A clear, structured programme, directly applicable in practice.Corinne E., general practitioner
AcuSeminars › Programmes › Auricular Causative Diagnosis
Foundation programme · Healthcare professionals
Training in Auricular Causative Diagnosis®
Learn to read the auricle and build structured diagnostic reasoning with the DAC, the method developed by Dr Nadia Volf, MD, PhD.
A training programme organised by AcuSeminars
Enrol in the programme
€890 or 5 × €196
✓Practitioners and healthcare professionals
◈Qualiopi certified · Training activities
▶100% online · at your own pace
✎Certificate of completion
Who this programme is for
Three profiles, three different uses
Admission does not depend on a diploma. What changes from one profile to the next is what the law allows you to do with the method afterwards. We would rather state it before you enrol than let you find out later.
1
You are allowed to needle
Medical doctors of all specialties, midwives and dental surgeons, within the scope of their profession.
What you will do with it: the method structures the diagnostic reasoning that precedes the gesture. Needling and needle-free stimulation techniques all remain open to you.
2
You practise without needling rights
Physiotherapists, nurses, osteopaths, pharmacists, podiatrists and psychologists, as well as practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, microsystems and reflexology.
What you will do with it: clinical reading of the auricle, needle-free stimulation techniques (acupressure, probe, laser, surface stimulation) and a shared clinical language with the physician you work with. You carry on practising and invoicing within the framework that is already yours.
3
You have no professional practice
No diploma is required to attend, and you are welcomed on the same terms as everyone else.
What you will do with it: knowledge you apply to yourself and those close to you, outside any care setting. The programme grants neither a professional title nor a right to practise: on its own it does not allow you to open a practice, see patients, make a diagnosis or charge for sessions.
One question, one answer
Is this programme for me ?
Select the situation that matches yours. The answer appears straight away, with no form to fill in. The legal framework described here is the French one, which applies to our training; rules differ from one country to another, so check with your own regulator.
The programme is open to you, with no restriction of use.
You fall into the first profile. The DAC structures the reasoning that precedes the gesture: reading the auricle, telling causative points from consequence points, then building a strategy. Needling falls within your usual scope of practice.
No prior training in advanced auriculotherapy is required. Proof of professional practice may be requested at enrolment.
The programme is open to you, within the scope of your profession.
You fall into the second profile. You learn the same method of reading the auricle as physicians do, and you apply it through needle-free stimulation: acupressure, probe, laser, surface stimulation. Needling remains restricted to the professions entitled to it, and making a medical diagnosis remains a medical act whatever technique follows.
That is precisely what makes the programme useful in coordinated care: you share a clinical language with the physician who prescribes. The detail, profession by profession (in French).
The programme is open to you. Two points before you decide.
The DAC is not an extension of auricular reflexology. It is a diagnostic method based on Dr Nadia Volf's mapping, which distinguishes causative points from consequence points. Your familiarity with the auricle will help, but the reasoning is different. Everyone starts at level 1, with no exemption granted for previous training.
In practice, nothing changes for you: detection, then needle-free stimulation by acupressure, probe, laser or surface stimulation. You carry on practising and invoicing within your own declared framework; what the programme does not allow is presenting your sessions as auriculotherapy or attaching a medical diagnosis to them. Needling remains restricted to the professions entitled to it.
You may enrol, provided you know what the programme does not give you.
No diploma is required and you will be welcomed like any other participant. The method is demanding and runs over six weeks: it calls for regularity, and supervised practice is carried out on people close to you, with the team's support.
What it does not give: neither a professional title nor a right to practise. The AcuSeminars certificate is not a state diploma, a national vocational qualification or a licence. On its own, the programme does not allow you to open a practice, see patients, make a diagnosis or charge for sessions, including with needle-free techniques. If your plan is to set up as a practitioner, it will not be enough: that right comes from a professional status, not from a certificate.
If your aim is to learn for yourself and those close to you, it makes full sense. For a simpler, less demanding introduction, the general-public platform Acupression Pour Tous ↗ is a better fit.
Unsure about your situation ? Write to us before paying, we reply within two working days.
The method taught
The DAC in 4 steps
“A method of analysing the auricle that aims to identify the origin of imbalances in order to build structured clinical reasoning.”, developed by Dr Nadia Volf.
1
Read
Map and read the marks on the auricle.
2
Locate
Identify active points, of cause and of symptom.
3
Relate
Relate each point to structured clinical reasoning.
4
Structure
Build a coherent therapeutic strategy.
