Should I Buy Professional Liability Insurance Through an Association or a Broker?

📌 EMPA Short Take:

You can get professional and general liability insurance through a broker or access coverage through a professional association. Either can be a good choice. The difference often comes down to the support surrounding that coverage. A broker can help you shop for and obtain a policy, while an industry-specific professional association may offer insurance tailored to your profession, with business support such as education, resources, advocacy, community and guidance from people who understand your profession.

When you need professional and general liability insurance for your energy healing practice, you have options for where to get it. Does it really matter who you get your coverage through?

Is there any advantage to getting energy healing liability insurance through a professional association instead of an insurance broker?

The answer depends on what you want from the relationship beyond the policy itself. 

Energy healing is a specialized field, with hundreds of modalities and many different ways to practice. When questions come up about a service you offer, a change in your practice, your coverage, or an unexpected client situation, having access to people who understand what you do can make an important difference in the outcome of your coverage.

In this article, we’ll compare getting professional liability insurance through a broker with accessing it through a professional association to help you decide which option makes the most sense for your energy healing practice.

What’s the Difference Between a Broker and a Professional Association? 

An insurance broker helps individuals and businesses obtain insurance coverage. Depending on the broker, they may work with many types of businesses and occupations, offering policies that fit a broad range of professional needs.

A professional association serves people within a particular profession or industry. Some associations also give members access to insurance coverage alongside other professional benefits, such as education, resources, advocacy, and community.

For example, EMPA is a professional association, not an insurer or brokerage company; however, we do work with both. Members have access to professional and general liability insurance through their EMPA membership. The policy itself is sold by EMPA to you on behalf of our broker and is backed by an insurance carrier (also called the underwriter). Insurance professionals are involved behind the scenes as part of making that coverage available to our members. Nearly all insurance organizations work with a similar distribution channel.

Whether you go through a broker or an association, you aren’t buying your coverage directly from the insurance carrier. The bigger difference is often who you interact with along the way and what kind of support surrounds your coverage. 

How Much Does Industry Knowledge Matter When Choosing Insurance?

For some practitioners, knowing that the broker has industry knowledge may be a major consideration. Energy healing encompasses hundreds of modalities and many different ways of practicing. Someone who regularly works with energy healers is more likely to already understand the nature of those services and the coverage questions that can come with them.

That familiarity is helpful in assuring your methods are covered, and can be even more important as your practice changes. Perhaps you add a new modality and want to know whether it’s covered. You may have a question about a client situation, your scope of practice, or something unexpected that happened during a session. Having someone who understands the field means you can spend less time explaining what you do and more time getting help with the question in front of you.

Specialized knowledge, however, may not be the deciding factor for everyone. You may place greater weight on price, policy terms, or access to different insurance options. A reputable broker can bring valuable insurance expertise to the process and may be able to help you compare coverage options across the market. 

So as you compare your options, consider how much value you place on having industry-specific knowledge and support available alongside your coverage.

What Should You Compare Before Choosing a Broker or Professional Association?

To help you choose where (or perhaps more accurately, from whom) you want to get professional and general liability, here are a few questions to reflect upon:

• Does the coverage fit the services I provide? Make sure each of your modalities and professional activities is covered rather than assuming your title tells the whole story. Someone familiar with energy healing may be better equipped to understand the services you need to account for when evaluating coverage. 

• Who can answer my questions? Find out whether you’ll have a clear point of contact and what kind of assistance they can provide if you have a coverage question or need help navigating an issue.
• How familiar are they with energy healing and holistic practices? Ask whether they regularly serve practitioners like you and understand the types of services you provide.
• What does the policy cover? Compare the coverage itself, including limits, covered activities, and whether the policy is occurrence-based or claims-made. 
• What am I getting beyond the policy? If you’re considering an association, look at the membership as a whole. Education, risk-management resources, advocacy, professional development, community, and other benefits may add value. 
• Who is the insurance carrier? Look at the company backing the policy, not just the organization selling or providing access to it. Consider the carriers’ [underwriters’] financial strength, reputation, business ethics, and claims-paying history. Independent agencies such as AM Best provide financial strength ratings that can help you evaluate an insurer’s ability to pay claims. 
• What will I pay? Compare the total cost along with the coverage and support included.

