Testimonials

"I became interested in Integrative Medicine shortly after graduation from veterinary school. I was doing an internship at a teaching hospital and saw that a number of patients with chronic diseases that could not be managed well with traditional medical treatment. I did a lot of self-study for a number of years before I was able to attend my first formal training course, Options for Animals Chiropractic course, in 1999. It has been an exceptional journey since then, exploring a number of treatment modalities with some exceptionally caring and talented teachers. 

I have been working with Western Herbs for a number of years but decided to take the Graduate Diploma program from CIVT as a gift to myself. I wanted to undertake a structured program from experienced teachers that would result in a credential that would have meaning to both my clients and my colleagues. The course was everything that I had hoped for and more. The didactic material provided a solid foundation in the theory and practice of Western Herbalism, and the assignments and student forums gave me a broad range of approaches to cases we see every day in practice. I'm so happy that I decided to make the commitment to take the course. My next steps are going to be a deeper dive into a few different aspects of Western Herbal medicine that I discovered during the course. I'm so thankful for the instructors and fellow students for all the help they gave me along the way."

Dr Neal Sivula

DVM, PhD, FAAVA, GDVWHM

United States of America

"My hope/expectations for this course were exceeded!! I was hoping to learn how to formulate diets, discuss nutrition with my clients confidently, learn the differences and pitfalls of all the diet options available to owners at this time. All these topics were covered extremely thoroughly! Thank you."

Dr Anja Hunter

DVM, CertNAN (CIVT)

United States of America

"The Natural Nutrition course offered by CIVT was outstanding. I have completed many online courses and none of them compare this robust and rigorous education. The pace was quick, with readings and a few videos interspersed throughout. The assignments really hammered home the material and were an opportunity to practice what we learned. I thoroughly enjoyed this course and it has become integral to my practice. I recommend this course to anyone who is interested in a thorough and grounded view on canine and feline nutrition, from pet owners to veterinarians." 

Gillian Gallimore

MMSt, BSci (Hons)

Canada

"Prior to embarking on my veterinary education, I had an interest in botany and wildlife biology, and grew up on a farm caring for a menagerie of animals. I hoped that somewhere along my educational path, I would combine these interests in some way. Once I started veterinary school, I knew that I eventually wanted to practice integrative veterinary medicine, but received minimal education on the topic. During the first five years of practicing conventional medicine in a very busy practice, I became frustrated when I would run out of Western medicine options for my patients. I knew that there were likely other treatments available, but I needed to learn more to be able to provide these treatments. After taking several courses in herbal medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and natural nutrition, my passion for learning new modalities only grew, and I could not wait to be able to add acupuncture to my "toolkit". I watched my patients benefit from the integrative treatments that I had experience in and saw an increase in the demand for these modalities from my clients. 

I am so glad that I enrolled in the Graduate Diploma program - the course was very thorough in providing me with a strong foundation and practical experience to confidently incorporate acupuncture into my daily practice. The mentorship was wonderful, and course material will continue to provide me with a valuable resource throughout my career. A special thank you to Dr. Jodi Van Tine who provided amazing mentorship throughout the course - I always felt supported and will forever be grateful for all your help! I would not hesitate in recommending this course (or any of the other CIVT courses I have taken) to other veterinarians looking to expand their horizons!"

Dr Ashley Bernauer

BSc (Hons), DVM, GDVA

Canada

"I became intersted in adding acupuncture to my practice as a way to fill in the gaps when Western medicine wasn't enough. I found this course to be a great review of the principles of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine as well as providing an introduction to herbal medicine. The way the lessons were set up made it easy to fit into a busy schedule because I didn't need to devote large chinks of time all at once. It has given me more confidence in choosing basic formulas and the desire to continue with further studies."

Dr Julie Smiley

DVM

United States of America

"The graduate diploma is a big deal for me. Twenty years ago I began my journey into alternative medicine by getting certified in acupuncture. Since that time I have taken many acupuncture and herb courses and have been slowly integrating that knowledge into my practice. When I realized that herbal medicine could carry beyond the dead ends in western medicine and could solve many of our problems without side effects I decided I wanted to learn as much as I could about Western herbal medicine. So I signed up for the CIVT VWHM course. It was fabulous! Now at age 67 instead of being burned out  and retiring, I am energized and full of confidence to practice good quality integrative medicine. I hope  also to enlighten some of my colleagues as to the benefits of herbal medicine!"

Dr Leah Whipple

VMD, CVA, GDVWHM, CVNAN

United States of America

"My interest in integrative veterinary medicine actually developed from personal experience where I saw quite a gap in conventional medicine when pharmaceuticals failed - often owners were left with such limited options and I felt compelled to believe there must be more to offer. My Grad Dip in Veterinary Acupuncture actually represents over 10 years of interest and tenacity in pursuing study in this area. I would sporadically search for accredited qualification in this area, the moment I discovered CIVT and the offered courses was a eureka moment, and even more so finally graduating with my qualification." 

