Martha Fraser – 3rd Year Nutritional Therapy Diploma Student
I am just at the tail end of completing my final year of the Nutritional Therapy Diploma at the Irish Institute of Nutrition and Health. I had to extend my completion date due to having a baby this year, but at IINH this was not a problem. They are running courses for the adult learner and they appreciate that life goes on while you are trying to get a qualification.
I have to say I loved every minute of this course and I will be sad to no longer be a student of IINH.
The first year of the course which is the Health Coaching course was great fun with Richard Burton, the college Director. He has a vast knowledge of nutrition which he gladly shares and extends to all students in such an enthusiastic fashion. He somehow manages to pass on his love of nutrition to each one of his students.
Second year of the Nutritional Therapy Diploma is a further and deeper knowledge of nutrition, anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology….yes it is hard work, but if you want to be a confident and competent Nutritional Therapist, these are the hurdles you have to jump ! But guess what …we each did it, with great support from the college and teaching staff and peer support from the class. You are not alone when doing this course.
In second and third year there are several exams as you learn each of the anatomy systems. This all helps you progress and prepare for the final year exam. There is also some research work, which really I have to say I thought I would not be able for – I thought ‘this is too much for me. Exams I can handle, but research!’ …I wasn’t so sure.
But now looking back the research is the icing on the cake as it really teaches you as a future Nutritional Therapist how to be critical of any product articles and studies you read, how to analyse and make a sound judgement. These skills are learned as you expand your knowledge through the research assignments.
Finally in third year we had clinical practice. Sam said all the knowledge would come together in practice, and yes, you were right Sam! Each of us started our clinical practice initially slightly nervous and apprehensive that we could do it, but once in the setting of the clinic and guided by our lecturers, Sam and Julia, we did it ! We took clients while supervised by a lecturer and observed by a small number of our fellow students. Hours of clinical practice are required but it was so rewarding seeing clients on their 2nd and 3rd consultation with improving results and even bringing in gifts to the students to thank them for the incredible improvement in their presenting concerns.
Second and third year are taught by Samantha Lewis, Julia Sweetman and Dr. David Smallbone. All I can say is thank you for your depth of knowledge and your patience in sharing it with us and making sure we understood it. On top of this IINH had the foresight to acknowledge that to be a therapist takes more than theoretical skills, and so we had a series of expert guest lecturers to learn the following skills: Neurolingustic Programming (NLP), presentation skills, cooking skills, business development, counselling skills, personal development skills and several others. All of this, combined with the theoretical knowledge, moulded each of us into a Nutritional Therapist ready for successful clinical practice in the real world.
When considering whether or not to go back into education, and which nutrition course to choose, I spent 2 years researching and thinking about it!
In the end I chose the Irish Institute of Nutrition and Health and I am so glad I did. IINH work so hard to educate their students, but also to create a feeling of community. They are constantly ensuring the course is up to date with the latest scientific research and have also worked very hard to achieve FETAC, BTEC and ITEC accreditation.
I am leaving this course with a great qualification, but also friends for life. I have no doubt I made the right choice in choosing IINH – just wish I hadn’t spend 2 years thinking about it first! 
I hope whatever you decide after reading this, that you choose the right path for yourself.
Best of luck in your future studies.
Martha Fraser
2011 IINH Final Year Nutritional Therapy Student
Food Coach, Holistic Masseuse, Reiki Therapist
“It’s not the falling down that counts but the getting up”
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