Becoming a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner | Program Review
It started in 2014 with a mild cough that wouldn’t go away.
That cough began to make it difficult for me to go up stairs, sleep at night, and be physically active.
2 years, 1 hospital visit, and 9 doctors later… I was diagnosed with Laryngopharyngeal Reflux. My health story didn’t end there. The next diagnosis was IBS, then SIBO, Gastritis, then Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Dysbiosis/Leaky Gut, Mycoplasma, Endometriosis, mold toxicity, Lyme, C-PTSD, and finally… Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.
Over the years, I went from having a normal life to barely being able to leave my house without crippling fatigue, body pain, dizziness, and a host of other symptoms. I saw expert after expert who would put me on the gentlest of protocols (like drainage work and homeopathy), which would still make me react significantly.
I was happy for the people around me who were getting better trying these things, but I felt like there was something fundamentally wrong with my body because it would react even to the things that were good for it!
By the grace of God, I never completely gave up hope. I had always believed deep down that healing was possible for me and I couldn’t bring myself to give up.
I knew I was an expert in MY body, but I wanted to become an expert in THE body.
I was tired of putting my health in someone else’s hands. I wanted to feel empowered to make my own judgement calls for my health based on evidence and processes that are proven to work — not because I was throwing spaghetti at the wall… hoping something would finally stick.
I also knew if I could actually get to the other side of this, I wanted to help others get well… because how can you not after going through something like this?
So, in 2023, I applied to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner with the Nutritional Therapy Association and the rest is history!
What is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP)?
A Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) is a health professional trained to help support the body’s innate healing ability.
NTPs primarily do this by supporting the “Foundations” of health:
A properly prepared, nutrient dense, whole food diet
Digestion
Blood Sugar Regulation
Fatty Acids
Mineral Balance
Hydration
When working with this foundational approach, when we’re strengthening the body’s defenses and removing the stressors, we can often see many symptoms improve.
NTPs are trained to support clients bio-individually, creating recommendations unique to each client and their needs vs. “copy and paste” protocols. They are also trained to identify and address imbalances and nutrient deficiencies in the body via holistic nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle recommendations.
*NTPs do not diagnose, treat, prevent, prescribe, or cure any condition, illness, or disease. No recommendations or comments made by an NTP should be construed as medical advice or diagnosis. NTPs are not registered dietitians or licensed nutritionists.
What is the Nutritional Therapy Association (NTA)? Are they accredited?
The Nutritional Therapy Association (NTA) is a private vocational school in Washington. They are licensed by the Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board. Their programs are not accredited by the Department of Education.
The NTP program is recognized by the National Association of Nutritional Professionals and graduates are eligible to become Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition.
What’s the curriculum like?
The NTP program covers everything from the history of food to anatomy, physiology, the Foundations of health, sleep, stress, movement, culinary wellness, environmental factors, and barriers to wellbeing.
The core of the program really focuses on understanding the NTA’s 6 Foundations to Health mentioned above. The NTA believes these foundations must be in balance to experience optimal health.
The NTA has a 3-pronged approach to information gathering. Traditional wisdom, experiential knowledge, and scientific research. I would say the curriculum feels mostly evidence-based and the curriculum is constantly evaluated and updated to reflect current scientific research. Every resource provided by the NTA is cited with unbiased, evidence-based information and instructors are extremely knowledgeable on the course content.
How Long is the program?
12 months!
How much does it cost?
Tuition is currently $7,200.
(If interested, see scholarship information below.)
When can I sign up?
New cohorts begin in February, May, and September. The earlier you register, the more opportunities there are for savings on your education.
How is the program structured?
Online learning is hosted through Canvas, similar to online classes at colleges and universities.
You may go through the required reading and recorded lectures at any time, but classes are live with your instructors each week. They are recorded as well in the event you can’t make it that week. They’re not mandatory, but there are often break out rooms and important learning that happens live, so it’s preferable to attend.
