Becki Drewett has completed ION’s Graduate Diploma in Integrative Functional Nutrition and feels ready to integrate nutritional therapy into her physiotherapy practice. Natalie Li writes
Becki Drewett is buzzing with excitement and ready to add nutritional therapy to her professional physiotherapy practice and clinical training has boosted her confidence.
Training clinics, online consultations, give nutritional therapists valuable hands-on experience to sharpen their skills, apply their knowledge and gain confidence under the guidance of their tutors.
“You can do everything brilliantly in your head, but until you’re put into that real life scenario and situation, there’s nothing like it at all,” admits Becki, “Training clinic really does set you up for a positive step into the real world, with real paying clients.”
Becki graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2006 with a BSc (Hons) degree in Physiotherapy and later completed an MSc. She has been specialising in oncology across both paediatric and adult services. But she felt something was missing.
“I was really noticing the rise in chronic health conditions. Physiotherapy is a good place to tackle it in terms of diet and lifestyle because everything goes so hand in hand,” she explains, highlighting her belief in the interconnectedness of physical and internal well-being.
“When you’re trying to improve somebody’s pain, or health trajectory, if you’re not actually looking at what’s going on inside, what they’re doing the rest of the day, it’s quite hard work,” she adds.
“I understood that the better you eat, the better you are” she reflects, acknowledging her initial ‘simplistic’ view.”
Her pursuit of deeper knowledge led her to a master’s in clinical nutrition at Aberdeen, a path that, while academically rigorous, lacked the clinical application and client-centred approach she sought. “It didn’t quite suit me because it wasn’t patient applicable,” she reveals, underscoring her commitment to a more comprehensive understanding of health.
Digging around she found the Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION), where she discovered the perfect synergy between rigorous academic study and practical clinical application. “Really what drew me to ION was that it was part-time online, clinically case focused and I could fit it around my family and work, all those things that made it really accessible,” she shares, highlighting the course’s flexibility, a crucial factor for a working mother of three.
ION’s Diploma in Integrative Functional Nutrition is a case-focused course designed for medical professionals, allied healthcare practitioners and CAM practitioners who want to integrate personalised nutrition and lifestyle advice within their non-clinical work or clinical practice.
“It’s been really enlightening from day one as I’ve been able to deep dive into the root causes of people’s conditions, because as a physiotherapist, my main aim is trying to try and restore physical health and function. By learning how all the bodily systems are interlinked has really deepened my understanding of why somebody might be struggling with exercises prescribed.”
The power of clinical training
Balancing a demanding career, motherhood to a nine-year-old and seven-year-old twins, and a rigorous postgraduate diploma was no small feat. Becki’s determination and meticulous scheduling allowed her to excel. “You kind of schedule it around bedtime, working a bit later into the evening, picking it up as and when you can,” she reveals, crediting the course’s bite-sized modules for their manageability.
Becki’s background in physiotherapy, specialising in cancer, provided a solid foundation for her nutritional studies. However, the ION course opened her eyes to the profound impact of nutrition on overall health.
“You can have such profound effects on really important health biomarkers that are perhaps downgraded in importance but have such important effects downstream for people and optimising their health physically and mentally.”
“The clinical training has been so important. Even though I have clinical experience and have been performing consultations as a physio for many years it was still quite daunting going into a training room as a student nutritional therapist because I’m sidestepping. I get terrible imposter syndrome.”
Building a career in cancer nutrition
Her dedication has yielded impressive results. Becki describes how she achieved remarkable outcomes through nutrition and lifestyle approaches with a complex multiple sclerosis case, significantly reducing the patient’s global body pain in just four weeks. “It was incredible. This case was probably one of the highlights of the course.”
Her relationship with her clinical educators, particularly Kirstie Lawton, has been transformative. “Kirstie has helped shape my future tremendously. I wouldn’t have been where I am now without Kirstie helping me out,” Becki acknowledges, highlighting the guidance and support she received. This mentorship led to a pivotal opportunity to work with Dr. Nina Fuller-Shavel, a renowned figure in cancer nutrition.
Advice for aspiring NTs
Becki is a strong advocate for multidisciplinary collaboration and mentorship. “I think to hold our own going forward, we need to have that really robust, strong network of multidisciplinary working,” she asserts. She encourages aspiring nutritional therapists to seek out mentors and build strong professional networks. “Don’t be afraid to go out there and look for those jobs. Look for those mentors. Ask questions and ask whether you can shadow them?”
Her experience with ION has not only expanded her clinical toolkit but also fostered deep professional connections with her course cohort. “We’ve met up at conferences and built strong relationships. I’ve definitely got some long-term friends from the course,” she shares, emphasising the supportive community.
For those considering a similar path, Becki offers sage advice: “You do have to put the work in because this is a Level 7 course as you won’t pass for simply turning up.
“ION is amazingly supportive, and they will accommodate you to their utmost ability.”
