32209 Other practitioners of natural healing

What this occupation covers

Practitioners of natural healing provide health care to patients using various forms of treatment including herbology, reflexology or relaxation techniques to promote, maintain and restore the holistic health of patients. They usually work in private practice, including group or team practices, or are employed by clinics, health clubs and spas.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 9 main duties for this code.

• Assess patients and advise them on the use of herbs for the treatment of conditions such as arthritis, rheumatism, asthma, skin disorders and stomach ailments
• May cultivate herbs and manufacture and sell herbal compounds.
• Assess, treat and manage musculoskeletal and other related disorders of the body's structure by moving, stretching, and massaging a patients' muscles and joints to correct biomechanical dysfunctions.
• Assess illnesses and treat them by administering, in chemical or herbal form, a small dosage of a remedy made from natural substances or by suggesting lifestyle changes.
• Assess clients' physical, mental and emotional health
• Provide advice and feedback to support clients' wellbeing
• Apply gentle pressure with thumb and fingers to stimulate specific reflex points or areas, usually on the clients' feet, hands, ears and/or face to relieve tension, improve circulation, and promote better health and well-being.
• Evaluate the overall health and wellness of clients and recommend nutritional and life style adjustments to address their health issues and to support health goals.
• Assess and treat illness and injury through the use of holistic approaches such as herbal remedies, massage, as well as counselling in nutrition and exercise.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 9 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 31121 Dietitians and nutritionists
• 31209 Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
• 32109 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
• 32201 Massage therapists
• 31303 Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
• 32200 Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists

Excluded from this code

• Dietitians and nutritionists (See 31121 Dietitians and nutritionists)
• Doctor of osteopathic medicine (See 31209 Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating)
• Manual arts therapist (See 32109 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment)
• Massage therapists (See 32201 Massage therapists)
• Midwife (See 31303 Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals)
• Naturopathic physician (See 31209 Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating)
• Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists (See 32200 Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

acupressure therapist · aromatherapist · auriculotherapist · ayurvedic practitioner · certified iridologist · certified reflexologist · certified rolfer · clinical hypnotherapist · herbal practitioner · herbal specialist · herbalist · herbologist · herbology practitioner · herborist · holistic nutritionist · holistic practitioner · homeopath · homeopathic practitioner · hypnotherapist · iridologist · naturopathy practitioner · naturotherapist · osteopathic manual practitioner · osteopathic manual therapist

Employment requirements

• Homeopaths usually require completion of a three-year diploma program in homeopathy.
• Registration with a regulatory body is required for homeopaths in Ontario.
• Other occupations in this unit group usually require completion of training programs specific to their type of practice and some supervised practical training.