COMPLEMENTARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

What COMPLEMENTARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION does

The Complementary Medical Association (The CMA) is a UK-registered not-for-profit professional membership organisation founded in 1993 by Jayney Goddard and headquartered in Bracknell, Berkshire. It operates as the principal accreditation and trade body for complementary medicine practitioners in the UK and has expanded into a multinational membership platform. The CMA serves five core constituencies: fully qualified practitioners (Full Members / MCMA), senior practitioners (Fellows / FCMA), students (SCMA), training schools and colleges, clinics/spas/retreats, and approved natural health product suppliers. Across these segments the CMA represents more than 1,663 listed practitioners, 180+ training schools, and 25,500+ practitioners on its newsletter distribution, covering 150+ therapy disciplines.

The CMA's core technology is a WordPress/WooCommerce-based membership and directory platform that powers a publicly searchable practitioner database (filterable by discipline, location, and post code), a member management system, online CPD course delivery, and a weekly e-newsletter reaching 25,500+ practitioners and 400+ health journalists. The website attracts an estimated 650,000+ visits per month and the organization secures 10+ media exposures per week across BBC, Daily Mail, Vogue, ITV, Five, and the BMJ. Additional product surface includes the 2024–2025 CMA Lecture Series, a CPD Courses & Events marketplace, and a Business Start-Up Toolkit Workbook.

The business model is subscription-led, with six tiered membership SKUs (Student £10/month, Full Member £195/year, Fellow £445/year, Training School £240/year, Clinic/Spa £1,260/year, Approved Supplier £4,999/year) supplemented by one-off course accreditation fees (£120 per course) and CPD course sales. The go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer online sign-up, a community-led content/email motion, and a channel-partner model with 300+ training schools that refer newly qualified graduates into membership. Revenues are reinvested into the mission rather than distributed to owners; there is no equity, debt, or external investor base.

Name

COMPLEMENTARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

Legal name

COMPLEMENTARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

Website

https://the-cma.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Complementary Medical Association is a UK-based not-for-profit founded in 1993 that accredits and represents complementary medicine practitioners, students, training schools, clinics, and approved suppliers globally through tiered subscription memberships, a public practitioner directory, and a 25,500-recipient weekly newsletter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Healthcare Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

Keywords

• Complementary medicine membership
• Professional accreditation services
• Practitioner referral directory
• CPD course certification
• Natural healthcare association

Headquarters

HQ city

United Kingdom

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Tiered annual/monthly membership fees from multiple categories: Full Members, Students, Fellows, Training Schools, Clinics/Spas/Retreats, and Approved Suppliers.
2. Course Accreditation Fees: One-off CMA Course Assessment Fee of £120 per course for Training School accreditation, with potential refund if course not accepted.
3. CPD Course Sales: Sale of professional development courses including CMA Certification in Integrative Oncology (£197), Lean For Life (£97), and various training programs.
4. Individual Practitioner Registration: Individual practitioner/therapist registration at Clinics/Spas for £195 annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The CMA is a not-for-profit professional membership association offering tiered annual and monthly membership subscriptions to complementary medicine practitioners (Student SCMA, Full Practitioner MCMA, Fellow FCMA), training schools/colleges, clinics/spas/retreats, and approved product suppliers. Members receive post-nominal credentials, directory listings, a CMA Referrals Scheme, weekly newsletter exposure, online CPD courses and MasterClasses, parliamentary representation, and access to professional indemnity insurance options.

Product overview

The Complementary Medical Association is a not-for-profit professional membership organization offering a multi-tiered membership platform for complementary medicine practitioners. The portfolio includes six membership categories: Fellow (FCMA), Full Practitioner (MCMA), Student (SCMA), Training School/College, Approved Supplier, and Clinic/Spa/Retreat memberships. Core services include a practitioner referral scheme connecting members to the public and medical professionals, the CMA Lecture Series professional development MasterClasses, a CPD courses marketplace, and a weekly e-newsletter reaching 25,500+ practitioners. The organization also maintains multiple searchable directories for practitioners, training schools, clinics/spas, and approved suppliers. Founded in 1993, The CMA represents thousands of practitioners and 180+ training schools across more than 150 therapy disciplines globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fellow of The CMA (FCMA) Membership The highest tier of CMA membership for distinguished complementary medicine practitioners with at least three years' experience, granting FCMA post-nominal letters, daily featured website placement, A3 Certificate, Fellows' Forums (3x yearly), and discounts on conferences and workshops.
• Full Practitioner Member (MCMA) Membership Full membership for qualified complementary medicine practitioners enabling use of MCMA post-nominal letters, featuring on the website homepage, personal practitioner profile page, weekly newsletter access, business development MasterClasses, professional indemnity insurance options, and CMA Referrals Scheme participation.
• Student Member (SCMA) Membership Membership for students currently studying complementary medicine or natural healthcare, providing SCMA post-nominal letters, business development MasterClasses, preparation resources for practice setup, and a pathway to full membership upon qualification.
• Training School / College Membership Accreditation and registration service for training schools and colleges offering complementary medicine courses, including per-course assessment (£120 per course), CMA accreditation designation, directory listing, newsletter promotion, and student referral channels.
• CMA Approved Supplier Membership Selective membership for natural health product and service companies, featuring weekly newsletter promotion to 25,500+ practitioners, website listing (650,000+ monthly hits), CMA Approved Supplier logo rights, and a showcase video interview with CMA President Jayney Goddard.
• Clinic, Spa, Retreat Membership Prestigious membership for clinics, spas, and retreats offering natural healthcare services, providing featured directory placement, practitioner registration certificates, newsletter promotion, and individual practitioner registration at £195/year per practitioner.
• CMA CPD Courses & Events Continuing professional development course marketplace featuring certification programmes such as CMA Certification in Integrative Oncology (£197) and Lean For Life (£97), plus event listings from Training School Members.
• CMA Lecture Series / Professional Development MasterClasses Monthly online tutorial programme for CMA members covering business development topics such as ethical marketing, practice growth, client attraction, fee-setting, and AI in practice; Fellows' Forums for senior practitioners are included as part of FCMA benefits.
• CMA Business Start-Up Toolkit Workbook Downloadable business development workbook providing members with a structured resource to support the launch and growth of their complementary medicine practice.
• CMA Weekly e-Newsletter Weekly newsletter distributed to approximately 25,500 practitioners and 400 health journalists worldwide, featuring latest research, news coverage, practitioner spotlights, and Approved Supplier showcases.

