Holistic Health Specialist Career Profile
- Career Name - Holistic Health Specialist
- Category - Health / Business
- Skills Required - Life skills 40% - Career skills 60%
- Basic School Subjects - Biology, Science, Mathematics, Business Studies
- Minimum Required Education - Bachelor's Degree
- Species Worked With - Pets, Critters, Farm Animals, Wildlife
- Kind of Interaction with Animals - Direct
Do you want to work as a holistic health specialist?
READ: This page helps you to read about the career and the info you need to decide on whether this is indeed the career you want to follow.
RESEARCH: ​Learn about the skills required and minimum subjects to enter this career, as well as the places where you can study further after school.
PREPARE: If you want to plan and prepare for the career, then join the OZT Community! Members have access to tools, while chatting with other students and experts from around the world. Prepare to be amazed!
CAREER MENTORS
UPDATED:
7 May 2024
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What is a holistic health specialist?
A holistic animal health specialist is a professional who approaches animal health and wellness from a holistic perspective, considering the physical, emotional, and environmental factors that may affect an animal’s well-being. They typically integrate conventional veterinary medicine with alternative therapies and natural remedies to promote overall health and address underlying issues rather than just treating symptoms.
Alternative Name
Holistic animal health specialists may go by various alternative names, depending on their specific focus or the terminology used in different regions or contexts. Some alternative names for holistic animal health specialists include:
- Holistic veterinarian
- Integrative veterinarian
- Natural veterinarian
- Alternative veterinarian
- Complementary veterinarian
- Traditional Chinese veterinary practitioner
- Herbal veterinarian
- Homeopathic veterinarian
- Naturopathic veterinarian
- Functional veterinarian
These terms may be used interchangeably to describe professionals who approach animal health from a holistic perspective, combining conventional veterinary medicine with alternative therapies and natural remedies.
Career Categories
The Holistic Health Specialist career can be found within the following OZT career categories:
- Health
- Business
History?
Holistic health for pets existed way before conventional medicine
Market growth?
The need for holistic pet treatments has more than doubled in the last decade
What does a Holistic Health Specialists do?
Groups of animals a Holistic Health Specialist works with
What is the level of Interaction with the Animals?
- Directly - A person works directly with the animals with some form of physical contact at least once every few days
- Indirectly - The career doesn't require direct or physical contact at all.
With who does a Holistic Health Specialist work?
Besides working with all of the animals, Holistic Health Specialists will need to interact with other people while doing their daily tasks. The people might include fellow staff members (if they work for a larger holistic health company) and the public.
Fellow staff might include:
- Supervisors/Managers
- Operational staff, such as Human Resources, Finance and Maintenance
What does a Holistic Health Specialist focus on?
The primary focus of animal holistic health specialists is to use herbs, acupuncture and comprehensive health and wellness strategies to heal animal medical conditions.
What are the daily tasks of a Holistic Health Specialist?
- Discuss brief with clients
- Develop a storyboard to help the idea, drawings and speech bubbles make sense
- Prepare model drawings of each character
- Draw special effects (animated movements, shading, texture)
- Presentation to clients of work done
- Create and add new work to a portfolio
- Administration and filing
Working Conditions of a Holistic Health Specialist
Where does a Holistic Health Specialist work?
Environment –
Holistic health specialists work mainly indoors from within a practice (clinic) or office setup.
Places of Employment –
Most holistic health specialists work for themselves, but they may also be employed by large animal hospitals, veterinary clinics, zoos, aquariums, conservation organizations and government.
What is the average annual salary of a Holistic Health Specialist?
On average the income per year is around $75,000. This will differ from country to country.
Can a Holistic Health Specialist be promoted?
Advancement in the field typically depends on work experience. First-year specialists often fit their training commitments around other work demands.
The levels of each promotion might differ from organization to organization, but generally are the following:
Intern -> Junior Practitioner -> Senior Practitioner -> Specialist -> Manager
What kind of difficulties can a Holistic Health Specialist face?
The most difficult part is working with difficult animals. Animals in stress or pain may bite, scratch and kick. The work might also require frequent travel, as well as working late hours, over weekends and holidays.
