Allison Mädl, NTP
Nutritional Therapy & EducationFAQs About Me and My Practice
Professional Qualifications
What is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP)?
An NTP is a paraprofessional certified by the Nutritional Therapy Association to perform Functional Evaluations in order to make nutritional recommendations for clients with the goal of balancing body chemistry and achieving optimal wellness. We do not diagnose or treat disease. Nutritional Therapists know that weaknesses in the foundations of nutrition lead to the degenerative health problems that plague the modern world.
What does your NTP certification entail?
Becoming a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner through the Nutritional Therapy Association requires vigorous coursework including the standard study of anatomy and physiology with an emphasis on the digestive, endocrine, immune, cardiovascular, and detoxification systems of the body. Coursework also includes the study of traditional dietary practices such as soaking, sprouting, and fermenting grains and vegetables to optimize nutrient and bacterial content. The history of diet from ancient to modern is emphasized, as well as an overview of the work of nutritional pioneers such as Dr. Francis Pottenger and Dr. Weston A. Price. Certification requires passing: a functional nutrition written midterm and final exam, four detailed client case studies and folder presentations, and a hands-on functional evaluation exam including the lingual-neuro testing procedure. If you’re interested in becoming an NTP yourself, please get in touch with the Nutritional Therapy Association at nutritionaltherapy.com.
Think about how long it has been since you felt at peace with your body, if ever. And understand that it will take hard work to reset it. Truly transforming one’s whole health at the cellular level takes many years, and I intend to make the extra effort to guide you through these ups and downs in a comprehensive manner that respects your individuality and goals.
What other certifications and degrees do you have?
I am an Associate Instructor for the Nutritional Therapy Association, where I teach students to become Nutritional Therapy Practitioners like myself.
I am a member of the Weston Price Foundation, the Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, and various other charitable organizations. I am in the process of becoming Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition by the National Association of Nutritional Professionals. I work one-on-one with clients, lead group classes, and give lectures around my community, as well as attend various professional development conferences by leading organizations in the nutrition field to keep my knowledge up to date.
I hold a BA in Linguistics and a BA in Writing from the University of California, San Diego. I received my Bilingual Multicultural Education Credential and Single Subject teaching authorization from the California State University, Sacramento, and enjoyed teaching teenagers in private and public education for over a decade in California, Washington, and Costa Rica.
Comprehensive Guidance
What kinds of clients do you work with?
My primary focus with one-on-one clients is to help women* with chronic feminine health issues optimize their diet and lifestyle so they can find freedom from discomfort and enjoy stable moods, restful sleep, normal weight, and healthy children. This stems directly from my own story.
It may take a long time for a woman to become so desperate with her situation that she actively seeks help from nutritional therapy. But when she does, I’m here to help.
I designed the Freedom Of Health™ Program to guide individual clients towards realization of their health goals. Anyone’s body has the power to heal itself once its organ systems are functioning properly with appropriate nutrient balance.
*This doesn’t mean I never work with men. Men do also seek my guidance as one-on-one clients, as well as participate in my RESTART® Program classes.
What type of guidance do you give?
As my client, you are ultimately in charge of which path to take to discover the roots of your own imbalances. I hope you will consider my recommendations and advice with an open mind, and know that restoring optimal wellness is not a linear path. It may have what feel like failures, plateaus, and successes. At times you may experience confusion, denial, or discouragement, but there will also be moments of joy and satisfaction.
Truly transforming one’s whole health at the cellular level takes many years, and I intend to make the extra effort to guide you through these ups and downs in a comprehensive manner that respects your individuality and goals.
Individualized Programs
How do people's nutritional needs differ?
Some people’s bodies require more fat and protein than others. Some people thrive on a higher carbohydrate diet from unrefined sources. Pregnant women, lactating mothers, growing children, and adolescents require extremely nutrient-dense diets and more food in general, while adults in a sedentary lifestyle with moderate physical activity may require less. Everyone’s body is predisposed to function a particular way based on their genetic makeup, but function is highly malleable by modifying environmental, dietary, and lifestyle factors.
How would you determine my needs?
When working with me, you may feel surprised at how many questions I ask about your health history, personal care habits, current symptoms, and what types of foods you prefer to eat. My Freedom Of Health™ Program contains a thorough intake process comprised of many ways to evaluate these areas of your life.
These details are significant aspects of my “detective work” to discover the root causes of your symptoms.
After learning about your unique case, all nutritional recommendations that I design for you are individualized. I do not use templates to recommend the same dietary and lifestyle modifications or additions for everyone. It would be ineffective, let alone potentially dangerous.
Why do I need your services when there are so many books and websites about nutrition?
There is definitely a time and place for using the variety of accurate and helpful online self-paced video classes, cookbooks, seminars, and e-books available to you if you know where to find them. These can relate to cooking real food, reversing food allergies, nutrition planning for pregnancy, and DIY body and home care, to name a few.
However, some of the other widely available nutrition information is confusing, misleading, and often incorrect in terms of how the body actually uses nutrients. It also does not respect your bioindividuality because none of those books or websites have listened to your particular health history.
In working with me, you obtain personalized guidance to discover your most useful resources.
Premium Communication
How is your communication style truly client-centered?
It has been my experience, and I believe that of many women, to feel frustrated when visiting doctors because our complexity and individuality is sometimes not respected or even understood. We are sometimes made to believe that “it’s all in our head”, or our symptoms are just part of “being a woman”, and there’s nothing particular that can be done.
In contrast, good communication relationships are those in which the practitioner actively listens, seems interested in what you have to say, and demonstrates a clear understanding of your health concerns and reason for seeking care. The practitioner’s next questions and actions indicate that you have been heard, and a plan is designed after much consideration of the goals that you have expressed. I do my best to proceed this way in my interactions with clients.
How often and by what methods can I communicate with you?
My Freedom Of Health™ Program includes regularly scheduled opportunities for you to communicate with me in person or via my online meeting platform. We also communicate through email and phone for those additional moments in which you have simple questions or concerns regarding your nutritional plan.
In the RESTART® Program classes that I teach, participants meet once a week as a group for five weeks and enjoy sharing and learning from each other.
My main goal throughout our client/practitioner or participant/teacher relationship is to ease your frustrations and worries, celebrate your successes, and for you to feel that I care about your progress as you transition into a different nutritional lifestyle than that to which you may be accustomed.
Freedom of Health™ Program
It is not simply a list of things you should eat and not eat, and it doesn’t require you to buy a bunch of diet pills or meal replacement products. Instead, you will receive an extensive education in how best you can help yourself be free of whatever health challenges you bear.
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