Quantifiable outcome

• 650,000 monthly website visitors
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• Mahendra Sanskrit University (Kathmandu, Nepal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMA has worked closely with Nepalese Colleges based in Kathmandu affiliated to Mahendra Sanskrit University. CMA President Jayney Goddard was invited to the Nepalese Embassy as a guest of the Ambassador to receive an award in recognition of efforts to assist Nepal in promoting high-level complementary medical training.
• Bulgarian GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJayney Goddard was invited as a guest of the Bulgarian government to inspect their Balneotherapy centres. Balneotherapy is an officially recognised form of naturopathic medicine, and the Bulgarian Government was keen to capitalise upon their country's excellent treatment centres and bring them worldwide recognition.
• Hungarian GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJayney Goddard was tasked by the Hungarian government to undertake a project similar to that performed for Bulgaria - keen to promote their superb medical spa culture.
• Chinese GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chinese government is keen to establish high quality complementary medicine within China and wishes to establish The Complementary Medical Association there.
• US White House Commission on Complementary MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMA President Jayney Goddard testified before the USA's White House Commission on Complementary and Integrative Medicine to help rationalise complementary medicine across all 50 States. The Congress made several proposals to the White House Commission, all of which were accepted unanimously.
• All Party Parliamentary Group for Complementary and Integrative Medicine (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMA is a member of the UK's Parliamentary Group for Alternative and Complementary Medicine, keeping members informed about government activities and offering opportunities to attend House of Lords events as guests of The CMA.
• British Medical Association (BMA) and General Medical Council (GMC)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMA maintains links with Conventional Medicine and its leading regulatory and professional bodies in the UK - the British Medical Association (BMA) and the General Medical Council (GMC).

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT): UK-based professional membership association for holistic therapists offering practitioner directories, training school accreditation, insurance, and CPD — directly comparable to CMA's value proposition, member tiers, and revenue model.
• Society of Homeopaths: UK professional body representing homeopaths with registered membership, a public practitioner register, and advocacy focus — overlapping with CMA's single-discipline accreditation and consumer-facing directory function.
• British Acupuncture Council (BAcC): UK self-regulatory body for acupuncture practitioners maintaining a public register, codes of practice, and CPD standards — same professional-body operating model as CMA, just within a single therapy discipline.
• International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA): International membership association for qualified aromatherapists offering practitioner registration, training school accreditation, and a public directory — closely comparable to CMA's tiered membership and directory approach.
• General Council and Register of Naturopaths (GCRN): UK register of qualified naturopaths providing professional recognition, codes of conduct, and a public practitioner listing — analogous to CMA's role as the accrediting body for a complementary discipline.
• American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA): US-based professional membership organization for holistic physicians and practitioners offering advocacy, education, and networking — same mission profile as CMA but serving the North American market.
• Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC): UK voluntary regulator for complementary healthcare practitioners maintaining a public register — comparable to CMA's directory and accreditation role, though with a regulatory rather than membership-association posture.
• British Herbal Medicine Association (BHMA): UK trade and professional body representing herbal medicine practitioners — overlaps with CMA's training school engagement, professional representation, and category advocacy remit.
• International Council of Reflexologists: International federation representing national reflexology associations with practitioner registers and educational standards — analogous to CMA's cross-border coordination and accreditation role for a specific complementary discipline.

Broad incumbents

• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH): US federal government agency conducting and disseminating research on complementary and integrative health — operates in the same overall category as CMA, but as a much larger, government-funded research and policy body rather than a membership association.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ComplementaryMedicalAssociation/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/COMPLEMENTARYMEDICALASSOCIATION
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/complementary-medical-association-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/complementary.med.association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about COMPLEMENTARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION