Student Stories

My studies have been life changing, exciting, and unforgettable. I love everything about my course.  The lecturers are great, the content is very rich, giving me knowledge which has helped me become healthy.  I feel great. I’ve met amazing like-minded people, built my confidence, and have become much more positive.

When I qualify I will practise as a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist to educate people about health, and help them change their lives, the way I have done.

Several years of antibiotics, steroids, confusing and changing medical diagnoses and worsening health, being stared at and even, on one occasion, being called a zombie in public, I decided I had enough… I went through a lot of personal health issues and gradually began to immerse myself in the science behind nutrition and lifestyle. I began to research more holistic methods of healing and came across people online using diet and exercise to heal. After many years of studying and experimenting with my own healing journey, seeing many others getting great results and starting to feel a lot better myself, I decided to go all in and completely abandon the pharmaceutical approach.

Eventually it became a hobby and one day I decided would be a great idea to pursue it as a career.

Matt has enrolled at CNM so he can train to become a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist

My body broke down

I’m currently in my second year of the naturopathic nutrition course. I’ve always had a keen interest in natural therapies, although it wasn’t until I became unwell that I decided to study it. I contracted multiple parasitic infections during a trip to Indonesia; when I returned to the UK, I started experiencing non-specific symptoms which lasted for 18 months. I was going through a stressful period at work and I wasn’t able to figure out what was going on with my health. The combination of a heavy parasite infestation and stress resulted in me getting very ill; my body just broke down.

Naturopathy was the only thing which worked

I was put on multiple antibiotics; however, the infections wouldn’t clear up and I was left feeling much worse. During this time, I did a huge amount of research on my own to try to figure out what was wrong. I worked with an excellent naturopath who was able to carry out functional testing and give me the supplements I so desperately needed. I soon recovered and became fascinated with naturopathic medicine, how the body works and the root cause of disease. I decided I wanted to help people who were in a similar position to me.

The flexible study schedule is perfect for me

I was attracted to CNM because it offered a flexible study schedule. Given I work full time, it caters perfectly for my work life. I also wanted to do an in-class course rather than online one. Price and location were also a factor; the London campus in Kings Cross is a great location. The lectures are also available online which is very helpful.

The clinical experience is invaluable

What I’m enjoying most about the course is that it encompasses theory and practical experience with real-life cases. I find the clinics very useful as it enables me to see how best to treat clients. I like the fact that all lecturers have their own practice or work in a practice, enabling them to give case examples in class. The course content is extensive and covers everything you need to get set up as a practitioner. The best thing I’ve learnt so far is how to use food to treat disease, rather than using supplements alone. Using food as medicine has been a real eye-opener.

The course has changed my life

When I graduate, I plan to start my own clinic and specialise in digestive health. The course has completely changed my life; being able to do a job I love every day is such an exciting prospect. I will get so much satisfaction helping clients to regain their health.

The lecture content is quite simply remarkable. The presentations are visual to support your revision, and are constructed in a smart way to help you learn in bite sized chunks and build upon your previous lectures. I have never covered so much content in one lecture before but it really works. I often wonder why it took me 33 years to start learning about the human body and self-healing. But I am glad I waited because I can think of no other place I would prefer to study. Also my initial recommendation to join CNM came from my practitioner who is an incredibly gifted healer, his advice that CNM was the best learning ground was accurate and reassuring.

I spoke with the admissions team before I enrolled, who were great and also filled many gaps of my understanding of the course. They invited me in to take a look at the college. As I approached CNM London (10 mins from Kings Cross) and saw the beautiful setting of Percy circus and the gorgeous grounds of the college (they have gardens and lots of greenery) I was already hooked. My experience got better and better as I saw the library, the cafe and the clinic rooms.

Before joining the course I could not see how I would ever sit down with a client and advise them. This was definitely the fear of the unknown as my fears were quashed by learning that I would be observing student nutritionists seeing real clients in year 2. In year 3 I will be holding the clinic appointments myself, but with the support of Lecturers (who are practitioners) which filled me with confidence that I will be observed and fed back to. If you wish you can also be a client at a student clinic and discuss any health issues and receive nutritional, herbal and acupuncture advice at an extremely good price.  I personally saw a student nutritional therapist. Her advice (signed off and supported by practitioner-lecturers) has been life changing for me and I saw positive results in my health.

