Who We Are

Established in 1920, the NHAA is the oldest complementary medicine association in Australia. We are a not-for-profit professional membership organisation for herbalists and naturopaths, providing learning and development opportunities for our members, supporting professional and practice development, and ensuring high standards of qualifications and safety.

We are a vocal advocate for natural health practitioners and our treatments. We liaise with and advise governments and decision-makers about issues of importance to our members. This includes writing expert submissions to the Therapeutic Goods Association and other government inquiries.

The NHAA progresses the role of natural therapies in the healthcare system and plays an active role in research to further knowledge in our field. All members have access to our academic publication the Australian Journal of Herbal and Naturopathic Medicine.

When you join the NHAA, you join a community of people who share a common goal – to give people from all walks of life access to safe, naturopathic and herbal medicine treatments.


Our Roots

The NHAA was established in 1920 as the National Herbalists Association of Australia. As the only professional association in Australia dedicated to western medical herbalism, the NHAA has always played a unique role in the field of complementary medicine.

In 2014, the NHAA became a full member of the World Naturopathic Federation – a global body that shares our vision of robust educational standards and the continuing development of holistic medicine and approaches in healthcare.

In 2016 we changed our name to the Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia to reflect and better represent our growing membership base of naturopaths, while protecting our rich history and core practice of Western herbal medicine.


Our Principles

The NHAA works to build awareness of and trust in naturopathy and herbal medicine.

We believe in:

  • A formal definition of naturopathy
  • Registration for practitioners
  • A minimum 4-year degree qualification

We embrace the principles of transparency and accessibility. We exist to serve our members and their professional interests.

Our board of directors are elected volunteers who serve for 3-year terms, up to a maximum of nine years. All our members are eligible to nominate for elections at our annual AGM and all members are encouraged to take part in the process.