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About our Practitioners

WORK WITH A
DEDICATED PRACTITIONER

Discover what an FNTP and NTP does, how they approach health, and why you want one on your wellness journey!

What is an NTP ?

WORK WITH A
DEDICATED PRACTITIONER

Discover what an (F)NTP does, how they approach health,
and why you want one on your wellness journey!

What’s a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner?

A Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) or Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP) is a holistic nutrition professional trained and recognized by the Nutritional Therapy Association. The focus of an (F)NTP* is to help support individuals’ health and vitality through individualized holistic nutrition and lifestyle factors, as well as supporting nutritional and physiological deficiencies through the NTA’s Foundations. (F)NTPs are trained to support optimal function of the body by assessing and addressing the health of the diet, digestive system, blood sugar regulation system, fatty acid status, mineral balance, and hydration levels. (F)NTPs also incorporate analysis of lifestyle habits including sleep, stress, movement, and environmental considerations to provide holistic recommendations that drive client success.  

With this framework and focus, an (F)NTP can support you in achieving your health goals so you can live life to the fullest. Even the most complex systems and processes of the body are heavily influenced by the Foundations an (F)NTP is trained to support. Instead of chasing symptoms and trying the next trend, working with an (F)NTP can help determine what your unique body needs to thrive and cut through the noise of health claims in the industry.  

 A Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner or Nutritional Therapy Practitioner is not a licensed nutritionist or dietician. (F)NTPs cannot diagnose or treat disease, nor can they give medical advice. *(F)NTP refers to either a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) or Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP).

An NTA Graduate’s Training

Both NTPs and FNTPs have foundational skills to help support individuals’ health and vitality. Below we will provide you an overview of the training held by each NTA Graduate.

Nutritional Therapy Practitioner’s Training

NTPs use a foundational and bio-individual approach to functional, holistic nutrition to balance body chemistry and achieve optimal wellness. NTPs are equipped to support the body’s innate ability to heal by addressing the importance of nutrient-dense food, anatomy and physiology, lifestyle choices, culinary wellness, client coaching, and how social and personal components influence health.   

Upon graduation, an NTP has received a minimum of 325 curricular hours across topics such as digestion, blood sugar regulation, anatomy and physiology, hydration, mineral balancing, and more. You can learn more about our NTP training here.

Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner’s Training

FNTPs use a deep foundational and bio-individual approach to functional, holistic nutrition to balance body chemistry and achieve optimal wellness. An FNTP has gone through extensive training to learn a hands-on skillset called the Functional Clinical Assessment (FCA) that allows them to evaluate the nutritional imbalances and deficiencies at both the body system and organ level that are unique to a specific client and create a tailored set of recommendations designed to support that client’s wellness goals. 

Upon graduation, an FNTP has received a minimum of 325 curricular hours, a minimum of 65 hours of in-person, hands-on training, and a minimum of 6 hours of testing (midterm and final written and practical examinations). 

Working with an (F)NTP

The focus of both NTPs and FNTPs is to support an individual’s health and wellness with a nutrient-dense, whole-food nutrition approach as well as lifestyle support while supporting nutritional and physiological deficiencies through the NTA’s Foundations. The primary difference is that FNTPs learned an additional hands-on functional tool to gain even more information from the body in the assessment process. Both NTPs and FNTPs are trained to help you find lasting health and wellness.

Nutritional Therapy Practitioners 

What skills and tools does an NTP possess? NTPs are able to:  

Conduct an effective interview with clients, evaluate Food and Mood journals and make recommendations for beneficial dietary changes, and key lifestyle areas such as stress management, sleep, hygiene, and intentional movement, evaluate the Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (NAQ) and interpret the information, communicate using appropriate terminology, and provide recommendations on how to prepare nutrient-dense foods and incorporate them into daily life. 

How can an NTP help clients? 

NTPs are trained to use a combination of professional tools to assess the unique needs of each client. One of the most powerful tools used in this process is the Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (NAQ). The NAQ is a standardized questionnaire that enables the practitioner to analyze a client’s symptoms to identify their nutritional needs and prioritize what areas of the body to support. This data empowers practitioners to develop tailored, bio-individual plans that help clients advance on their personalized path to optimal health and wellness. 

+ Learn more about NTPs

Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioners

What skills and tools does an FNTP possess? FNTPs are able to:  

Conduct an informative interview and assessment with clients, suggest individual foundational supplement recommendations, conduct an efficient Functional Clinical Assessment and Lingual Neuro Testing Assessment to identify primary areas of dysfunction in the body and the appropriate nutrients to support proper function, evaluate Food and Mood journals and make recommendations for beneficial dietary changes, and key lifestyle areas such as stress management, sleep, hygiene, and intentional movement, evaluate the Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (NAQ) and interpret the information, communicate using appropriate terminology, and provide recommendations on how to prepare nutrient-dense foods and incorporate them into daily life.  

What’s the value of the Functional Clinical Assessment (FCA)? 

In addition to the above NTP skillset, in which an FNTP is also trained, FNTPs learn an additional tool called the Functional Clinical Assessment. The FCA is a skill set that allows the practitioner to assess imbalances and deficiencies within the body and address the following questions for each client. Is there a functional deficiency? What particular nutrient will work for that client? What amount is sufficient for this client? These questions enable the practitioner to create personalized, bio-individual recommendations that are uniquely tailored for each client. Each test assesses a specific organ or system for imbalance, allowing the practitioner to communicate with the client’s body to identify potential root causes behind the symptoms or concerns presented.

+ Learn more about FNTPs 

The (F)NTP Difference. What to expect:

i

Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire
 

Lifestyle & Stress Support

Bio-Individual Focused

Whole-Food Approach

Foundational Support
 

In-Depth Client Sessions