My current count is about 13. Lucky for some? Patient advocate, referral point, primary prescribing practitioner, behavioural change motivator, wise business counsel, good empathetic listener, fearless myth buster, researcher, head chef to a group of nats…that’s the toughest hat right there, right?! 🤣
While there is a concern in naturopathy and integrative health that we increase our own load due to our eclecticism – I see this as a strength & part of the appeal.
But it does warrant regular review.
I semi-regularly cry-out, “I just want a normal job, you know 9-5, clock on, clock off.” To which anyone who knows me tends to drop to the floor in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. They’re right of course, I do not have the temperament or the ability to be sufficiently single-minded to work at Coles. And the reality is I do feel privileged and satiated by wearing all my different hats bar just a couple…but this is par for the course and part of the important reflective process we should all continually undertake in our careers: Which hat no longer fits me? Which gives me a bit of headache? We can then re-orient our work and our businesses in a way that tries to reduce, or remove altogether, our time spent in these roles.
“I am completely over giving 101 dietary advice!” I wish I had a holiday for every time I’ve heard a nat with more than 10 yrs experience say that!
“Oh the never ending story of answering my inbox!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” is another one on high rotation in our ranks.
These ‘lost loves’ and potential disproportionate time wasters should never be ignored & simply endured but should instead be met…head on. The more I hear about different practice models & observe my own business over 20+years, the more I can see that when a practitioner is losing too much time or job satisfaction, wearing some of these hats that no longer fit, the less financial growth and sustainability their practice model holds. I know…them’s fighting words! Anyway, I’ll be talking about this and the delicate balance of our mild super-powers V our soft underbelly at Vicherbs monthly meet-up Sept 26th if you live in Melbourne and want to come along the join in the conversation. I think it’s a good one that we need to keep having.
2020 Group Mentoring Program Applications Open in October!
The Group Mentoring program provides integrative nutrition practitioners with monthly sessions of the most accelerated form of post-graduate education and clinically relevant skill development. Join this online 12 month program of like minded professionals and work with Rachel through real clinical cases and questions presented by each member in a collegiate setting. If you know you want in for next year already, get ahead of the queue and email us: [email protected]
“Rachel’s mentor program is something I look forward to each month and I feel very privileged to be one of her mentees (or mintees as she likes to call us). Each session is action packed with so much information shared that my brain gets a lot of dopamine hits! Rachel has a rare talent of teaching in a way that makes the most complicated information easy to understand, and even fun! The learning doesn’t stop after each mentor session. The group, including Rachel, will share research and continue to follow the cases shared. Amazing value for money. I know this is something I will want to do my whole career…there is always something more to be learned.”
VINKA WONG | Clinical Nutritionist, New Zealand