Expert: Kay Larson - 2/26/2011

Question
I just received my Doctorate in Natural Health/Naturopathy from CCNH and I live in California. Are there any licenses that I must have before I begin to consult as a Naturopath? Are there any restrictions about me advertising myself as a doctor of naturopathy (ND) and using the title Dr. before my name? Are there any state or national professional associations I am eligible to join?

Answer
Lisa-first of all, congrats for your doctorate from CCNH in naturopathy! Fortunately you live in a state that is very friendly towards non-licensed health practitioners, which is what you are. For reference, please refer to CA-SB577 for more information.
As a simplified answer to your question, you do not need any licenses to practice as a traditional naturopath in CA. You cannot however, call yourself an ND as that is the designation for naturopathic physicians, which does require licensing. As far as using Dr. in front of your name, legally you can do so if you have a PhD, and you can use it if your PhD is from a non-USDE accredited school, which CCNH was. If you have a Doctor of Naturopathy diploma from CCNH, I advise against the Dr. designation. There really are no laws in place to prosecute you in CA if you do, but you could be setting yourself for trouble. As far as what designation to use after after your name, I know an extremely successful naturopathic practitioner who uses DTN after his name, signifying Doctor of Traditional Naturopathy. He also uses CTN, which stands for Certified Traditional Naturopath. And that brings me to the next part of your question. As far as professional associations, check out the American Naturopathic Medical Accreditation Board, www.anmab.org, National Association of Nutrition Professionals, www.nanp.org, the American Naturopathic Certification Board, www.ancb.net, American Association of Drugless Practitioners, www.aadp.net and The American Council of Holistic Medicine, www.theachm.org.
I wish you the best in bringing the natural health message to Californians. They really need it and they really need you.