Finding Your Support Team: A Guide to Integrative Cancer Care Practitioners
Guide to integrative cancer care practitioner types, what each can offer, and directories for finding qualified support worldwide
Navigating a cancer diagnosis means making decisions not just about treatment, but about who you want on your care team.
Beyond your primary oncologist, there is a rich landscape of healthcare professionals who bring specialised skills to support healing — from managing treatment side effects and addressing root causes of disease, to restoring energy, reducing inflammation, and strengthening the body's own capacity to recover.
This guide introduces the main types of practitioners who work with cancer patients within an integrative framework, describes what each brings to care, and provides a curated list of directories where you can search for qualified professionals worldwide.
Understanding Integrative Cancer Care
Integrative cancer care is not about choosing between conventional medicine and alternatives — it is about bringing together the best of both, guided by evidence and tailored to the individual.
Conventional oncology addresses the tumour through chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and hormonal treatments.
Integrative care expands the focus to include the terrain of the whole person: their nutritional status, immune function, emotional wellbeing, metabolic health, toxic burden, sleep, and quality of life.
Practitioners working in integrative cancer care may be conventional physicians with additional integrative training, or licensed specialists in fields such as naturopathic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, or functional medicine — each bringing a distinct lens and skillset.
What unites them is a willingness to collaborate, to look at the person rather than just the disease, and to draw on the full spectrum of evidence-based tools available.
If you want regional directory pages first, start with Integrative Practitioner Directories Overview.
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Integrative oncologists
An integrative oncologist is a conventionally trained medical doctor — typically a board-certified oncologist — who has pursued additional education in complementary, lifestyle, and whole-person medicine.
They are equipped to oversee conventional cancer protocols while simultaneously addressing quality of life, treatment tolerability, and the broader terrain of health.
Consultations with an integrative oncologist may include discussion of evidence-based supplements, dietary approaches, mind-body strategies, and how to safely combine these with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or endocrine therapy.
They are often the most familiar with drug-nutrient interactions and can help navigate the complexity of combining conventional and integrative approaches safely.
What they offer
Oversight of conventional treatment alongside evidence-informed complementary strategies
Support for side effect management
Guidance on safe supplement use during active treatment
Personalised whole-person care plans
Integrative Oncology Directory List:
Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) — Public Member Directory
The SIO is the world's leading professional organisation for integrative oncology, representing clinicians, researchers, and allied health professionals who advance evidence-based integrative cancer care.
Its public member directory lists physicians, naturopaths, and other credentialed practitioners with a specific focus on oncology.
FON Consulting — National Directory of Integrative Oncology Providers
Compiled by Glenn Sabin, a long-time integrative oncology patient advocate, this directory lists integrative oncology centres and providers across the US and is a useful starting point for finding clinics and physicians offering evidence-based integrative cancer care.
Naturopathic doctors and naturopathic oncologists
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct licensed healthcare profession founded on the principle that the body has an inherent capacity to heal when properly supported.
Naturopathic doctors complete a four-year graduate-level programme in naturopathic medicine, covering diagnosis, pharmacology, and a wide range of therapeutic modalities including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, intravenous therapies, lifestyle medicine, and homeopathy.
Naturopathic oncologists have taken this further by pursuing board certification through the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology.
Those who pass this rigorous examination earn the designation FABNO (Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology), indicating advanced training and clinical experience specifically in cancer care — requiring documented hours working directly with oncology patients.
FABNOs can be invaluable members of a cancer care team, particularly for those seeking evidence-based nutritional protocols, targeted supplementation, intravenous vitamin C or mistletoe therapy, and survivorship planning.
A note on the initials "ND" outside North America
In North America, ND refers to a naturopathic doctor — a four-year graduate-level clinical qualification. In the UK and Australia, the same initials may simply reflect completion of a part-time or distance-learning diploma, with no equivalent clinical training hours or licensing requirements. Neither country has a protected title or nationally regulated licensing framework for naturopaths, meaning the variation in training can be enormous. Always ask for the full qualification, the institution, the duration of training, and the professional body they are registered with. Do not rely on initials alone.
What they offer
Botanical and nutritional medicine
IV therapies including vitamin C and mistletoe
Detoxification support
Immune modulation
Lifestyle and dietary prescription
Coordination with the primary oncology team
Survivorship and recurrence prevention planning
Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP) — Member Directory
The OncANP is the professional home of naturopathic doctors specialising in oncology.
