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Welcome to AIHT

At AIHT, we are dedicated to teaching people about holistic living: how to discover and maintain natural homeostatic balance of mind, body and spirit. Our mission is to encourage people to carefully discern in order to lead healthier, happier lives — and to help them teach others to do the same.

This handbook contains information that will help you gain the most from your experience with AIHT. In it you will find an explanation of your program's structure as well as our policies and procedures. It will also answer most questions concerning how to approach your courses. Read this handbook thoroughly before beginning your studies. If you still have questions, please contact your Faculty Advisor at 1-800-650-4325. Once you have read and understand the information found in this handbook, you must sign the Independent Study Policy/Handbook Understanding Form and return it to us.

What is a Health or Holistic Consultant?

A health or nutrition counselor or consultant is, in many respects, an educator and coach. If you decide to practice in this field, you will not be a diagnostician or physician. There are specific skills that you will need to learn in order to be a educator/counselor and avoid inadvertently practicing medicine without a license. (These skills will be covered in detail within your course).

One important aspect is to refer to the people you help as clients — never patients. It is also important to speak in terms of health — never disease. Unfortunately, many of the textbooks we use were not written with these ideas in mind. They do refer to patients, name specific diseases, and so forth. However, the books contain a wealth or valuable information that you will be able to use again and again. We ask that you keep this in mind as you proceed with your work.

A Wide Range of Ideas

Within the course textbooks you will find similar as well as diverging thoughts on a variety of subjects. Our courses include many different ideas concerning the broad topics of natural health, healing, holistic nutrition and theology. In some cases, the authors of different textbooks contradict each other. As a student, it is important to remember that there is not one universal belief system or health treatment that is best for everyone.

We have come to understand that people are psychologically and bio-chemically very different from one another. Because of this, there is no single diet plan or way of living that is the best or most healthful for everyone. Some people will respond better to one method, and others will respond to something different. It is for this reason that we present many valid points of view and various options.

As you proceed through your program, keep in mind that the tests and exams for each course apply only to the book or books assigned for that course. In “real life” you will draw information from many sources and discover the methods that work best for you and your clients. For now, understand that you are tested on specific philosophies that are addressed within a specific course.

A Wide Range of Courses

Although the coursework concerns natural and spiritual healing arts, we have tried to include courses in many related fields. We strongly believe that it is important to be exposed to many different ideas, modalities and techniques. You will undoubtedly find a lot within this material that confirms ideas you have learned in the past. It is possible that you will also encounter information with which you strongly disagree. Please feel free to disagree with it — but learn about it. Our goal is to give you resources — not change your belief system. Sometimes this means learning about ideas that one might not personally embrace.

All information contained in this online handbook is subject to change without prior notice and does not constitute an agreement between American Institute of Holistic Theology and the student.

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