How To Have A Successful Career As An Ayurvedic Counselor

Excited about starting your Ayurveda career in health and wellness? Thinking about getting certified in our School of Ayurveda? Complementary medicine is a $13 billion dollar industry with a projected annual growth rate of 3.5%¹. Given Ayurveda's growing popularity, a natural question is to ask, "What are my career options in Ayurveda?"

Ayurvedic Career Options

One of the most popular careers is working in an integrative clinic. This option may include working with a western medical doctor or nurse practitioner to provide Ayurveda's insight and quality of life improvements. For example, Ayurveda's digestive support is sorely needed by patients of chemotherapy, geriatrics, mental disorders, and/or dermatology.

Chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists and other holistic health and wellness providers may also want to include Ayurvedic wisdom in their clinics. These professionals may either hire you directly, or offer rentable office space within their venue.

Some Ayurvedic Counselors team up with their local yoga studio. Yoga and Ayurveda share a similar cultural background, and thus many studios see Ayurveda as natural way to improve the value and scope of services offered at the studio.

A local spa can also provide a good fit for Ayurvedic treatments like abhyanga and shirodhara (assuming you have met the state requirements to offer such services) as well as diet and lifestyle counseling.

Many Ayurvedic Counselors also go into their own private practice. This entails meeting with clients one on one as a consultant and educator. The most successful private practice counselors specialize in a particular area, like digestion.

Meeting with clients can take place in many venues from renting a physical space, conducting consults online and/or partnering with an existing alternative healing center or yoga studio as mentioned above. The startup costs of such an endeavor are small.

See Training Options See the 5 Steps to Planning Your Ayurveda Career

What Services Do Ayurveda Counselors Provide?

Ayurvedic Counselors provide numerous services including consultations, cleansing, retreats, spa services, teaching, writing books, and developing new products.

Consultations, especially consultation packages, often form a significant portion of an Ayurvedic Counselor's income. Consultation packages are an efficient way to work with clients on a longer term basis, increase income, and reduce the cost per consultation to the client. Cleansing and detoxification services are an opportunity to work with clients more closely and provide higher end services.

Health Retreats / Spas - Health retreats and spas are a significant source of income as well, offering an attractive option for higher end clients.

Teaching opportunities include everything from workshops at retreat centers, to self care classes at the local grocery store. In addition, yoga teacher training programs and massage schools are just some of the venues that can provide great and lucrative teaching opportunities. Local hospitals and companies looking may want to offer Ayurvedic wellness programs to their staff or clients.

As an Ayurvedic teacher, your self-care classes will appeal to a broad crowd from corporate professionals to stay at home moms to do it yourself enthusiasts. Those with culinary skills may offer cooking classes to individuals or groups.

Counselors may write books and articles for wellness publications to earn income, increase their credibility and build awareness of their brand. Writing often leads to other opportunities down the road.

Those who are crafty make herb formulas & Ayurvedic products to sell in their own business or to distribute through other businesses. Many Counselors have been successful introducing a line of products for a particular health and wellness concern, such as skin care, tonics, immunity, or parasites.

How Do Ayurveda Counselors Promote Themselves?

Ayurvedic Counselors should identify a specific population when providing services. This segment can be women going through menopause, folks suffering from GI disorders, or virtually any market segment at all. Knowing your segment enables you to tailor your outreach and presentation to address the concerns of your targeted market.

Having identified a segment, counselors should focus their marketing activities on building both credibility and awareness. Professional networks are a great resource as is partnering with other complementary health care providers. Guest appearances and presentations at local organizations like yoga studios, health fairs, libraries, the YMCA, and corporate health & wellness programs can all be beneficial venues for self-promotion.

Writing is a great tool for advertising. Articles in health and wellness periodicals and local newspapers, blogging and guest blogging can be effective methods of self-promotion for the wordsmiths out there. Publishing your own book or e-book can bring credibility. Self promotion through the traditional channels of social media, google ads, a personal website and business cards and brochures is effective.

Conclusion

Not convinced yet? The odds are in your favor. Ayurveda industry sales continue to steadily rise.² With Ayurvedic training, you'll not only be able to offer a valuable service to your community, you'll naturally improve your and your family's health. Check out testimonials from our graduates to see how possible it is to thrive doing what you love.

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[1] - https://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=1565
[2] - https://newhope.com/ingredients-general/ayurveda-gains-ground-us-market-strength-specific-herbs