Answers to the questions prospective practitioners and curious readers ask most about Inner Ecology and the IER training programme.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions, plainly answered
Inner Ecology Repatterning (IER) is a practitioner training framework created by Bruce Gibson ND in Australia. It teaches health practitioners to understand health as one interconnected living system — spanning body, nervous system, environment, relationships and meaning — rather than treating symptoms as isolated problems. Its operational expression is the 7-Step Inner Ecology Process, which guides practitioners from observing the ecology through to reviewing how it is changing.
IER was developed by Bruce Gibson ND, an Australian naturopath, drawing on decades of clinical practice and study of systems thinking, nervous-system science and traditional naturopathic principles.
The training is designed for naturopaths, nutritionists, integrative health practitioners, somatic practitioners, health coaches and experienced wellness professionals who want a structured whole-systems framework for client assessment and education.
No. Inner Ecology Repatterning is an educational and clinical philosophy framework. It is not a medical treatment and does not replace personalised medical diagnosis, treatment or emergency care. Practitioners are expected to work within their own scope of practice.
The Seven Domains are the Biological, Neurological, Psychological, Sociological, Energetic, Environmental and Spiritual dimensions of a person's inner ecology. Practitioners use them as an assessment map for recognising patterns across the whole system.
The Five Regenerative Levers are Coherence, Energy and Capacity, Timing and Rhythms, Inputs and Environment and Flow and Elimination. They describe where practitioners can support the conditions for regeneration in a living system.
The IER Practitioner Training Programme is a three-part, 32-week online programme: Part 1 — Embodied Foundations of Regenerative Repatterning (8 weeks), Part 2 — Outer Ecology and Vital Health Roots (8 weeks), and Part 3 — The Practitioner Immersion (16 weeks). It is delivered entirely online in English. Part 3 includes fortnightly live supervision calls with Bruce Gibson ND.
Repatterning refers to recognising the habitual patterns — biological, neurological, relational and environmental — that shape a person's health, and supporting the conditions under which healthier patterns can re-establish. It does not claim to cure or guarantee outcomes.
Yes. "Understanding the Living System" is a free 15-page guide by Bruce Gibson ND that introduces the Inner Ecology view of health. You can download it from the Free Guide page on this site.
Inner Ecology is based in Australia. The practitioner training and all resources are delivered online in English, so practitioners can join from anywhere.