Level 6 Diploma in Nutritional Therapy (SRQ)

What is Nutritional Therapy?

• Nutritional Therapy is the application of nutrition science in the promotion of optimum health. IHS Nutritional Therapist graduates use a wide range of tools (questionnaires, nutrient screenings, Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) timeline & matrix and functional tests) to assess and identify potential nutritional and physiological imbalances that may be contributing to an individual’s symptoms and health concerns. This allows them to create a personalised nutrition and lifestyle plan for their clients including therapeutic diets, functional foods, practitioner grade supplements and lifestyle interventions.

This course provides practical and interactive optional lectures/workshops alongside structured home study and over 250 hours of clinical practice (including 70 live hours). The syllabus is written to cover the UK Nutritional Therapy Education Council’s core curriculum for Nutritional Therapy and aims to uphold the UK’s National Occupational Standards. Students and graduates may register with the Nutritional Therapists of Ireland (NTOI), Ireland’s registering body for Nutritional Therapists, and the Complementary Medical Association (CMA) & Federation of Nutritional Therapy Practitioners (FNTP) in both the UK and Ireland.

“Studying with IHS was a great experience. The lecturers were very experienced and knowledgeable and the supporting staff were extremely helpful and accommodating. The course content was excellent, evidence-based and very relevant. I feel that I was very prepared to deal with clients after this course, both from a scientific/nutrition point and by understanding clients’ motivations and barriers. I feel that IHS holds the high standards that should be expected of Nutritional Therapists and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this Institute for anyone considering a career in nutrition.”

Ciara Wright, PhD, BSc, Dip NT IHS, Nutritional Therapy Diploma Graduate, currently Director and Senior Nutritionist at Glenville Nutrition Ireland

The IHS Diploma in Nutritional Therapy is based upon 2 key, evidence based and well respected healthcare models – Functional Medicine and Health & Wellness Coaching.

Functional Medicine:

• Incorporates a patient-centred approach to healthcare
• Acknowledges the biochemical individuality
• Addresses the web-like interconnections of internal physiological processes
• Emphasises the role nutrition, lifestyle and environmental factors play in development of health concerns

Health & Wellness Coaching:

• Offers the most effective tools for improving client compliance
• Assessing and developing readiness for change
• Helping clients overcome barriers to change

During clinical practice, we develop key skills in a systematic and logical fashion from year 1 onwards so that students are confident and competent before they see clients in supervised student clinics in year 3. Our approach involves a variety of tried and tested education methods proven to be the best practice for developing communication and clinical practice skills. These include in-class exercises and role play, structured at-home exercises, reflective practice, video/paper based consultation analysis, live clinical observation and supervised client consultations.

The overall aim of the programme is to equip students with the knowledge, understanding and competencies required to provide comprehensive nutritional advice to individuals and groups in a range of healthcare settings. IHS develop confident, safe and effective practitioners of Nutritional Therapy who have a specific expertise and a specialised knowledge base, competent to work either individually or in collaboration with other healthcare professionals.

• Academically certified to level 6 (equivalent to level 7/8 in Ireland). By Crossfields Institute (CI), an Ofqual regulated awarding organisation and education charity
• Learn how to apply the principles of Functional Medicine and use IFM tools
• Graduate with the unique IHS Nutritional Therapy Consultation Framework
• Comprehensive study material provided – including IHS Clinical Imbalance Charts
• Ongoing support via online forums and fortnightly webinars
• Practical assessments designed to develop clinical practice skills
• Focus on developing critical thinking skills so that students become effective, safe and confident Nutritional Therapists
• 250 hours of clinical practice training with 70 live hours, including conducting 6 consultations with clients
• Teaching team includes Nutritional Therapists, educationalists, IFM and health & wellness coach trained practitioners
• Flexible learning options. Study with the option of attending lectures and workshops. Online students can start the prerequisite CI Level 4 (UK) Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching (VRQ) at one of 3 points through the year – September, January or May. Please note that the Diploma in Nutritional Therapy course runs from  September each year
• Earn whilst you learn. Qualify as a nutrition and lifestyle coach after completing the prerequisite course and work as you complete your studies
• Apply for direct entry onto the MSc/PG Dip/PG Cert in Personalised Nutrition taught at CNELM (Wokingham, UK) upon graduation. This course is validated by Middlesex University for attendance, part attendance or 100% distance learning
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Prerequisite course the CI Level 4 (UK) Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching (VRQ) (or equivalent), a unique, Ofqual regulated course where food is examined from farm to fork. We explore exactly how food is grown, processed and thus nutritionally depleted and the cumulative effect this has on health. Students are taught how to analyse a client’s individual needs and instructed how food, nutrients and supplements can be used to counteract the health problems associated with modern lifestyles and promote optimum health.