​Future growth and Possibilities
The holistic health industry is currently growing at 18%, with the homeopathic route seeing tremendous growth.
Which Skills are required by a Holistic Health Specialist?
The skills required for a career as an animal holistic health practitioner can be divided into two very important groups. The first is the group containing life skills, which are the core skills that are necessary or desirable for full participation in everyday life. The second group is career skills, or the specific skills required to allow a person to enter and operate effectively within a specific career. Some or maybe even all of the life skills can assist in strengthening the career skills, and they might even be the same for specific careers.
Life Skills
- Self-awareness
- Empathy
- Critical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Decision making
- Problem Solving
- Effective communication
- Interpersonal relationship
Career Skills
- ​Good animal care and handling
- Basic customer service skills
- Good health and physical fitness
- Excellent computer literacy
Which Subjects must I have at School to help prepare for this Career?
Biology is extremely important for admission into university. It also helps you understand more about the physical traits of animals, and how they interact with their environment.
Similar to Biology, it is necessary to have Science as a subject to ensure that you gain admission to university.
Similar to Biology, it is necessary to have Mathematics as a subject to ensure that you gain admission to university.
As most holistic practitioners start their own business, it is advised to have at least one of the economic or business science subjects while still in school.
The subjects you choose at school are important as they lay the foundation for further studies at college or university. While still at school, it’s also important to learn more about the animals you will work with, as well as gain some experience.
OZT has a list of various tertiary institutions where you can study further, after school. Each of these institutions also have their own Group page on OZT where you will find the exact subjects they require of you to have passed in school. Keep these requirements in mind, and discuss it with your school, guidance counselor and parents to ensure that you are prepared!
What will I need to Study to become a Holistic Health Specialist?
Minimum educational requirements
The minimum educational requirement to enter this career is a Bachelor’s Degree, although there are homeopathic practitioners with lesser qualifications (such as a specialized Diploma), as well as those with a Doctorate in Veterinary Science.
Study Focus
Majors –
The most important majors to study, whether at college or university, would be biology, animal science, animal behaviour, homeopathy and even botany.
Short Courses –
There are many short courses, especially in homeopathy, herbal remedies or holistic health.
Study Duration
The duration of College and Bachelor’s Degrees can be up to 3 or 4 years. Short Courses are usually between a few weeks and a year.
FREE Career Path Plan
If this is your dream career that you want to pursue, then it’s important to plan the way forward.
Why is planning important?
​To ensure that you understand the requirements for your career, and that you are always prepared for the next step on the road towards your dream. A preparation path is like a road map to where you want to be.
Possible Paths:
For a high school student interested in pursuing a career as a holistic animal health specialist, here’s a possible preparation path based on the provided points:
1. Attend Career Guidance Sessions:
Attend career guidance sessions to learn more about the field of holistic animal health and the various career opportunities available.
2. Research all of the possible careers:
Research different career paths within holistic animal health, such as holistic veterinarian, integrative veterinarian, herbal veterinarian, etc.
3. Explore Educational Paths:
Explore educational paths, including undergraduate programmes in pre-veterinary studies or animal science, as well as veterinary medicine programmes that offer courses or tracks in holistic or integrative medicine.
4. Align high school subjects with the educational path:
Take science courses (biology, chemistry) to build a strong foundation for future studies in veterinary medicine. Additionally, courses in health and wellness, psychology, and business may be beneficial.
5. Obtain a High School Diploma or Equivalent:
Successfully complete high school and obtain a high school diploma or equivalent qualification.
6. Learn about animals that will work with:
Gain knowledge about different types of animals and their care needs through independent research, volunteering at animal shelters, or internships with veterinarians.
7. Align post-school path with either entering a career/job directly, studying further or starting a business:
Decide whether to pursue further education, enter the workforce directly, or start a business after high school. Consider options for undergraduate education in veterinary medicine or related fields.
8. Gain experience through volunteering, internship, mentorship, etc.:
Seek opportunities to gain practical experience through volunteering at animal shelters, interning at veterinary clinics, or participating in mentorship programmes with holistic veterinarians.