Assignments are also due every 1-2 weeks by a deadline.
You’ll also be expected to find 3 people that are willing to work with you as a “practice client”. This is an excellent way to practice what you’re learning to support real people so you feel confident if you want to take on clients after graduation.
The program also includes projects, a midterm exam, final exam, and a presentation of one of your practice clients as a case study.
Last, but not least, you will be assigned a “course mentor” (an NTP graduate) who will meet with you once a month in a smaller group (about 8-10 students) and this is a great opportunity to form deeper connections and ask questions to someone who is farther along than you.
How long did course work take each week? Can I do this with a job?
I won’t lie… it was a lot. In the beginning, it felt like I was reading 200 pages of content, plus videos, and doing assignments every week or two.
I was probably putting in 15-20 hours of work those weeks.
Some weeks were lighter and it was likely closer to 7-10 hours that week. Most people in my program did it while working, pregnant, traveling, etc. It was hard, but we all managed it and supported each other when it got hard. If this is what you feel called to… you CAN do it!
Will I learn how to use supplements?
Yes. The NTA takes a food first approach, but recognizes the need for supplementation depending on the client.
As a practitioner, you may also sign up directly with the supplement companies you’d like to learn more about and receive education from them directly. You can also gain even more proficiency in understanding supplements through NANP’s Certified Dietary Supplement Professional prep courses and certification.
How do i sign up?
Whenever you’re ready to sign up for the program, you can click here and apply!
Use code ‘STEPHWITTEK’ when applying to receive a complimentary copy of Nutritional Therapy, Third Edition by Alan R. Gaby, M.D. (eBook). This resource is incredibly helpful for working with real clients!
Why did you choose the nta over other programs?
The NTA felt the most aligned with my personal values over other programs.
Before joining the NTA, I was (and still am) very passionate about true, root cause healing. I believe there is an “order of operations” in approaching health concerns and I believe the beginning of that process looks like addressing the foundations of health. In the same way a house needs a sturdy foundation to be strong and healthy, the body needs this too.
I loved that this was the premise of the NTA’s program. While there are additional foundations I would personally add to what is taught in the program, understanding the six foundations of health the NTA teaches can help so many people improve their health concerns.
Additionally, I liked that the NTA was actually a vocational school, not just an online course.
I am someone who really values accurate information. There is so much conflicting information in the health and wellness space and people sharing information that isn’t exactly accurate. I really enjoyed that the NTA was so intentional in building their curriculum with evidence-based, scientific research and that they continue to review and update their curriculum to reflect the latest research. They really welcomed questions from all of the students and were very upfront about where their information came from vs. other programs I reached out to as a prospective student.
Lastly, the biggest reason I chose the NTA is that they seemed to have the most course content on anatomy and physiology (over other programs). This is the really the reason I wanted to become a practitioner - to understand how the human body worked to support myself and future clients. On the other side of the program, I can say I understand the human body so much better now and I’m so thankful that this is the program I chose to be a part of!
What I Loved
The information itself is incredible! It’s mostly evidence-based with some clinical experience and traditional/historical wisdom thrown in.
The program is big on evidence, everything being cited properly, and they teach you how to read scientific studies as part of the program. I really appreciated this because I wasn’t as confident understanding studies before this program.
The mentor groups are a really helpful way to make friends and connect with classmates.
The instructors are extremely knowledgeable and the live calls are a great place to ask questions about what you’re learning. They also hold office hours and really just want you to succeed!
The program goes through how to evaluate client forms and connect signs and symptoms with dysfunction in the body. It was very helpful to work with real clients under the guidance of qualified practitioners who make sure you’re making the best recommendations for your client.
What i didn’t love
While I love that the focus of the nutritional education is on the nutrients in whole foods themselves and not just on counting calories, there wasn’t as much education on things like calories, how many grams of macronutrients are recommended daily, etc. (They do provide resources on where to find this information from credible sources and instructors share their clinical experience, but I wish more of this info would’ve been included in our coursework.)
