What are the main disadvantages of training as a complementary therapist?

After a sound complementary therapist training course, you will be able to run your own practice and bill your services through the supplementary health insurance schemes. You can apply your complementary therapy method in combination with basic medical knowledge in such a way that you support your patients' self-regulation, promote recovery processes and strengthen self-awareness. They recognize when an emergency is present or when other help and a referral to other specialists is necessary.

The main disadvantages of training as a complementary therapist are:

1. Complementary therapist training does not always lead to a federal diploma, but there are many courses at certificate level. Be sure to look out for training courses that comply with the regulations of the professional organizations (OdA), as these are a building block on the way to a federal diploma as a complementary therapist (OdA KT). Find out more about the course, the qualification and the associated career opportunities (e.g. EMR recognition for billing health insurance companies).
2. At certificate level, the course content and admission requirements are generally not regulated and can therefore be determined autonomously by the schools. However, the OdA and the Swiss associations for the individual therapy methods have clear regulations and therefore certified training quality.
3. Complementary therapist training generally takes place alongside work and usually lasts at least three years for a diploma course (up to eight years for a federal diploma). During the training period, good time management is required between work, studies and leisure time.
4. Even after completing the complementary therapy training with certificate, the learning does not stop: If you would like to work as a qualified complementary therapist, you will ideally need to take the higher specialist examination (as a complementary therapist with a federal diploma) in addition to completing the training. Incidentally, only those who complete the entire preparatory course for the higher professional examination, including the federal examination, can benefit from federal subsidies.

Graduates work as self-employed or employed complementary therapists. The basic medical knowledge ensures recognition of the various forms of therapy by the health insurance companies and guarantees responsible professional practice in your own practice, in institutions or joint practices.

Provider of complementary therapist training