The disciplinary process can be triggered by any of the following: a formal complaint submitted by a client, colleague, employer, or member of the public; a self-reported violation by the practitioner (required by the Code of Conduct when a practitioner becomes aware of a potential violation); a criminal conviction or civil judgment relevant to the practice of holistic health; findings from a continuing education audit that reveal falsified CE records; or failure to complete renewal requirements within the required timeframe despite notice.
ICONIC Board also monitors public media and social platforms and may open an inquiry when a credentialed practitioner makes public claims that appear to violate the Code of Conduct, even without a formal complaint. In all cases, the practitioner is notified promptly and given a fair opportunity to respond before any formal action is taken.
Formal disciplinary hearings (Tier 2 proceedings) are conducted before a three-member Ethics Panel comprising one senior credentialed practitioner, one ethics specialist with expertise in professional standards, and one community representative who is not a holistic health practitioner. This composition ensures both professional expertise and community perspective in every decision. Panel members are recused from any case in which they have a personal or professional relationship with either party.
The practitioner has the right to submit a written response, present evidence including documentation and witness statements, and appear — in person or via secure video conference — to address the panel directly. Legal representation is permitted. All proceedings are formally recorded and transcribed. The Ethics Panel issues a written decision within 60 days of the hearing date, setting out the findings of fact, the determination of whether a violation occurred, and the specific disciplinary outcome with reasoning.
Yes. Practitioners who disagree with a Tier 2 disciplinary decision have 30 days from the date of the written decision to submit a written appeal to the ICONIC Board Appeals Board. Appeals are not a re-hearing of the original case — they are limited to specific grounds: demonstrable procedural error that prejudiced the practitioner's ability to present their case; newly discovered material evidence that was not available at the time of the hearing; or a determination that the sanction imposed is disproportionate to the violation as documented.
The Appeals Board consists of five members — senior practitioners, ethics scholars, and legal professionals — none of whom served on the original Ethics Panel. The Appeals Board reviews the record and written submissions and issues its decision within 45 days of receiving the appeal. The Appeals Board's decision is final within ICONIC Board's internal process; no further internal appeal is available. Practitioners who believe their rights were violated may still pursue appropriate external legal remedies.
Suspension is a temporary loss of credential status. The credential is marked as inactive on the ICONIC Board directory and the practitioner may not represent themselves as ICONIC Board credentialed during the suspension period. Suspensions run from a minimum of 3 months to a maximum of 24 months and are typically issued with specific conditions for reinstatement — such as completing a supervised practice program, undergoing ethics training, or demonstrating corrective action through a remediation plan. Once conditions are satisfied and verified, the credential is reinstated.
Revocation is the permanent loss of the ICONIC Board credential. A revoked practitioner is permanently removed from the ICONIC Board directory, and their credential status is publicly listed as revoked. Revocation is reserved for the most serious violations — those involving significant client harm, repeated violations after prior disciplinary action, criminal conduct related to professional practice, or fraud in the credentialing process. A practitioner whose credential has been revoked may apply for re-credentialing after a minimum waiting period of five years, but re-admission is not guaranteed and requires a fresh review of all circumstances.
Yes. ICONIC Board actively cooperates with state licensing boards and regulatory authorities. When a state board requests disciplinary records for a practitioner who also holds a state license, ICONIC Board provides those records as required by applicable law. When ICONIC Board takes disciplinary action against a practitioner who also holds a state license relevant to their practice, ICONIC Board proactively notifies the relevant state licensing board as a matter of professional responsibility and public protection.
Practitioners should understand that ICONIC Board disciplinary actions and state licensing board actions are parallel processes — one does not substitute for or supersede the other. A practitioner may face concurrent actions from both ICONIC Board and a state licensing board for the same underlying conduct, and the outcomes may differ based on each body's jurisdiction, standards, and procedures. ICONIC Board's credential actions do not replace state board authority, and a state board action does not resolve an ICONIC Board ethics matter automatically.