Use these questions to decide which option gives you the coverage, expertise, and level of help you want for your practice. 

💡 Before you choose: Learn about the biggest mistakes energy healers make when shopping for insurance so you know what to watch for as you compare your options. 

What’s Next: Choose the Kind of Support You Want Behind Your Coverage

Professional and general liability insurance can seem straightforward: find coverage that fits your practice, compare costs, and choose a policy.

But now you know there’s another question worth asking: who do you want in your corner once that policy is in place?

As your practice evolves, you may add modalities, change how or where you work, or encounter scenarios you couldn’t have anticipated when you first purchased coverage. Choosing a broker or professional association with those future needs in mind can give you a clearer idea of where to turn when they arise.

The right choice is the one that fits both the protection you need today and the kind of guidance you want for your practice tomorrow.

💡 Considering a Professional Association?

If the association route sounds like a good fit, take a closer look at what EMPA membership includes.

Along with access to comprehensive insurance coverage that includes professional and general liability, EMPA members receive:

• Liability Insurance designed specifically for energy medicine and holistic healing practitioners and backed by an underwriter with a Superior A++ rating from A.M. Best.
• Education and professional development through courses, masterclasses, Practitioner Lab, and live events
• Safe-practice and business resources covering areas such as ethics, risk management, scope of practice, marketing, client forms, and practice growth
• Professional visibility through the Practitioner Directory, member badge, and Safe Practitioner Certification
• Community and connection with other energy healers and holistic practitioners
• Industry-specific support and advocacy from an association created by healers, for healers
• Additional member perks, including Working Advantage discounts

Explore EMPA member benefits to see what’s included and decide whether membership fits what you’re looking for.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Why would I need someone who understands energy healing if I just need insurance?

Energy healing doesn’t fit neatly into a single job description. Practitioners may use very different modalities, combine multiple approaches, or offer services that are unfamiliar to someone outside the field. Industry familiarity can reduce the gap between how you describe your work and how it’s understood in an insurance context. That misunderstanding could leave you with inadequate coverage. 

Is buying professional liability insurance through an association better than using a broker?

It's really a choice. A broker may be a good fit if you want to explore many coverage options; it's their job to shop the market for you. A professional association may appeal to you if you value industry-specific knowledge, education, professional resources, advocacy, or community. Both have insurance expertise and can answer your policy questions.

What’s the difference between a professional association, an insurance broker, and an insurance carrier?

They play different roles. A professional association serves members of a particular profession and may offer access to and help selecting insurance as a member benefit. An insurance broker helps people or businesses obtain insurance coverage. The insurance carrier is the company that creates the policy, determines claims and assumes the financial  risk for those insured.

Is EMPA an insurance company?

No. EMPA is a professional association, authorized to offer industry-specific insurance through our broker, not an insurance company. EMPA membership provides access to professional liability insurance backed by an insurance carrier along with professional resources and other member benefits.

Is EMPA the only professional association for energy healers and holistic practitioners?

EMPA is not the only professional association that caters to energy healers and holistic practitioners, however, we are pioneers in this area! EMPA was the first professional association dedicated to the energy healing field. Founded by the daughter of Janet Mentgen, who created Healing Touch, EMPA has deep roots in the energy healing community. Today, the association serves a broader range of holistic and wellness practitioners while remaining connected to its energy healing origins. 

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not provide legal, financial, or medical advice. The examples are general, and coverage may vary by policy. Always refer to your insurance provider or policy language for specific details, as the policy terms take precedence. For legal concerns related to your practice, consult an attorney.