Their member directory allows you to search for NDs and FABNOs, which are board-certified naturopathic oncologists, across North America.
FABNO designation indicates the highest level of naturopathic oncology training and board examination.
Functional medicine practitioners
Functional medicine is a systems-biology approach that seeks to uncover and address the root causes of illness rather than managing symptoms in isolation.
Practitioners are often conventionally trained physicians, nurse practitioners, or other licensed clinicians who have completed additional training — typically through the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM).
They use advanced laboratory testing to assess metabolic, hormonal, inflammatory, and genetic factors that may be contributing to disease or impeding recovery.
For cancer patients, a functional medicine practitioner can be especially helpful in addressing the metabolic and inflammatory terrain that underpins cancer progression.
They typically spend considerable time reviewing a patient's history, identifying underlying drivers, and creating personalised protocols addressing blood sugar regulation, gut health, mitochondrial function, hormonal balance, and toxic burden.
What they offer
In-depth root-cause investigation
Advanced diagnostic testing
Metabolic and hormonal assessment
Personalised therapeutic protocols
Gut health and microbiome support
Long-term health optimisation strategies
Functional Medicine Practitioner Directory
The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) — Find a Practitioner
IFM is the leading training and certification body for functional medicine practitioners worldwide.
Their Find a Practitioner tool connects patients with IFM-trained and IFM-certified clinicians globally, searchable by location and telehealth availability.
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a complete medical system with over two thousand years of continuous practice, now widely integrated alongside conventional oncology care in many hospital settings — particularly in China, but increasingly in integrative cancer centres worldwide.
TCM views health through the lens of qi (vital energy), blood flow, and the balance of organ systems.
In cancer care, TCM practitioners most commonly offer acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, and dietary guidance rooted in TCM theory.
Acupuncture has an extensive evidence base for managing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, cancer-related fatigue, pain, peripheral neuropathy, hot flushes related to hormonal therapies, and anxiety.
TCM herbal formulations are increasingly studied for their immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and tumour-suppressive properties.
When working with cancer patients, it is important to seek a TCM practitioner experienced in oncology who understands drug-herb interactions and can liaise with the treating oncologist.
What they offer
Acupuncture for nausea, pain, fatigue, neuropathy, and hot flushes
TCM herbal medicine
Moxibustion and cupping
Dietary recommendations from a TCM perspective
Qi gong guidance
Immune and digestive support throughout treatment
National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) — Find a Practitioner
The NCCAOM is the primary national certifying body for acupuncturists and TCM practitioners in the United States.
Their searchable practitioner directory lists all NCCAOM board-certified practitioners and is widely regarded as one of the most reliable resources for finding qualified TCM professionals in the US.
Metabolic and terrain-based practitioners
An emerging category of practitioners trained specifically in the metabolic approach to cancer applies the principles of the Terrain Ten — a framework assessing ten key physiological domains including blood sugar regulation, immune function, toxic burden, microbiome health, and inflammation.
These practitioners, often referred to as Terrain Certified Advocates or Integrative Metabolic Oncology Practitioners, work through organisations like the Metabolic Terrain Institute of Health (MTIH) and are trained to guide patients through comprehensive terrain assessment and therapeutic intervention.
This approach is grounded in the understanding that cancer arises in and is sustained by a particular physiological environment, and that shifting that environment through targeted metabolic interventions can meaningfully support treatment outcomes.
Practitioners in this space often work collaboratively with oncologists and may recommend dietary protocols such as therapeutic ketogenic or low-glucose diets, alongside evidence-based supplementation and lifestyle interventions.
What they offer
Terrain Ten assessment
Metabolic health optimisation
Blood sugar regulation strategies
Therapeutic dietary protocols
Guidance on evidence-based metabolic compounds
Collaboration with the oncology team
Virtual consultations widely available
Terrain Certified Practitioner Directory (Metabolic Terrain Institute of Health)
The MTIH trains practitioners in the metabolic and terrain-based approach to cancer care.
Their directory lists Terrain Certified Advocates and Integrative Metabolic Oncology practitioners available for virtual consultations worldwide, searchable by credentials, country, and mode of care.
Integrative nutritionists and oncology dietitians
Nutrition is foundational to cancer care, yet it remains one of the most underserved areas in conventional oncology practice.