The client consultation process felt a bit overcomplicated, clunky, and not personally how I’d want to work with my clients in terms of backend work and building out their recommendations.
There wasn’t as much supplement education as I would’ve liked, but I believe the supplement education was updated and improved with the September 2023 curriculum update.
There is no lab interpretation education as part of this program. This wasn’t a deal breaker for me as the core curriculum felt stronger than other programs I was looking at and you can take additional coursework to become certified in interpreting bloodwork, HTMAs, etc. I just love the NTA and wish this was part of the program.
Are there scholarship or financial aid opportunities?
Yes! I was actually 1 of 2 students in my cohort to win a partial scholarship.
The NTA has a few different opportunities. It is always best to speak directly to them to get the most updated and accurate information regarding financial aid. Here is what I do know is offered:
Early registration savings
Typically, the closer you are to the start of the registration window, the more you can save on your education. If you can apply to the program early, you can usually save around $750 (without paying in full - speak to an advisor!). You can also attend a Virtual Open House (they announce these on their Instagram page) and I got $850 off my total cost for attending one!
$2,500 partial reimbursement scholarship
This scholarship is only available to current NTA students. There are typically 2 scholarship winners for each cohort and if you win, you’ll be given a reimbursement check. I applied for mine in my 3rd term of school and just applied the cost to my remaining tuition balance.
To apply for this scholarship, you’ll need to excel in the classroom and prepare a video explaining what pieces of your NTP education you’re currently using in your own life and/or how you’re sharing it with others.
Here is my example video that won in the hopes it gives you some inspiration in creating your own:
You don’t have to have a fancy camera or microphone to do well. Just focus on telling your story in an engaging way. I had a little bit of an advantage having been a Producer before switching careers, but I’ve also learned a LOT of what I know by learning from Donald Miller and understanding ‘The Hero’s Journey’.
The Graham Grant
The NTA offers several grants for qualifying students. What is offered varies each enrollment cycle, so it is important to review this page and reach out to an admissions advisor to understand what is being offered and if you qualify to apply for a grant.
What’s next?
I have really enjoyed my time in the NTA program because I just love to learn.
However, I still have significant health challenges that limit me pretty significantly at the moment. So, I’d love to take what I’ve learned and apply it to my own health without the stress of being in school now!
I know that when I am ready to start working as a practitioner, I am most passionate about serving clients like me — those with hypersensitivities and/or MCAS. Because of this, I signed up to attend the Mastering Mast Cell Activation Summit when I was wrapping up my time at the NTA.
Based off personal experience and a lot of my time listening to different speakers at the Summit, I know understanding neuroanatomy, neuroscience, the brain, nervous system, and trauma are going to be a critical part of my personal healing and in supporting clients like myself.
I don’t have a concrete plan just yet, but I will likely start limbic system retraining for a significant period of time and am looking into various certifications and programs around these subjects. I’m really excited for what is to come because I believe this can be a missing piece for a lot of folks with chronic illness!
Enroll to become an ntp
Are you ready to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner? Do you want to help change lives - either your own or future clients?
You can click here to learn more about the program and enroll in the next class.
Do you have more questions? Send me a direct message on Instagram and I’d be happy to help support you as you begin your journey (even if you end up picking another program).
You can also speak with an advisor here if you have a more specific question. They’re so great to connect with!
Remember to use code ‘STEPHWITTEK’ when applying to receive a complimentary copy of Nutritional Therapy, Third Edition by Alan R. Gaby, M.D. (eBook). This resource is incredibly helpful for working with real clients!
AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER: *Please know that since posting this article, I've become an affiliate with the NTA as I love the program so much and am so passionate about this work. I do receive a small commission if you decide to apply and commit to the program. This comes at no extra cost to you when applying and you'll even receive a gift if applying through me through using the code 'STEPHWITTEK'. I very much appreciate your support of my channel and my business in doing so!*
