up on my academic progress, I told her how pleased I am with the high quality of textbook selections and professional-level courses that Genesis offers. Currently, I am enjoying the Phytochemistry book and study guide and am learning so much. The other books are great too as they are filled with scientific, clinical, and down-to-earth no-nonsense information. The curriculum of other natural health schools pales in comparison. This is precisely the reason I chose Genesis! I’ve already been using what I have learned for myself and my clients".