These four steps are exactly what you will be able to do by the end of the programme, within the scope of your profession. The training programme is designed to develop professional skills; it does not guarantee any individual clinical outcome and is not a substitute for the practitioner's own judgement.
The programme in video
How it unfolds
6 weeks of theory and supervised practice
Six structured weeks: a video-based programme at your own pace, three live sessions with Dr Nadia Volf, and two periods of supervised practice on real cases. Click a phase to see the detail.
1From 15 September 2026Initial online training
All the theory on video, studied at your own pace, then your first live session.+
Your materials, available from the opening
- Two video modules of fundamentals (2 × 3 h)
- Technique videos (30 min) and course documents: mappings, articles
What you learn
- The principles of Auricular Causative Diagnosis and its use in practice
- Photographing the ear correctly in order to analyse it
- Locating auricular points with Dr Nadia Volf's mapping and finding the active points reliably
- Telling points of cause (origin) from points of consequence (symptom)
- Understanding the vascularisation of the ear in the service of practice
- Targeting treatment at the cause while taking care of the symptom
- Building diagnostic reasoning: weighing the auricular signs against each other
- Review of clinical practice and commented cases (diagnosis and treatment)
- Review of pathologies, auricular configurations and the corresponding treatment strategies
Live session #1: Saturday 26 September 2026, 10 am – 1 pm (Paris time)
A first video-conference exchange with Dr Nadia Volf: questions and answers, clarification of the course and instructions for starting your practice. Ideally after watching the 6 h of fundamentals. The session is recorded and available as a replay; if you cannot attend, questions sent in advance are answered during the session.
What you have at this stage
- The training sessions as replays, watched as often as you like
- The course materials and detailed auriculotherapy protocols, to be applied within the scope of your profession
- Dr Nadia Volf's auricular point location maps and videos
- Short practical videos to master the execution of the DAC process
- A training book of more than 100 documented ear photographs covering many pathologies, to train your observation
226 September – 10 October 2026Supervised practice #1
You apply the method with people close to you and your patients, supported every day.+
You put the previous week's theory into practice and identify your points of difficulty, with the team's support. Your patients can send you photographs of their ears at a distance. You remain autonomous: you post your cases and questions at your own pace, without having to be available full-time.
How you are supported
- Access to your cohort's private online area to post your cases, annotated ear photographs, and your questions
- Daily online supervision by Dr Nadia Volf and her team, who comment on your proposals and guide you; the educational validation of your cases is carried out by Dr Nadia Volf
- Each member reacts to the others' proposals: the learning opportunities multiply
What you have at this stage
- The two training sessions as replays
- The training book, the location maps and the course materials
- Access to your cohort's private supervised-practice area
3Saturday 10 October 2026, 10 am – 1 pmLive session #2: questions & answers
Your clinical cases discussed live, after your first week of practice.+
Three hours online, following the first week of implementation. Clinical cases from the group are discussed live by Dr Nadia Volf, and the difficulties encountered are clarified.
By the end of this session
- The principles of the course are understood and assimilated
- Implementation difficulties are shared and resolved
- Everyone leaves with a clear recommendation for completing a successful DAC during the next phase
What you have at this stage
- The questions-and-answers session as a replay, in addition to the two initial sessions
410 – 24 October 2026Supervised practice #2
Two weeks to consolidate the method, still with support.+
You continue practising with people close to you and your patients, deepening what you have learned. The same framework applies: you work autonomously and post your cases at your own pace.
How you are supported
- Continuous exchanges in your cohort's private area: photographs, diagnoses, questions
- Daily online supervision by Dr Nadia Volf and her team
- Cross-learning: each member reacts to the others' proposals
What you have at this stage
- The three training sessions as replays, watched as often as you like
- Access to your cohort's private supervised-practice area
5Saturday 24 October 2026, 10 am – 1 pmLive session #3: closing
A synthesis of what you have learned, successful cases and perspectives for continuing to practise.+
The live closing session is the moment to share the skills acquired and the successful clinical cases, and to ask Dr Nadia Volf all your questions for continuing to practise and improve.
