With the growing interest in Kambo, there has been an inevitable growth of interest in offering kambo practitioner services. While making Kambo more available is certainly a good thing for those in need, this may also increase the number of inexperienced and untrained individuals who may be recklessly facilitating.

There are a number of organizations that offer practitioner training certifications and membership. The question is, should you choose a kambo practitioner who holds a formal certification from one of these organizations?

This question is somewhat similar to asking if a company should only hire someone who has a college degree? While a strructured education can be valuable evidence for displaying competency and formal training in something, it doesn’t necessarily mean that someone without it can’t do as good, or even better than someone with a certification. This is the same for Kambo.

What does having a Kambo practitioner certification mean?

At the end of the day, certifications from existing Kambo organizations are more or less made up. They do not equate to any licensure or legally recognized competency. Each organization will have completely different standards for achieving certification, and different curriculum and content taught in the programs.

While there is generally a lack of consistency amongst the practices of many of these Kambo organizations, there are benefits to choosing a practitioner that holds a certification from one.

Benefits of choosing a certified Kambo practitioner

Going with a certified kambo practitioner allows you to get a sense of what the style of their practice may be like. You can do research about the ethos, philosophy and protocols of individual certification programs in order to decide which values you’d generally like your practitioner to align with. For example, some organizations have an emphasis on safety and may teach the protocol of administering a test-point to first time Kambo participants. Other organizations may prioritize maintaining traditional practices. Based on what is important to you, you can make some assumptions about a practitioner’s methods based on the values and practices of the organization in which they are certified with.

It can also be comforting to know that a practitioner that is certified is generally held accountable by some sort of community standards within the organization, so that if they act in negligence or recklessness, there may be repercussions. In addition, a certified practitioner can also lean on their community for support when they have a question about specific medical conditions, reactions or approaches to your individual case.

The act of going through a certification program is also a display of an individuals commitment to excelling in their craft. Generally, its a sign that an individual is dedicated to learning and refining their skills as a kambo provider. Often certification programs are a sort of Rite of Passage in themselves, and going through them can be a profound experience that helps shape the practitioners’ relationship with Kambo.

Does certified mean better?

While there are certainly some benefits to going with a certified practitioner, having a certification does not always mean they will be better suited for your needs than a non-certified practitioner.

When it comes to Kambo, experience goes a long way. A newly certified practitioner may not have the experience of a jungle-trained practitioner who has been serving for 20 years. Traditional practices can offer much wisdom from generations of experience. At the same time, traditional methods may not be the best approach for the needs of westerners.

A more modern adaptation of a kambo session might be more appropriate for the western world. Many who choose to train in a traditional way may not learn the best approaches to serve the needs of modern ailments. In this case, a certification program may teach a more modern approach to facilitating Kambo that works better for the needs of the client.

On the other hand, organizations that offer certifications can become quite political or dogmatic. Sometimes organizations can operate with very cult-like psychology of the members, which may actually prohibit them from evolving their practice in a creative and independent way. Belonging to an organization may mean that a practitioner is less open-minded to alternative ways of practicing. It may mean that they believe something to be true such as a contraindication or best practice, without having substantial evidence to support it.

Organizations can sometimes operate as money factories, just pumping out new practitioners left and right, giving little credence to their certifications. People without sufficient training or experience themselves may also be “training” some of these certified practitioners in practices that may pose a risk to an individual’s safety.

Specialty certifications

Some organizations offer specialty training in specific fields. Specialty trainings can enhance a practitioners skill in a certain area. For example, Medicine Frog Kambo offers the Lyme and Autoimmune Speciality Certification course to existing Kambo practitioners. Choosing a practitioner that holds a specialty certification may be wise if you have specific needs.

While there are not currently a large spread of specialty certifications offered, more will likely be developed for areas such as addiction, specific illnesses, or ayurvedic fushion.

What to make of Kambo certifications

At the end of the day, no certification can tell you exactly what the character, skill and outcome will be of working with a particular Kambo practitioner. At best, researching the teaching curriculum and ethos of a certifying organization can offer some perspective on the practitioner’s formal training. It can also give you peace of mind that someone is keeping an eye on them and holding them accountable.

The best way to choose a Kambo practitioner is to get clear on what your goals and values are and to screen potential practitioners based on crucial questions that you should ask them. For more guidance on How to Choose a kambo practitioner, click the hyperlink.