Sharleen Green McInnes

GDVA

New Zealand

"I was a bit frustrated with conventional medicine as we used anti-inflammatories and antibiotics for most cases, and we were often stuck when these did not work. While I was still studying veterinary science we treated a dog for liver failure at the University hospital, but without success. So I asked my sister, who is a graduated human homeopath and acupuncturist for advice. Fortunately my lecturers at the University gave permission to use homeopathy in combination with the conventional meds. The dog recovered fully. I was very inspired. Later I was treating endurance riding horses in Namibia. Anti-inflammatories, osteopathy and physiotherapy certainly helped, but acupuncture had a greater impact. After a while I felt I was only treating superficially and wanted to know more detail, I moved to New Zealand and started studying with CIVT. It has been very rewarding and I am grateful for having continued onto the Grad Dip, as learning about the advanced techniques has enabled me to treat at a much deeper level and help many more patients. It has given me a new lease of life in vet medicine."

Dr Ingrid Spitze

BVA, GDVA

New Zealand

"I used to be a huge sceptic of anything other than conventional Western medicine. What changed my view was an incident a few years ago involving a cat owned by my colleague. This cat was suffering from chronic spinal disease and ataxia which progressed to a neurogenic bladder. We tried everything we could from a Western medical perspective to no avail, until finally as a last resort, my colleague took the cat to a TCVM practitioner. After treatment with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, to our amazement, the neurogenic bladder completely resolved! The cat's ataxia improved as well. That was the turning point that changed my mindset and piqued my interest in integrative medicine. Integrative medicine can offer our patients so much more than we thought was possible! My Grad Dip means a lot to me and marks the culmination of 2 years of hard work and study. It has given me tools and skills to change the lives of many animals in a non-invasive way - including helping my own dog to walk again - and for that I am extremely grateful."

Dr Dawn Wong

BVSc, MRCVS, GDVA

Singapore

"I became seriously interested in integrative medicine when I herniated a disc in my back 15 years ago. Experiencing first-hand how acupuncture kept me from needing surgery, I enrolled and earned certification in veterinary acupuncture from The Chi Institute. My next step in my alternative medicine journey was studying manual therapy (Animal Normalization Therapy) and was fascinated and very impressed with the quick responses in animals when conventional medicine had failed. What drew me to this was the gentle technique and no needles, perfect for those needle shy patients or clients. As more clients were seeking my advice on herbs they purchased over the internet, I realized just how ignorant I was on this aspect of alternative medicine. My journey continued when I received an email from CIVT about their course on Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine. As Chinese herbs never resonated with me, I grabbed this opportunity. After three very intense but well worthwhile years of study, I obtained my Grad Dip VWHM. This course demonstrated firsthand the power of herbs by reversing my partner's chronic leukopenia (conventional medicine was exhausted), resolving panic anxiety in a colleague's dog, to slowing CRD in my own uncooperative 19 year old cat. Herbs are now an extra tool in my toolbox. Thank you CIVT!"

Dr Karen Neff

DVM, GDVWHM

United States of America

"I developed an interest in integrative medicine before starting vet school while working for a veterinarian who did acupuncture. There was not much exposure to alternative therapies during school, but some amazing veterinarians took time to come speak to the students about alternative therapies, and I knew I wanted to learn these modalities to help my patients. I started out with acupuncture certification and then training in Chinese herbs, and loved having those options available. I added rehabilitation therapy and spinal manipulation therapy certification and was also very pleased with how much those modalities benefited my patients. Then I took a weekend short-course in Western herbal medicine and knew I had to learn more. The Graduate Diploma in Veterinary Western Herbal Medicine has been a challenging and rewarding course of study. It has helped integrate my scientific, western minded side with my energetic, intuitive side. Herbs are an amazing modality and I get a lot of satisfaction from helping my patients with these natural, effective treatments."

Dr Theresa SaLee

DVM, GDVWHM

United States of America

"I graduated from veterinary school (Michigan State University) in 1997. Thereafter, I pursued an internship, then residency program in Internal Medicine. I presently work in a small animal specialty hospital SE Michigan, where my employer has been supportive of my herbal studies.
I was initially attracted to internal medicine because I loved "solving the puzzle". I gradually became aware of gaps and deficiencies in allopathic medicine, and was disillusioned with the limited options in the treatment of diseases I encountered daily (too many missing puzzle pieces!). Herbal medicine has filled some of these gaps, and I hope to keep learning more integrative medicine.
My first introduction to western herbalism was when I was having my children. My homebirth midwifery group practiced herbalism, and I experienced its efficacy first hand. It planted a seed in my mind (no pun intended) that took some years to sprout. Once my kids were a bit older, I discovered CIVT's program and online training was a perfect fit for me.
Certainly, I am fortunate and grateful simply to have the knowledge- but the Grad Dip was important to achieve in my mind not only to enrich my daily practice, but also to lend validity to my referring veterinary community and clients', an acknowledgement that I hold this training and knowledge on a par with my internal medicine specialty certification."                               

Dr Cheryl Rice

DVM, DACVIM, GDVWHM

United States of America