What you have at this stage
- The complete course materials as replays
- The three exchange sessions with Dr Nadia Volf as replays
- The training book, the location maps and the course materials
- Access to your cohort's private supervised-practice area
How the programme is validated
The programme is validated as you go, on three criteria:
- An online theory questionnaire passed with at least 15/20, offered from the end of the first week and available at any time
- A DAC clinical case validated by Dr Nadia Volf: you have the whole supervised-practice period to present it
- Completion of the end-of-programme evaluation questionnaire
Your certificate
Once the three criteria are met, you receive:
- A training certificate issued by AcuSeminars
- Your listing in the directory of trained practitioners
- An invitation to the private WhatsApp exchange group for trained practitioners
This training programme is designed to develop professional skills; it does not guarantee any individual clinical outcome and is not a substitute for the practitioner's own judgement.
After the programme
The programme does not end with the last session
You keep access to all the material for 90 days from the last live session of the edition you attended, in accordance with our terms of sale: session replays, point-location videos, the training book, maps and course materials, as well as the private practice area with all the corrected clinical cases. In practice this access is frequently extended beyond that, but the extension is not a contractual commitment.
Monthly mentoring, live with Dr Nadia Volf
Every month, mentoring brings DAC-trained practitioners together around their real cases. It is open to everyone who has completed the programme, at no extra cost and with no cut-off by cohort: this year's students sit alongside those of previous years.
📅
One session every month
The third Wednesday of the month, at 7 pm Paris time, by video. One hour live with Dr Nadia Volf, with no travel involved.
🩺
Up to six cases discussed live
You submit your cases in advance. Dr Nadia Volf takes up to six per session and works through them in front of you: reading the auricle, causative points, strategy. One case discussed benefits the whole group.
🎬
Replays, with no limit
Every session is recorded and added to your learning area. Past sessions form a library of commented cases that grows every month.
How do you get access? It opens automatically one month after your session ends, with nothing to request. You then receive the link and the dates of the coming sessions.
What's included
Everything you need to master the method
🎬
40 h of training15 h taught by Dr Nadia Volf, video modules at your own pace and 3 live sessions, then about 25 h of supervised practice with personalised feedback. This 40-hour total is the figure stated on your certificate.
🔴
3 live sessionsLive with Dr Nadia Volf.
🩺
4 weeks of supervised practiceGuided application on clinical cases.
🗺️
Mappings & clinical casesReference materials for your practice.
📕
Illustrated training bookTo anchor the method over time.
👥
Private group & directoryExchanges between trained practitioners.
💬
Private WhatsApp groupExchanges with fellow students, alumni, Dr Nadia Volf and the teaching team.
🔄
Monthly mentoringAfter the programme, a live session every month with Dr Nadia Volf to present your cases, replays included, at no extra cost.
✎
Certificate of completionIssued at the end of the programme.
The teacher
Dr Nadia Volf
MD, PhD, Educational director of the AcuSeminars programmes
A Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Doctor of Science (PhD), Dr Nadia Volf developed Auricular Causative Diagnosis and serves as educational director of the training programmes organised by AcuSeminars.
- Founder and director of studies of the Inter-University Diploma (DIU) in Scientific Acupuncture (Faculty of Medicine, Université Paris-Saclay; Lyon 1)
- Visiting professor, Harvard Medical School (2014-2020)
- Author of 25 books translated into several languages
- Over 35 years of clinical, teaching and research experience
Learner reviews of the programme
What trained professionals say
Reviews relate exclusively to the training programme. In line with medical ethics, no patient testimonials are published.
Rigorous, systematic teaching; the practical cases make the method immediately usable.Michel C., physiotherapist
Lucid, very well organised lessons. I appreciated the quality of the course materials.Corinne S.-D., midwife
The indicators of the 2026 session
Session from 3 February to 7 March 2026, followed by 135 participants. Satisfaction survey by online questionnaire, responses collected from 7 to 29 March 2026; the indicators below relate to the 83 responses received, a response rate of 61%. Like any satisfaction indicator, they are calculated on the respondents, not on the full enrolment. They measure satisfaction with the programme and its conformity to what was announced, not clinical outcomes. Population used, the formula behind each indicator and the limits of interpretation.
9.1/10
Overall satisfaction
97.6%
Programme matched what was announced
83.1%
Would recommend the programme (score of 9 or 10 out of 10)
100%
Technical conditions rated good or very good
These indicators relate exclusively to how learners rated the programme: content, teaching, materials and conditions of study. They are not a measure of clinical outcomes and imply nothing about them.
