What Documentation Do I Need?

Documentation Requirements by Tier

Each ICONIC Board credential tier has a defined set of required documentation. The table below summarizes what must be included in your application at each sequential tier. Parallel designations (IBC-HHS™, IBC-HHS-SV™, IBC-HHX™, IBC-HHR™) follow the same documentation model as their prerequisite tier with modality-specific additions.

Training Transcripts and Certificates

Your training documentation is the foundation of your application. It confirms that you have completed a qualifying program in holistic health and that the training meets ICONIC Board standards for the tier you are seeking.

An acceptable training transcript or certificate must include:

• Your full legal name as it should appear on your credential.
• The name of the program or institution that provided the training.
• The dates of enrollment and completion (month and year at minimum).
• A list of subject areas or modules covered during the program, or a total number of training hours by subject area.
• The total number of training hours completed.
• A signature or seal from the issuing institution (not required for digital certificates issued with a verification link, but strongly preferred for printed documents).

If your training provider is not listed in the ICONIC Board's recognized program directory, submit your transcript along with a program description, a sample curriculum or syllabus, and contact information for the program director. The board will perform a supplementary review to determine equivalency.

Practice Hour Logs

Practice hour logs document the real-world client contact hours you have accumulated since completing your foundational training. The ICONIC Board distinguishes between qualifying hours (direct client sessions in a recognized modality) and non-qualifying hours (administrative tasks, personal wellness activities, course attendance, peer observation, and travel).

Your practice log must include for each qualifying session:

• Date of the session
• Duration (in hours and minutes)
• Modality practiced (e.g., aromatherapy, massage, nutrition counseling)
• Session type (initial consultation, follow-up, group session)
• Client identifier (anonymized code is acceptable — do not include client names)
• Practice setting (private practice, clinic, spa, wellness center, telehealth)

The log must be signed by you as the practitioner. Logs formatted as simple spreadsheets (CSV, Excel, or PDF) are accepted. Handwritten logs are accepted if they are clearly legible. Typed logs are preferred for easy review.

Peer Reference Letters

All ICONIC Board applications require a minimum of two peer reference letters. These letters must come from qualified professionals who have directly observed or supervised your practice — not colleagues who simply know you professionally, and not former clients.

A qualifying peer reference must:

• Hold an active license, certification, or board credential at the time of writing.
• Have direct first-hand knowledge of your professional work (supervision, co-practice, clinical observation, or similar).
• Write the letter on professional letterhead (or include their credential number and contact information).
• Sign the letter by hand or with a verified digital signature.
• Address your competency in the specific modalities relevant to the credential tier you are seeking.

Letters must be dated within 12 months of your application submission date. Reference letters submitted on plain paper without professional identification, letters from family members, or undated letters will be rejected and your application placed on hold pending replacement references.

Doctoral Credentials (Tiers IV–V)

The IBC-HHD™ (Tier IV) and IBC-DHH™ (Tier V) credentials require that applicants hold a doctoral degree from an accredited institution. The following documentation is required to verify doctoral status:

• An official transcript issued by the doctoral-granting institution showing degree conferral.
• A copy of your doctoral diploma (optional but helpful if transcript processing is delayed).
• If your doctorate was awarded outside the United States, a credential evaluation from a NACES-member evaluation service (such as World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators) confirming equivalency to a U.S. doctoral degree.

Honorary doctorates do not qualify. The doctoral degree must be earned through completion of a formal academic program. Professional doctorates (PhD, EdD, DNP, DC, ND, MD, and equivalents) are all accepted provided the awarding institution is accredited.

Acceptable File Formats and Submission Standards

All documents should be submitted as PDF files. This is the board's preferred format because PDFs preserve formatting, are universally readable, and are less prone to corruption or alteration than other formats.

Accepted formats by document type:

• Transcripts and certificates: PDF (preferred), high-resolution JPEG or PNG scan (minimum 300 DPI)
• Practice hour logs: PDF, Excel (.xlsx), or CSV (must be submitted in a single organized file, not multiple sheets)
• Reference letters: PDF only (scanned signed letter or PDF with digital signature)
• Doctoral credentials: PDF only

Documents that will be rejected include: Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) files, Google Docs links, Dropbox or cloud storage links, compressed archives (.zip, .rar), and files with visible alterations, whiteout, or editing marks.

All non-English documents must be accompanied by a certified translation by an ATASC-certified translator or equivalent. Bilingual summaries or machine translations are not accepted.