Level 6 Diploma in Nutritional Therapy

What is Nutritional Therapy?

• Nutritional Therapy is the application of nutrition science in the promotion of optimum health. Our Nutritional Therapy graduates use a range of tools (nutrient screenings, questionnaires, Institute for Functional Medicine – IFM – timeline, matrix and functional tests) to assess and identify potential physiological and nutritional imbalances that may be contributing to an client’s symptoms and health concerns. This allows graduates 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 live, online webinars and structured home study with 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, the Complementary Medical Association (CMA) & Federation of Nutritional Therapy Practitioners (FNTP) in both the UK and Ireland.

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

Functional Medicine:

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

Health & Wellness Coaching:

• Offers the most effective tools for improving client compliance
• Helps clients overcome barriers to change
• Assesses and develops readiness for change

During clinical practice, we develop key skills in alogical and systematic fashion from the beginning so that students are both competent and confident before they see clients in supervised student clinics in year 4. Our approach involves a variety of education methods proven to be best practice for developing communication and clinical practice skills. These include in-class exercises, role play, structured at-home exercises, reflective practice, video/paper based consultation analysis and live clinical observation, as well as supervised client consultations.

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

• Academically certified to level 6 – by Crossfields Institute (CI), an Ofqual regulated awarding organisation and education charity
• Apply the principles of Functional Medicine and use Institute for Functional Medicine tools
• Comprehensive study material provided – including IHS Clinical Imbalance Charts and Graduate with the unique IHS Nutritional Therapy Consultation Paperwork
• Ongoing support via fortnightly webinars and online forums
• Focus on developing critical thinking skills so that students become effective, safe and confident Nutritional Therapists
• Practical assessments designed to develop clinical practice skills
• 250 hours of clinical practice training with 70 live hours, including 6 consultations with clients
• Flexible learning options. Study with the option of attending lectures and workshops (Dublin only). The prerequisite CI Level 4 (UK) Diploma in Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching (VRQ) can be started at  3 different points through the year – September, January or May. Please note that each year of the Diploma in Nutritional Therapy course runs from September
• 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) is an Ofqual regulated qualification 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, supplements and nutrients can be used to counteract the health problems associated with modern lifestyles and to promote optimum health. Students with a similar qualification will be considered.

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

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

Nutritional Therapy Year 2: Critically evaluate the role of nutrition and lifestyle in the management of chronic disease. It focusses specifically on personalised nutrition and lifestyle interventions and explores the Functional Medicine model as a means of applying these principles to practice.

• Examine evidence based strategies for managing chronic disease
• Explore the use of therapeutic diets, such as palaeolithic, Mediterranean, vegetarian, vegan, low GL, intermittent fasting, ketogenic and elimination
• Study the use of functional and therapeutic foods to develop understanding on how they 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 healthcare professionals and the general public alike and controversies surrounding them
• Explore the use of lifestyle interventions in the prevention and management of chronic disease with a particular focus on physical and psychological interventions, plus the research behind their use
• Evaluate the use of nutrition and lifestyle interventions for addressing physiological imbalances identified by the Functional Medicine model
• Study the role of personalised nutrition and lifestyle interventions in the management of key chronic diseases, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Metabolic Syndrome

Year 3 is for 8 months 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 IHS student clinics. This module provides an intensive supervised clinical practice and tutorials in small groups designed to maximise skills and bolster 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 (in Dublin) alongside structured home study and fortnightly live online webinars. The 3rd year (8 months in total) is solely focused on ensuring graduates are competent and confident in clinical practice. For in class, it comprises of 6 clinical practice weekends with live clients which students attend in small groups (3 or 4) 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