About ICNS
Built on Experience. Backed by 20+ Years of Accredited Curriculum.
ICNS exists because one practitioner took the time to listen — and turned that into a mission to train safe, skilled, and clinically competent Integrative Health Practitioners.
MISSION AND VISION
What We Stand For
Our mission
To provide exceptional, accessible, and cost-effective education in natural medicine that empowers students to achieve academic and professional success while advancing the future of natural medicine.
Our vision
To be recognised as the most progressive and trusted enterprise in natural medicine education, expanding the accessibility and impact of natural medicine education across geographical areas and market segments.
OUR CORE VALUES
Honesty
We communicate openly and truthfully with our students, partners, and the public.
Integrity
We uphold strong ethical and professional standards in everything we do.
Excellence
We pursue unequivocal excellence in our education programmes, services, and student outcomes.
Consistency
We deliver reliable, high-quality teaching and learning, to maintain consistent standards across our education experiences.
Academic achievement
We promote continuous learning, academic development, and ongoing professional growth.
Accessibility
We work to make natural medicine education more accessible to people across different communities, locations, and markets.
Student success
We are committed to helping our students achieve meaningful academic, professional, and personal outcomes.
Progressive thinking
We continuously innovate and evolve natural medicine education to meet the needs of the future.
What We Stand For
MISSION & VISION
Our Mission
To provide exceptional, accessible, and cost-effective education in natural medicine that empowers students to achieve academic and professional success while advancing the future of natural medicine.
Our Vision
To be recognised as the most progressive and trusted enterprise in natural medicine education, expanding the accessibility and impact of natural medicine education across geographical areas and market segments.
Our Core Values
Honesty – We communicate openly and truthfully with our students, partners, and the public.
Integrity – We uphold strong ethical and professional standards in everything we do.
Excellence – We pursue unequivocal excellence in our education programmes, services, and student outcomes.
Consistency – We deliver reliable, high-quality experiences and maintain the standards expected of International College of Naturopathic Science.
Academic Achievement – We promote continuous learning, academic development, and ongoing professional growth.
Accessibility – We work to make natural medicine education more accessible to people across different communities, locations, and markets.
Student Success – We are committed to helping our students achieve meaningful academic, professional, and personal outcomes.
Progressive Thinking – We continuously innovate and evolve natural medicine education to meet the needs of the future.
A Story That Started With One Appointment
WHERE ICNS CAME FROM
In the late 1980s, our founder Gillian visited a naturopath in desperation, while waiting for specialist appointments, and suffering from some serious health concerns. The experience of being properly listened to — and properly helped — changed the direction of her life.
That single appointment eventually grew into more than 20 years of government-accredited curriculum development across five degree programmes, built specifically to close the credibility gap in natural health education. Gillian’s conviction was simple: if practitioners are going to be trusted with people’s health, their training has to be as rigorous as the trust they’re asking for.
ICNS was built on that conviction — not as a shortcut into natural health, but as a disciplined, clinically-grounded pathway into it.
Gilliane Burford, Founder, CEO
MEET OUR FOUNDER
Gilliane Burford’s path into natural medicine began with a personal health crisis that, while waiting for specialist care, was resolved through naturopathic support. That experience changed everything.
She went on to earn qualifications spanning naturopathic medicine, western herbal medicine, clinical acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and Ericksonian hypnotherapy, and holds professional memberships with both IICT and ANTA.
Since 2002, Gilliane has channelled that experience into building a curriculum of consistently exceptional quality — collaborating with leading practitioners across disciplines, growing from an Advanced Diploma (AQF Level 6) to undergraduate degree level (AQF Level 7) by 2008.
Her guiding philosophy, which she has taught since 2003, is what she has long referred to as integrative health practice: knowing when natural medicine leads, and when to refer — because the best practitioners master both.
Stephen Eddey, Dean of Studies
MSc Naturopathic Medicine · 15+ Years Clinical Practice
MEET YOUR DEAN
Our Dean of Studies oversees every programme’s clinical standards, from curriculum design through to practicum supervision — ensuring every graduate leaves with the same disciplined consultation framework, regardless of which pathway they choose.
✓ MSc in Naturopathic Medicine
✓ 15+ years in private clinical practice
✓ Specialist in clinical assessment methodology & safe referral pathways
✓ Regular guest lecturer on integrative health standards
IICT Accredited
Recognised professional accreditation for Naturopathy, Nutritional Medicine, Herbal Medicine and Mind-Body Medicine Practitioners.
What IICT Accreditation Actually Means
ACCREDITATION
ICNS programmes are recognised by the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT) across 36 countries — including the UK, Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States.
In the UK and across most of those 36 countries, naturopathy, herbal medicine, nutritional medicine, and mind-body medicine are practised under a professional self-regulation framework — the same model used by many established healthcare professions before statutory regulation is introduced.
IICT accreditation is not a membership badge. It is an assessment of how a programme is built and delivered — evaluated against clinical safety, scope of practice, and consultation methodology. Achieving it confirms that ICNS meets the professional standards required to train practice-ready practitioners who can insure, practise, and be recognised as qualified professionals.
For graduates, that means your qualification is portable. Whether you plan to practise locally, build a remote practice, or eventually relocate, your professional standing moves with you — recognised by professional insurers across all 36 countries from the day you graduate.
Where ICNS Qualifications Are Recognised
Australia · Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Canada · Croatia · Cyprus · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Gibraltar · Greece · Guernsey · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Isle of Man · Italy · Jersey · Luxembourg · Malta · Netherlands · New Zealand · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · United Kingdom · United States of America
How ICNS Is Different
ICNS vs TRADITIONAL COLLEGES
100% Online
Study from anywhere, with no requirement to relocate or commute to campus.
No Commute
Fit your studies around work and family life, on your own schedule.
Modern Curriculum
Continuously refreshed content, built around real clinical practice.
Government-Accredited Foundations
Built on 20+ years of accredited curriculum development.
Not Sure Which Programme is Right for You?
Download the Course Handbook, or talk it through with our
Admissions Team.