Integrative nutritionists and oncology-trained dietitians go well beyond standard dietary advice, drawing on the growing body of research linking dietary patterns, specific nutrients, and metabolic factors to cancer progression, treatment tolerability, and survivorship outcomes.
They can assist with managing treatment-related weight changes, nausea, digestive disruption, fatigue, and immune suppression through targeted food and supplement strategies.
Community note on choosing an oncology-informed nutritionist
Qualifications vary widely by country.
In the UK, practitioners must be board certified.
In the US, certification routes vary much more.
Many credentials do not signal real oncology experience.
The NANP is one example you may see.
That credential alone does not usually mean cancer-care training.
Hospital oncology dietitians often focus on symptom management and general food guidance.
They may not use nutrition and supplementation strategically to improve treatment outcomes.
If that is your goal, look beyond the hospital-assigned dietitian.
Good US starting points include Nancy's List and the Terrain directory, both linked in this guide.
Interview anyone before committing.
Ask whether they work to improve treatment outcomes through targeted nutrition and supplementation, or mainly to relieve symptoms.
Those are not the same role.
One more honest point matters here.
This work asks for real dietary and lifestyle change.
That can be hard, especially without support at home.
Factor that in when building your team.
UK qualifications note from a BANT-registered oncology nutritionist
In the UK, the title nutritionist is not legally protected.
Anyone can use it, regardless of training.
A stronger signal is a BANT-registered nutritional therapist.
BANT is the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine.
BANT accepts degree-educated practitioners with substantial clinical training, supervised hours, and ongoing CPD requirements.
For cancer care, BANT applies an extra standard.
Only members with specific oncology training may work with cancer patients in a personalised way.
BANT registration also links to CNHC registration and PSA accreditation.
That adds another layer of professional accountability.
The wider EU does not yet have a similarly established framework in this area.
UK-based BANT practitioners can still work with EU clients when insured to do so.
What to check in the UK
BANT registration
CNHC registration
Specific oncology training and experience
Insurance covering cancer support work, including EU clients if relevant
What they offer
Personalised therapeutic nutrition planning
Anti-inflammatory dietary protocols
Management of treatment side effects through food
Supplement safety assessment
Fasting and dietary timing strategies
Microbiome and gut health support
Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine — Alumni Practitioner Directory
The University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine has trained over 5,000 physicians and healthcare professionals in integrative medicine over the past three decades.
Their alumni directory is a searchable resource for finding integrative medicine practitioners who have completed one of the most rigorous training programmes available.
Mind-body and psycho-oncology practitioners
The relationship between psychological state and immune function is well established, and mind-body practitioners bring a range of evidence-supported tools to help cancer patients manage the emotional and psychological dimensions of illness.
This includes clinical psychologists, mindfulness instructors, somatic therapists, hypnotherapists, yoga therapists, and practitioners trained specifically in psycho-oncology.
Therapeutic interventions such as Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery (MBCR), guided imagery, and somatic experiencing can reduce cortisol, support immune function, improve sleep, and significantly enhance quality of life.
What they offer
Evidence-based psychological support
Mindfulness and stress reduction programmes
Anxiety and depression management
Sleep support
Tools for navigating fear, uncertainty, and grief
Body-based trauma resolution
Survivorship and life-after-cancer support
Somatic Experiencing International (SEI) — Find a Practitioner The best truly global option in this category. SE training is delivered in 54 countries across 6 continents and the practitioner directory is searchable worldwide by location. https://traumahealing.org/se-practitioners/
GoodTherapy — Find a Therapist A verified international therapist directory covering thousands of licensed counsellors and therapists in multiple countries, searchable by speciality (cancer, trauma, grief) and telehealth availability. https://www.goodtherapy.org/find-therapist/
UK and Europe
Yes to Life — Life Directory (UK) Already in the document — worth noting this covers mind-body practitioners extensively alongside integrative oncology, making it the best single-stop for UK members in this category too. https://yestolife.org.uk/life-directory/
Australia and New Zealand
Cancer Counselling Professionals (AU) Australia-specific but includes telehealth practitioners. https://www.cancercounselling.com.au
Mindfulness Training Institute Australia & NZ (MTIA) — Find a Teacher Covers Australia and New Zealand; lists MBSR/MBCT-trained mindfulness teachers, several with clinical backgrounds. https://www.mtia.org.au/search-results
Ayurvedic practitioners
Ayurveda is one of the world's oldest complete systems of medicine, originating in India over three thousand years ago.