9. Pursue Extracurricular Activities:
Participate in extracurricular activities related to animals, such as 4-H clubs, Future Farmers of America (FFA), or animal welfare organisations.
10. Join Professional Associations:
Join professional associations relevant to holistic animal health, such as the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA), to connect with professionals in the field and access resources.
11. Gain Specialised Skills:
Pursue additional training or certifications in holistic modalities such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, or chiropractic care to develop specialised skills.
12. Network with Professionals:
Network with professionals in the field through conferences, workshops, and online communities to learn from their experiences and build connections.
13. Enter the job market, finish tertiary studies, or launch a business:
After completing education and gaining experience, enter the job market as a holistic animal health specialist, consider further studies if necessary, or start a business offering holistic veterinary services.
14. Stay Updated and Pursue Continuing Education:
Stay updated on the latest developments in holistic animal health by attending conferences, workshops, and continuing education courses to maintain professional competence and expand knowledge.
Possible Combined Career Paths
It is possible to sometimes combine two or more related careers. This normally happens when you study and practice a specific main career, but the knowledge and experience gained also help you to have a paying hobby or secondary income career.
Possible Alternatives (there are a lot more):
Training and apprenticeship
Even though it is important to study to get into some of the animal careers, most of the skills you will need as a holistic health specialist will be acquired through practice. This means that you will learn how to perform some of the daily tasks by actually doing it a few times and learning the steps.
In some cases entry level positions require training sessions even before you are allowed to actually perform your job duties. These sessions are offered by the place of employment, after you have successfully applied.
Apprenticeship is also possible where you need to learn skills from a more senior holistic practitioner or veterinarian.
Join the Holistic Health Specialists Group in to learn more and even interact with the educational institutions that will help you secure your dream career!
Average level of educational qualification people had when entering the Career
Licenses, Certificate, Registration and Professional Associations
Certain animal careers require some form of legal certification to prove that you can indeed do the work, and work with the necessary equipment.
Although not required by law, certifications may help workers establish their credentials and enhance their skills.
Learn more about requirements by joining the Community.
Professional Associations
Where can I study further?
All of the above information will help you understand more about the Career, including the fact that there are different paths to take to reach it. But if you are almost done with High School (Grades 11 or 12), you also need to start thinking about further studies, and WHERE you will study.
See the List of Universities, Colleges and Online Training Academies who offer courses towards holistic medicine.
How do I start to prepare for this Career?
If you do decide on following this career, then OZT can assist you in figuring out a path to prepare, as well as help you to gain further knowledge about the career and the animals you will be working with. We do this by offering you FREE career development tools. There are almost a dozen free tools, but these are the three primary ones:
CAREER PATH PLAN
Use the career path plan above on this profile as an example to follow, or to work out your own path.
COST; Free
ACCESS: Open to visitors and MembersÂ
SHORT COURSES
Access easy-to-use short courses to make your career preparation easier! The basic information in each course is free, but the rewards can only be unlocked as an OZT member!
COST; Free
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STUDY GUIDE
Get a supercharged study guide that fits into the career path plan! Now that's really upping your preparation game! Join us for free to gain access!
COST; Free
ACCESS: Members Only
But, if you are still uncertain about choosing this specific career, and even where to start, then have a look at our special series of WHAT NEXT courses (link below). They take you through all of the questions you might have on how to choose the right career, what to do while at and after school, and even how to start your own business.
Join the OZT community & Career Group
Join us as a special member and learn more about becoming an animal holistic health specialist.
Members of the Platform have special access to:
- Info on the best places where you can study (colleges, universities and online)
- Expertly designed advice to prepare you for the career, and links to places where you can gain valuable experience. For some career experience is necessary, otherwise you wont get the job!
- Top notch info on each of the different species you will work with
- Make friends around the world and share knowledge
- Compete and win points, badges, games, prizes and certificates. Be the best of the best, while you learn and prepare!
If you have decided on being a Holistic Health Specialist, please click on the JOIN GROUP button. Members will be directed to the Group, while non-members will be assisted to register first.
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