Pricing & enrolment
Join the next session
One-time payment
€890
40 hours of training, about €22 per hour · 90-day replay · certificate
Enrol now, €890
Packages : enrol in one step, at a preferential rate:
Enrolment and payment by bank card, organised by AcuSeminars. Enrolment open until 14 September 2026 at midnight. Individual prices incl. VAT. The programmes are not eligible for French DPC funding; employer or OPCO funding may be possible (Qualiopi-certified provider): a specific fee schedule and a training agreement are provided with a quote, the funding routes are detailed below. Proof of professional practice (RPPS/ADELI number or equivalent) may be requested at enrolment. Solidarity rate −30% for recipients of French minimum social benefits, on proof of entitlement: contact us before registering.
Funding
Training that may be funded
AcuSeminars is a Qualiopi-certified training provider (Actions de formation, certificate no. 3747). This certification is a necessary but not sufficient condition for most French funding schemes: it guarantees no funding. The decision rests with the funding body, which applies its own eligibility criteria. The relevant body depends on your profession and status:
FAF-PM
Self-employed doctors practising in France: application to the Fonds d'Assurance Formation de la Profession Médicale, under its annual rules.
FIF-PL
Other self-employed health professionals (midwives, physiotherapists, nurses, osteopaths…): funding may be available depending on the criteria approved each year for your profession. The application must be filed before the training starts; check with FIF-PL whether the subject is eligible.
OPCO / employer
Salaried professionals in France: funding through your organisation's OPCO, under the skills-development plan.
Personal funds
Individual enrolment: for self-employed practitioners, training costs related to the activity are in principle a deductible expense. This depends on your tax regime: please check with your accountant.
A training agreement and quote are provided on request: contact us. Enrolments funded by an institution, an employer or a training fund are subject to a specific fee schedule, provided with the quote. Proof of professional practice (RPPS, ADELI or equivalent) may be requested. These trainings are eligible neither for DPC nor for CPF funding. Reduced rate −30% for residents (internes) and recipients of minimum social benefits, on proof.
Frequently asked questions
Before you enrol
Are there any prerequisites? Do I have to be a healthcare professional?
No diploma is required to attend, and no prior training in advanced auriculotherapy is needed. What changes with your profile is what you are allowed to do afterwards: needling remains restricted to the professions entitled to it, while detection, acupressure and laser are open to all. Check your own situation with the one-question self-assessment. Healthcare professionals may be asked for proof of practice at enrolment.
I am a reflexologist, already trained in auricular reflexology. Would this repeat what I know?
No. Auricular Causative Diagnosis is not an extension of auricular reflexology: it is a diagnostic method based on Dr Nadia Volf's mapping, which distinguishes causative points from consequence points. Your familiarity with the auricle will help, but the reasoning is different, and everyone starts at level 1, with no exemption for previous training.
I have no professional practice. What is the certificate worth to me?
It certifies that you attended and completed the programme, nothing more. It is not a state diploma, a national vocational qualification or a licence to practise, and Qualiopi certifies the quality of our training process, not the prerogatives of our learners. On its own, it does not allow you to open a practice, see patients, make a diagnosis or charge for sessions. Practitioners who already work within a declared framework carry on invoicing their sessions exactly as they do today.
Is the programme 100% online?
Yes, entirely at a distance. The total is 40 hours, the figure stated on your certificate: 15 h taught by Dr Nadia Volf (6 h 30 of video modules at your own pace and 3 live sessions of 3 h by video conference), then about 25 h of supervised practice at a distance.
How long will I have access to the content?
Access to the online content is guaranteed for 90 days from the last live session of the edition attended (see Terms of sale). This access is often extended beyond that period, without constituting a contractual commitment.
Can I still enrol after the closing date?
14 September is the ordinary closing date: it is the one that lets you start with the group as soon as the modules open. After that, late enrolment is considered case by case up to the first live session on 26 September, provided you can catch up on the modules already released. Write to us rather than give up.
How do payment and access work?
Enrolment and payment are handled by bank card (€890 or 5 × €196). You then access the course online. The whole programme is organised by AcuSeminars.
Is a certificate issued?
A certificate of completion is issued at the end of the programme.
Next session
Bring Auricular Causative Diagnosis into your practice
Enrolment open until 14 September 2026. Live sessions from 26 September.
Enrol in the programmeNewsletter
Keep up with the next dates
Receive enrolment openings, new Masterclasses and webinars organised by AcuSeminars. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in every email.
✓ Thank you! A confirmation e-mail has just been sent. Click the link to confirm your subscription.
The email address looks invalid. Please check it.
Please provide your first and last name: they allow us to personalise our emails.
Something went wrong. Please try again later or write to .
By subscribing, you agree to receive information emails from AcuSeminars. Your data is processed in accordance with our privacy policy.