It understands health in terms of three constitutional life forces — Vata, Pitta, and Kapha — and uses personalised combinations of herbal medicine, dietary adjustment, detoxification therapies (Panchakarma), yoga, breathwork, and meditation to restore balance.
Ayurvedic oncology draws on a rich pharmacopoeia of botanicals with documented anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and adaptogenic properties, some of which — such as Withaferin A from Ashwagandha, and compounds from turmeric and holy basil — have attracted significant modern research interest for their anti-cancer activity.
What they offer
Constitutional assessment and personalised Ayurvedic protocols
Herbal formulations with adaptogenic and immune-supporting properties
Panchakarma detoxification therapies
Dietary and lifestyle recommendations
Breathwork and yoga guidance
Stress regulation and nervous system support
National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) — Find an Ayurvedic Professional
NAMA is the primary professional association for Ayurvedic practitioners in the United States.
Their practitioner search tool lists NAMA-registered professionals with verified Ayurvedic training and credentials.
Homeopathic practitioners
Homeopathy is a system of medicine based on the principle of similars — that a substance capable of producing symptoms in a healthy person can, in very small doses, stimulate the body's own healing response in someone experiencing those symptoms.
While the mechanisms of homeopathy remain a subject of ongoing scientific debate, many cancer patients report meaningful improvements in quality of life, treatment tolerability, and wellbeing when working with an experienced homeopath alongside their conventional care.
Homeopathic practitioners carry out detailed constitutional assessments and prescribe highly individualised remedies aimed at addressing the whole person rather than isolated symptoms.
What they offer
Constitutional assessment and individualised remedy prescription
Support for treatment side effects
Emotional and psychological support through the illness
Long-term constitutional care and vitality support
National Center for Homeopathy — Find a Homeopath
The National Center for Homeopathy provides education and advocacy for homeopathic medicine in the United States.
Their practitioner directory is searchable by state or zip code, and lists practitioners with varying credentials and training backgrounds.
Many also offer virtual consultations.
Regional and community-curated directory pages
Use these support group member created pages when you want region-specific listings that have already been gathered inside this library.
Online directories for finding practitioners
The following directories can help you locate qualified integrative and complementary medicine practitioners.
Many are searchable by location, specialty, and credential type.
Online integrative practitioner directories
Nancy's List — Directory of Supportive Practitioners and Healing Centers
A curated, personally vetted directory created by cancer survivor and advocate Nancy Novack.
Profiles include integrative oncologists, naturopaths, healers, energy medicine practitioners, and a wide range of supportive therapists working with cancer patients across the US and beyond.
Many practitioners on the list accept virtual clients.
Yes to Life — Life Directory (UK)
Yes to Life is the UK's leading integrative cancer care charity, and its Life Directory provides one of the most comprehensive listings of integrative practitioners, complementary therapists, and supportive care services available to people with cancer in the UK — and increasingly worldwide.
KNOWoncology.org (KNOW Provider Network)
Developed and maintained by the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP), KNOW is both an evidence-based clinical resource on natural health products in cancer care and a professional network of integrative oncology practitioners.
It is a trusted platform used by clinicians and patients alike.
How to choose and work with practitioners
When building your integrative care team, a few principles are worth keeping in mind:
Prioritise collaboration. Look for practitioners who are willing to communicate with your oncologist and each other, rather than operating in silos. A practitioner who dismisses conventional treatment is a red flag, as is a conventional team that refuses to engage with any integrative input.
Check credentials carefully. Titles such as "naturopath," "nutritionist," and "health coach" are variably regulated across countries. Look for recognised licensing bodies, board certifications such as FABNO for naturopathic oncologists, and membership in reputable professional organisations.
Timing matters. Some interventions are appropriate throughout treatment. Others are best reserved for before or after specific therapies. A knowledgeable integrative practitioner will understand these distinctions.
Virtual consultations have expanded access enormously. Many of the world's leading integrative oncology specialists now see patients remotely, meaning that geography is less of a barrier than it once was.
Your experience and priorities are valid data. A good integrative practitioner will listen carefully to what matters to you — your values, your goals for treatment, and what quality of life means for you.
This guide was prepared as an educational resource for members of an integrative cancer support community.
It is intended to help individuals locate and understand the range of practitioners available in the integrative cancer care space.
It is not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
Always discuss any new practitioners, therapies, or supplements with your treating oncology team before proceeding.
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