Nutritional Therapy Year 1: The objective of this year is to critically evaluate different theories and approaches on how and why nutrition and lifestyle choices influence the development of chronic disease, with a particular emphasis on the Functional Medicine model. Includes fortnightly live webinars.

You will:

• Critically evaluate research on the interplay between genetics, nutrition and lifestyle in chronic disease development
• Explore how nutrition and lifestyle may impact individuals in different ways, resulting in diverse disease outcomes
• Review chronic disease prevalence and explore how different healthcare models currently approach chronic disease prevention and management
• Study nutritional biochemistry and physiology from a uniquely integrative perspective, with an emphasis on how different bodily systems work together to support metabolic homeostasis
• Explore how potential physiological imbalances may arise from a Functional Medicine perspective
• Evaluate the role of nutrition and lifestyle factors in the development of key chronic diseases, including Metabolic Syndrome, Autoimmune conditions and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Nutritional Therapy Year 2: The objective of this year is to critically evaluate the role of nutrition and lifestyle in the management of chronic disease. It will focus specifically on personalised nutrition and lifestyle interventions and explore the Functional Medicine model as a means of applying these principles to practice. Includes fortnightly live webinars.

You will:

• Examine evidence based strategies for managing chronic disease, with a specific focus on Functional Medicine interventions
• Explore the use of therapeutic diets, such as Mediterranean, palaeolithic, vegan and vegetarian diets, intermittent fasting, low GL, elimination and ketogenic diets
• Study the use of therapeutic and functional foods to develop understanding on how these foods are defined, regulated and utilised by the general public and within the healthcare arena
• Investigate food supplements with a focus on regulation, quality, use by the general public and healthcare professionals and controversies surrounding their use
• Explore the use of lifestyle interventions in the prevention and management of chronic disease with a focus on physical and psychological interventions and the research behind their use
• Evaluate the use of nutrition and lifestyle interventions for addressing physiological imbalances identified by the Functional Medicine model, using Functional Model principles, practices and paperwork
• Study the role of personalised nutrition and lifestyle interventions in the management of key chronic diseases, including Metabolic Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Year 3 is eight months in duration and requires the production of clinical case studies, reflective narratives and evaluations of the effectiveness of nutritional therapy in various clinical scenarios. All clinical practice during this module takes place in the IHS student clinics. This module provides students with intensive supervised clinical practice and tutorials in small groups designed to maximise their skills and bolster their confidence prior to graduation and includes the building of a business plan. During supervised cases students are expected to exhibit advanced therapeutic skills, knowledge and competence. The aim is to give a comprehensive and thorough overview of contemporary professional practice. The success of our current graduates demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach.

There are 6 optional lecture weekends per year alongside structured home study and fortnightly live online webinars. The 4th year (8 months in total) is solely focused on ensuring graduates are competent and confident in clinical practice. It comprises of 6 clinical practice weekends with live clients which students attend in small groups (3 or 4 students) with an experienced Nutritional Therapy practitioner as a clinic mentor; or online, via supervised client consultations. Each student must pass a number of supervised clinical practice cases in order to graduate.

Prerequisite

CI Level 4 (UK) Diploma in Nutrition & Lifestyle Coaching, or equivalent

All applicants will be interviewed to determine their suitability for the course