By: Joan Tupponce, Joan Tupponce & Associates, Inc.

As President of Richmond NAET Clinic, Lou-anne Etter works with clients to help them find freedom from allergies and emotional health issues such as depression.

"An NAET Practitioner is someone who helps people eliminate allergies," she explains. "It’s a natural health field that was developed by Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad. It’s an innovative and completely natural method for regaining better health."

NAET (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques) practitioners help their clients reprogram their bodies so they don’t have reactions to allergens. Etter explains that practitioners use "energy balancing, testing and treatment procedures from acupuncture/acupressure, allopathy, chiropractic, nutritional and kinesiological disciplines of medicine to help clients."

Practitioners first consult with clients to determine if the problem is an allergy before administering treatment. Etter normally sees between eight and 14 clients a day.

"You’re working on your feet a lot of the day doing muscle testing and treatments," she explains. "We normally work an eight-hour day."

Many people who get into the field comes from health backgrounds.

"Some are medical doctors or nurses," Etter explains. "Some may be chiropractors, acupuncturists or dentists."

NAET practitioners must first go through training before they can be certified. After being certified they must continue to obtain education with Dr. Nambudripad in order to keep their credentials as a professional NAET practitioner.

"You have to continue your education," Etter says. "You have to keep it updated every three years."

Seeing clients who are suffering from health issues is always a challenge for Etter. "It can take up to a year for clients to get well," she says. "It can also be a challenge to help clients stay focused. It’s an energy-healing process. Someone who is familiar with energy work can see the benefits. For some people, the process is way out there."

The job can also be very rewarding.

"I love my job," Etter says. "It never is boring. Everyone’s health issues are different and it’s always exciting to see people get well."

The field was developed more than 20 years ago.

"It’s a field that is growing," Etter says. "It’s seen that growth because it’s simple and it works. People are getting well."

NAET practitioners can find work in an NAET clinic. Positions may also be available in a chiropractor’s office or the office of an acupuncturist.

"The majority of practitioners are self-employed," Etter says. "California has hundreds of practitioners."