I unfortunately lost my mum over the Christmas period which affected my studies, my revision and ultimately meant I was not ready for my first exam. To add to an already amazing experience at CNM, the support I received from my Lecturer was outstanding, the Directors of Study were supportive and positive and inspired me to continue. With a few rearrangements and (of course) my hard work in studying, I sat and passed both my exams and assignment. The assignment was not just marked and sent back, but covered in feedback so I knew how to improve for next time.

I am glad of the expectation that you have to attend 90% of classes because quite frankly you need the Lecturer and your peers.  I would rather be in the college with the experts, as they bring the subject to life. You do need to put the time in, to simply turn up is not enough, but if you’ve chosen the right subject for you, you will be eager to learn more and excited about every next lecture! I come from a background of retail which could not be more different, but CNM helped me transition my life towards my dream.

If like me, you are looking for a natural approach with a deeper understanding of the human body, go and see CNM!

As a chef studying Naturopathic Nutrition at CNM I found the proof that food can be utterly delicious, life-enhancing and gratifying while simultaneously supporting thriving health, joie de vivre and energy.

I was attracted to CNM because it provides the naturopathic element over and above plain nutrition, and because I wanted cast-iron credentials. Studying totally took over my life! What I learned gave me an infinite respect for the perfection of the human body and the mind-blowing intricacy of its functions. I discovered how a natural and nutrient-rich way of eating can literally make you feel like a totally different person.

I am incredibly thrilled to  graduate from CNM and now be able to put the treasure trove of knowledge which I have acquired during my studies to good use.  While my approach will be all-encompassing, I am particularly interested in anti-ageing and brain health. From being an international private chef and food writer, I’ll now be The Natural =  Anti-Ageing Chef, a Nutritional food writer, and a Nutritional Therapist.

I’ll be harnessing the immense force of natural food, including plant-power, to support healing and recovery and to set my clients back on the road to optimal wellbeing.

I wanted to further my studies and from studying medical conditions, clinical psychology, psychiatry and so on during my special education needs degree, it was just one step up to considering natural medicine studies. I remember that I asked a lot of questions when I first called CNM and got answers to all of them, like the fact that the diploma is recognised in many European countries, what I’m going to study is natural medicine and I will be able to work in clinics after graduation or even better, to have my own clinic at some point in the future. I also liked the subjects that I was told that I’ll study during the years and of course the consultant’s enthusiasm. Having started at CNM I found the impact that nature has over the human body and mind amazing and this is why I got into natural therapies. I also liked the college very much! It was like: wow!

I expect to change my life a lot! CNM helps me see myself as a practitioner already! When I qualify, I plan to work as a practitioner and write books about herbal medicine.

CNM offered a course that embraced nutrition differently from other courses, by placing importance on lifestyle and naturopathic principles. It was this combination that made me choose the course, and I am now in my final year of nutrition. I love the quality of lecturing as well as the depth of knowledge I’ve acquired. The course is intense, and has given me confidence in dealing with doctors.  The assignments are definitely good practice for the real world paths my career may take. I look forward to practising in the field and supporting clients to reach their own health goals.

What I wasn’t expecting was the amazing people I have met.  I have been really touched by the strong and supportive community we have built as a class.

Discovering the power of food has completely changed the way I manage my own health and that of my family. In contrast to my own childhood, I have brought my 3 children up using natural medicine when needed.

It wasn’t until the last few years that I decided to study and I signed up on a Short Course with CNM on Herbs for Everyday Living. The course and the lecturer were both really excellent and it’s amazing what herbs can do!

After finishing my short course I made the decision to completely retrain and enrolled on CNM’s Naturopathic Nutrition diploma course in 2011. I have always believed that health starts with what we eat; it’s the origin of everything, so although I love herbs and other natural therapies such as homeopathy, which has really worked for me, it makes sense to me to address diet first!

The challenge of training for a new career at 56 years old has been a big decision for me, but I’m confident that it’s the right one. I’m completely out of my comfort zone and learning new things when you are older is tough, but being in a classroom with likeminded people makes it enjoyable! The reason I chose CNM was because of their focus on face to face, clinical work because I know I will learn better through practice.

When I finish my studies I want to practice from home or rent a local clinic room, but there are so many possibilities in the industry if I want to other things as well! I never thought I would retrain at my age, but it just goes to show that it’s never too late to do something you love!