How many times have you heard a person say, “My wellness counselor . . . “ or “My nutritionist . . . “ and then inform you that s/he can’t eat dairy, or gluten, or some other harmless-unless-you-have-a-diagnosed-condition substance? Quite a few, I’d guess. So you might ask, “What does a nutritionist actually know about nutrition? Or a wellness counselor about health? Are there any qualifications that these people are required to have?”
In a word, no. If you don’t have the word “certified” or “licensed” or even “doctor” in your title you’re pretty much home free. Let’s look at a couple of these terms:
Anyone can be a nutritionist. Quoting from a website that outlines credentials needed for those going into the nutrition field we find that:
To become a nutritionist, nutrition advisor, or nutrition counselor in Colorado does not require any specific education or credentials. (“Becoming a Nutritionist in Colorado”)
What about a “wellness counselor,” “wellness coach,” or “health coach?? Again, there is no national or state legal requirement:
Health Coaches can be certified through private credentialing bodies and do not require a state license to practice so long as they do not engage in regulated activities, including, but not limited to, using regulated terms such as “Registered Dietitian” or “Licensed Nutritionist.” (“Health Coaching and Your Right to Practice”)
Okay, well, what about just a plain old “counselor” or “therapist”?
Counselors and Therapists are terms that are most often used interchangeably, and reference the same type or mental health professional. They usually describe someone who is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and has obtained a master’s degree in counseling, psychology, or a related field. It’s worth noting that the term “therapist” can describe any mental health professional that spends their time speaking to patients, regardless of their official title and qualifications. (“How Do I Select a Therapist or Counselor?”)
Note, again, that while you cannot call yourself a “licensed” counselor or therapist without the proper credentials, you can call yourself a “therapist . . . regardless of [your] official title and qualifications.” This loosey-gooseyness is a great disservice to those who are true professionals and who have gone to the trouble and expense of getting the proper training. Honestly, folks, I could set myself up tomorrow (or today, if I really hustled) with any one of the above titles as long as I didn’t stray into the forbidden ones. And guess what? I could include the sale of dietary supplements in my practice, because, and this is a long story, dietary supplements have no meaningful oversight or regulation at all from the FDA. This freedom to sell capsules of just about anything without anybody testing them stems from a very successful campaign waged by—who else?—the supplement companies, to keep that government agency out of their business. So you can buy anything you want as long as it’s labeled a “supplement” and not a “drug.” And nobody’s checking on it, either to make sure it contains what it says it contains (often not the case) or that it does what it claims to do even if it contains what it says it contains (usually not the case). Whew! (Have to add this: Several years ago I had a friend who consulted with a nutritionist or a holistic practitioner—also a non-regulated term—or some such, and the practitioner would diagnose your nutritional deficiencies by means of a saliva test. She was in Georgia, so you’d have to mail her a sample. The test cost $150. Then she’d tell you what you needed to take, which of course she’d also be glad to sell you. I was kind of intrigued. It was only $150! Wouldn’t it be fun and harmless to find out if I was missing anything? No, said my husband, putting his big flat foot down very firmly. We were not going to give money to a “spit doctor.” And indeed I was being very gullible here, as of course the $150 was just the first wad of cash that would have come out of my pocket.)
To me it seems that at least part of the problem causing all of these unregulated info-givers is we have a shortage of what I call “kitchen table wisdom,” or, if you’d like something scriptural, “wisdom from the elderly.” The Christian New Testament book of Titus outlines in its second chapter how older men and women are to teach those who are younger, mostly by example, how to live their lives. How much of this is going on today, whether in or out of a spiritual context? Not very much. We’d rather pay someone with a perhaps-made-up title to give us advice than just listen to good old Mom or Grandma. (My mom used to say to me all the time, even when I was in my thirties, “Debi, you need to eat more vegetables!” She was right, wasn’t she?)
Well, I think I’ll leave it there for today. Wouldn’t it be great if there were bottles labeled “common sense” in the supplement aisles? By the way, you should totally be listening to Season 2 of the podcast “The Dream.” Episode 4 details this whole supplement squish. And you can also watch this video below with Catherine Price, who’s also mentioned in the podcast. The bearded guy who’s interviewing her, Dr. Derek Muller, has a Ph.D. in physics and has produced a whole film that has the same title as her book: Vitamania. But you can get a taste here: