Testimonials

“As the daughter of two conventional human general practitioners, I spent most of my life carrying a strong skepticism for any complementary, integrative, or natural therapies. After practicing conventional small animal medicine for ten years, I was inspired to learn more about integrative medicine after my clients started requesting more natural therapies, and I saw the benefit of naturopathic therapies with my own health. I'd heard great things about CIVT, so after browsing the courses I decided to dive into the Certification in Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine, with plans to continue on with the Graduate Diploma course if I could manage the study load whilst running a practice and parenting young children. I loved the certification so much, after I finished it I went straight into the second year to complete the Grad Dip.

The course really opened my eyes up to the long history of herbal medicine use, in both people and animals, and the strong scientific and anecdotal evidence that exists for many herbal therapies. So many references and scientific papers were provided during the course as extra reading material that I felt confident in recommending these therapies to my clients, even before I had developed my own experience using them. My tutor was very understanding of my busy work and personal schedule and gave me the flexibility to extend modules when required, and I was also able to pause the diploma for a few months just after I gave birth to my youngest baby.

I strongly recommend this course for anyone considering learning more about integrative therapies and veterinary Western herbal medicine - whether you're worried you don't have the time to fit it in, or you're still on the fence about integrative medicine, this course will open your eyes to a whole new world of effective and safe treatment options that I now reach for time and time again with my patients. I also thoroughly enjoyed the modules where you make your own herbal ointments and tinctures; it is an empowering feeling to know that if you have access to a medicinal herbal garden, or create your own, you can make your own therapeutic products!”

Dr Caroline Wood

BVSc, GDVWHM

Australia

“Taking part in CIVT’s Natural Animal Nutrition course was one of the most important and relevant steps in my journey in animal health. It was open-minded, with a lot of basic and important information, additionally it was not sponsored by any companies. For me, apart from gaining great animal nutrition knowledge, I found it allowed me the prospect and perspective to work in my own way. Being a member of CIVT gives me additional possibilities to continue learning.”

Dagmara Brzostek

Poland

"As a veterinarian just beginning my journey into integrative medicine, this course was a good introduction to canine manual therapies. The content was clear, practical, and included hands-on techniques that I could start applying with patients. Dr Tanya Grantham was an excellent tutor - supportive, knowledgeable, and able to explain complex concepts in an approachable way. Her clinical insights and prompt feedback made the learning experience engaging. After completing the course, I feel more confident assessing canine movement and incorporating simple manual therapy techniques to support musculoskeletal health and rehabilitation. I would highly recommend this course to veterinarians interested in expanding their skills in integrative care."

Dr Sheryl Ng

BSc, BVSc 

Singapore

"I’m a small animal veterinarian in Australia. I initially enrolled in the Introduction to Canine Manual Therapies course to help my own dog, Miki, an eight-year-old Kelpie who loves being massaged. He has mild arthritis and some back issues, and with the massage techniques learned in the course, I’m able to help relieve his discomfort and keep him active. I’ve also been applying these skills to support my patients. I found all parts of the course valuable and more in-depth than I expected. The anatomy refresher was particularly helpful, and learning more about conformation and gait analysis is very relevant to my work as a veterinarian. The sections on massage, myofascial release, and acupressure - my main reasons for enrolling - were especially interesting and well detailed."

Dr Anne Vastmans

M.Vet.Med.

Australia

"My dog’s lameness inspired me to take the 5Ps course. It helped me understand the best ways to help my dog; sometimes pain is silent, this course gave me the skills to help before it escalates. I now know the pain pathways, body mechanics and gentle intervention strategies to help reduce the pain. The course was well laid out and very informative, giving me multiple methods to help my dog, improve his mobility and support his wellbeing." 

Tina Austin

Canada

"The CIVT Essentials of Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine course was definitely another excellent online learning experience which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was highlighted by online interactive tutorials which gave students an opportunity to speak directly to the tutors and receive instant feedback. It was very helpful to learn a lot of detail about a select number of the most common and well understood herbs which provided me with the confidence to use them in practice immediately."   

Dr Julie Schell

BSc (Hons), DVM, CVA, CVCHM, CVC

Canada

“I was a conventional small animal vet who moved into the rehabilitation sphere because I wanted to be able to offer my patients more than just popping a pill to make them comfortable. I wanted to build better strength and mobility, as they are an important part of quality of life, but also have more non-pharmaceutical options to offer my patients. This path led me to acupuncture and CIVT. The Graduate Diploma of Veterinary Acupuncture has been a fantastic course, I have learnt so much, things that help not only my patients’ pain but their health overall. It was a steep learning curve as I had never studied any Chinese herbal medicine before, but the breadth of information and tutor support available made it not just achievable but enjoyable as well. It has transformed my daily practice, and my patients and clients cannot thank you enough for it!”

