How Do I Become A Certified Ayurveda Health Professional? Which Course Should I Take?

Joyful Belly is a North Carolina college offering a full range of professional certification programs—from beginner training through the highest levels of Ayurveda education possible in the United States. Each program equips you with the knowledge, practical skills, and credentials needed to legally begin working with clients after graduation.

Ayurveda Health Counselor Certification

The Ayurveda Health Counselor certification (AHC) is a 2 year track for those seeking to master all fundamental principles for the practice of Ayurveda. In the year 1 Ayurveda Lifestyle Advocate level training you will be immersed in Ayurveda's medicinal principles and theory. Clinical application of these principles begins right away in the first week.

In the year 2 Ayurveda Health Counselor level certification, students will apply year 1 principles with an even greater focus on Ayurveda's diagnostic methods and application in a clinical setting, learning all the tools you need to work independently with clients. It includes extensive business training.

This course builds your knowledge from the ground up and is often the first course students take in Ayurveda. Joyful Belly is a licensed college in the state of North Carolina (not an accrediting agency), so you can begin seeing clients immediately after graduation without any further testing or certification.

Ayurvedic Practitioner Level Certification

Students who complete an Ayurveda Health Counselor Level certification may seek certification at the Ayurveda Practitioner level by completing the following:

• Year 1 - Ayurvedic Herbalist - Advanced Strategies, Formulas, & Pharmacology (CAH) course - See above
• 25 supervised clinical encounters.

Advanced Ayurvedic Practitioner Level Certification

Students who complete an Ayurveda Practitioner Level certification may seek certification at the Advanced Ayurveda Practitioner level by completing the following:

• Semester 1 - Metabolic Reset: Master the Art of Detox & Cleansing (Panchakarma) .
• Semester 2 - Mastering Pressure Points: Clinical Marma Point Therapy (MPT)
• 25 supervised clinical encounters.

Ayurvedic Digestive Health Coach Certification

The Mastering Ayurvedic Digestion & Nutrition (MID) course is the most advanced certification course in Ayurvedic digestive health & wellness. This 500 hour, 12 month program is for those who want to master Ayurvedic nutrition and gastroenterology / digestive tract pathology. This course has very little overlap with the fundamentals course. It is typically taken by someone already in a health or wellness profession (medical doctor yoga teacher, nurse,, massage, mental health professional), or who has prior knowledge of Ayurveda.

Where the Ayurveda Health Counselor course provides breadth, the Ayurvedic Digestion & Nutrition course provides depth and specialization in digestive disorders. This depth encourages digestive clients to engage in your clinic, makes this certification highly practical for students who want to quickly increase the number of clients.

Become an Digestive Health Coach

Ayurvedic Herbalist Certification

The Ayurvedic Herbalist - Advanced Strategies, Formulas, & Pharmacology (CAH) course is the most advanced course in Ayurvedic herbal treatments available. While every course at the college is an herb course, this program will give you unparalleled depth in herbs, medicine making, and clinical herbal strategies from Ayurveda, Chinese, and Greek Medicine (the roots of Western herbalism). This 500 hour, 12 month program is for those seeking clinical mastery of herbs. It is typically taken after the health counselor certification course, by those seeking Ayurveda Practitioner level certification, or by those who are already herbalists. Become an Ayurvedic Herbalist

Which Certification is Right for You?

In many cases, students wish to take all of our certification programs, as there is very little overlap between them. The question then becomes, which is the right course to study first? Many students start with the AHC course. These students want to start their studies with a solid foundation in Ayurvedic theory. After building this foundation, graduates develop a specialized knowledge base in digestion and herbs with MID and CAH.

Other students want to get right to the center of Ayurvedic digestion and nutrition, and choose to specialize with the MID first. They then go on to expand their knowledge base to the rest of the body with the AHC program. A solid argument can be made in both directions, and only you can choose the option that is right for you.

Still unsure? Text our director, John, at 828-785-8213 with your question and a time you are available to talk.

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