Interview with President and Founder of TheHolisticOption.com

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Kelly L. Campbell, President and Founder of TheHolisticOption.com, a new informative online directory for holistic practitioners in the U.S.

Jessi: First let me start off by saying I love the layout of the site. It's clean and easy to navigate around. It's also loaded with information. Now onto the questions.
How long has the site been up and running?

Kelly: We officially launched on April 30, 2008, so we are just about 7 months young!

Jessi: How many practitioners do you have listed in your directory?

Kelly: At present, we have about 50 practitioners, including integrative medical doctors and licensed professionals across 25 different modalities. Each practitioner has been individually screened by our volunteer Advisory Board to ensure proper credentialing, licenses (if applicable) and professionalism of the applicant. We haven't marketed directly to practitioners yet, so once we do, the directory will begin to grow larger and larger.

Jessi: It's just for use in the States right now. Any plans to expand to Europe or Canada?

Kelly: There is potential to expand into Canada, but we feel strongly that Americans need the most education about natural therapies, whole food nutrition and getting back to basics. There is really so much work to do in educating people about how what they're eating and how they're living effects both their health (and the health of their families) and the environment. That's also the reason why there is no cost to become a Community Member on the site. Visitors can click the 'User Signup' button to view all of the features and benefits of FREE membership on TheHolisticOption.com.

Jessi: What is your background? Are you/were you a practitioner of any kind?

Kelly: My background is actually in graphic and website design. I've never been a holistic practitioner, nor do I have any medical training. I usually just describe myself as 'an overly-educated consumer.' I've always had a passion for natural health, alternative medicine and whole food nutrition, so creating this site was a great bridge of my professional expertise and personal passions.

Jessi: Was there a specific instance that prompted you to create the site?

Kelly: The site was born out of my frustration in trying to find reliable information on natural remedies. The inspiration came as a result of trying to find a remedy for a sore throat one evening. I realized that there was a need for a social platform that essentially serves as the 'WebMD of holistic medicine".

Jessi: I know how you feel. For the expecting mothers out there will you ever feature Midwives on your website?

Kelly: Absolutely! We launched the site with only 25 modalities because we needed to define an approachable goal to launch when we did. We will not only be adding midwifery, but more than 25 additional modalities to the site. The application for each modality must be designed with an expert in that field, so we still have a lot of work to do to eventually cover the 50+ therapies that comprise 'holistic medicine'. What's great is that the cost for Member Practitioners to join is an annual $100, which makes it extremely cost effective. For a list of the modalities we plan to cover and offer applications for, see: http://www.theholisticoption.com/Pages/More_Modalities_84_2-82.aspx

Jessi: Is there anything else you would like my readers to know about your website?

Kelly: One of the most popular multimedia pieces we're producing is our bi-monthly podcast, Holistic Health & Wellness. We average nearly 100 new subscribers every day. The thousands of subscribers who listen to the show really love the approachable nature of the show. It serves to introduce those interested in natural health to experts in the various fields, as well as the founders of natural products that are new to the market. You find the show on our website, in the iTunes store under Alternative Health, and in all popular podcast directories.

Jessi: Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions for me and my readers. It's refreshing to find a website that covers so many aspects of healing and natural health. I wish you all the success in the world and keep up the good work.

If anyone has any questions about the website, or to sign up as a holistic practitioner, feel free to contact Kelly and her staff via the site.