Dr Jane Harris

BVSc (hons), CCRT, GDVA

Australia

"An Outstanding Animal Rehabilitation Course!!!! I completed my Certification in Clinical Integrative Canine Rehabilitation course in January 2024. What an exceptional course, it exceeded every expectation I had!

Dr Tanya Grantham, my course tutor and lecturer, was exceptional. Dr Tanya, thank you for sharing your knowledge and years of experience with the students in such a compassionate way. Your patience with your students as well as your passion and compassion for your patients and their well-being is truly remarkable.

The content and layout of this course were well-structured, easy to understand and deeply informative. Each module and power point presentation gave me the theoretical knowledge and hands-on confidence I needed to treat every rehabilitation case with utmost care to support my patients in a safe, effective and compassionate way.

As a veterinarian I have grown so much in both skill and understanding. I feel more empowered and excited to use this amazing knowledge I have gained to help animals recover, thrive and live more comfortable and healthier lives. I would highly recommend this course to any professional that has a deep love for rehabilitation. This course is an investment in knowledge, confidence and compassion. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity and experience.”

Dr Carmen Booyse 

BSc, BVSc, CVA, CVTP, CICCR

South Africa

“In traditional vet environments our approach is systems based – assessing one body system at a time in our exam. Albeit correct and necessary, it is a rigid approach, used even by experienced clinicians. Integrative veterinary practice, including herbal medicine, teaches us a greater appreciation of the meshing of body systems, the influence that body systems have on each other and how this must influence our medical decision making. Early veterinary decision making may be crude and simplistic in both traditional and western systems; but as we become more competent our treatment choices will become more sophisticated in both veterinary systems.

Integrative medicine broadens the practitioner’s mindset – it changes your way of thinking about a case, analysing the patient and developing therapy that can treat so much more than a presenting condition. It’s almost like moving from “2D” to “3D” in your medical assessments and approach to therapy

The Graduate Diploma in Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine course has provided for me a whole new perspective and pathway of execution of veterinary medicine. After over 30 years of traditional veterinary medicine practice and having already integrated some complementary therapies into my practice (therapeutic laser therapy) in recent years, the expanded toolkit I now have with herbal medicine is like the “icing on the cake” with respect to how I wish to deliver veterinary medicine.”

Dr Joan Deetman

BSc, BVMS, GDEd, GDVWHM

Australia

“My journey began about ten years ago when Cooper, my Pomeranian, was a puppy. As a new dog owner, I had no knowledge about the importance of nutrition for pets. In Malaysia, pet nutrition education is still very limited, and most pet parents are advised by pet shops and many vets to rely on processed kibble or canned food by default.

One day, a friend of mine who had studied pet nutrition extensively shared her experience of switching her dog to a real food diet and the positive changes she noticed. That truly sparked my interest. I followed her advice, saw the difference in Cooper, and decided to learn more. I enrolled in some pet nutrition courses during the COVID lockdown, when I had lost my job and finally had time to focus on this passion.

Later, I was fortunate to meet a holistic vet who introduced me to CIVT. I was immediately drawn to the Certification in Small Animal Natural Nutrition course because of its in-depth curriculum and the flexibility of studying online at my own pace. This gave me a chance to pursue what I had always wanted, which is to be part of the pet industry. Back in high school, I had dreamed of becoming a vet, but due to certain education system requirements in the local government school, I ended up in the arts stream instead of science. Discovering CIVT has truly been a blessing, as it opened the door for me to learn what I once thought I couldn’t.

This path has completely changed how I care for my pets. I now understand the importance of proper nutrients, diet, supplementation, and holistic approaches to health. Seeing my dogs thrive with better health and needing fewer vet visits is incredibly rewarding!

More importantly, this certification also allows me to share that knowledge with other pet parents in Malaysia. I can see that awareness about real food and proper nutrition for pets is slowly growing, and I’m grateful to contribute to that movement by guiding owners toward better solutions for their beloved animals!”

Elaine Tang

CSANN

Malaysia

"Dr Grantham provided very relevant and useful information. I appreciated her commentary and the way she would break topics into bite sized bits of info. This made it easy to understand and digest. The slides were great as well - easy to read, not cluttered, cute pics! I especially appreciated when she shared her own expertise from her clinic. That was invaluable information and very nice of her to share! Thank you so much for offering this course to pet parents. It covered so many topics, and I am very grateful to have taken it."

Photo of Lacey, 12 year old dog, the inspiration for Caitlin taking this course.

Caitlin Marcellus

United States of America

“I took the Essentials of Veterinary Medicinal Mushrooms course in September 2024. It was quite a bit of work for the duration of the course, probably several hours a week. However it was worth it! It provided me with a new tool in my toolbox of alternative medicine treatments. I find myself reaching for this tool, probably, several times a week, particularly in the treatment of tumours and cancers, allergies, and recurrent infections as well as some anxiety issues. Also, my clients love the idea!”

Dr Michael Lavroff

DVM

Canada