How do I get into complementary therapy?

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

As a rule of thumb, most therapists practising the better known 'holistic' therapies (Reflexolgy, Aroma, Massage) will have at least one qualification awarded by the better known examination boards - this includes VTCT(IIHHT), ITEC, BTEC, CIBTAC.

There are also a good number of good quality therapies/courses offered by private schools which do not fall into the above. Some offer therapies which have been 'approved' by the appropriate professional organisations. Other schools have had their courses 'approved' by insurance companies. Others such as Reiki have a different method of teaching.

However, as it stands, there is no LEGAL requirment in this country to have any particular qualification in order to practice any complementary therapy. Nor is it a LEGAL requirment to join an organisation or even to have insurance(although you would be silly not to)
There is talk of therapists becoming registered, but as yet there seems to be no sign of that happening anytime soon.

Basically then, learning a therapy is a mine field - there are good courses and bad, even amongst the ones approved by the 'recognised' examination boards. Expensive doesnt always mean good either. My only advice is, if you havent got any A&P knowledge, pick a course that includes this, or take this as a seperate qualification first.

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Well my advice would be to do a degree in complementary medicine, this is being offered now and I feel will be much in demand in the next few years.

blessings

kim xx

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Thanks for the replies guys, it really is appreciated.

I was looking into degree's, I am currently in my final year at uni studying english lit so i am not sure if I could afford to get out another three years worth of student loans!! I also notice that some universitys offer HND courses, I am not sure which are better to do - a degree or a HND.

Thanks again, you guys are all so friendly!!

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Personally I think it would be well worth remembering that with the exception of mind therapies most therapies are not so academically demanding as the hands on experience you will need to acquire in order to perform them effectively, if you want to become a therapist in most cases you need to be trained by a competent hands on therapist not someone who can pass examinations but are lost on the practical application of that therapy there is a balance, just food for thought.

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Hi all, How are we today?:)

Fiona:D
xx

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Hi Fiona

Am glad you posted as they are the same kind of questions I had in mind,. i have seen courses you can do online and become a qualified aromatherapist/nutritionist/etc and I too found it a little worrying....

Like I said, some I have seen claim you can be qualified within as little as 3 months

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Persephone

Hiya, i had a post about this on the old HP but i dont know if we can still link to it?
I have arthritis and was working childcare and at the time was told it would no longer be an option. Complementary therapy wa sthe only other that that really interests me so i decided to look into some courses to get a 'grounding' and then thought id decide if id take it any further, however was shocked by the amount of courses i found online claiming that within 3 months - 1 year i could be qualified, most of these were without any hands on training, unles si wanted to attend a 1 day course in london!!

I could be a aromatherapist, i could practise indian head massage, i could be a reflexologist, i could even do reiki and yoga (someone with arthritis being able to 'teach; yoga!!!) it really shocked me, and although the aromatheray, reiki and reflexology did intereste me as we have nothing like that here and i could make a fortune it jus seemed so wrong lol - lets hope someone can give us some advice, surley we have both missunderstood?

Fiona

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Fiona,

Firstly - I am not sure if we can link to the old HP forum as I have only been a member for ooooh..... two days!

I don't know if we have misunderstood - perhaps we have? Like you I was overwhelmed with the amount of courses I have found online, I have also found a lot in the advert pages of magazines like 'kindred spirit'. I would have thought that the *best* thing to do would be to do a degree, and then you can specialise in what you are most interested in. But for a lot of us (like me!) that is not really an option, so all these 3 month - 1 year courses look perfect!

I do not have a lot of confidence in most things so if I *did* study something for a short period which claimed I would be qualified afterwards, I dont think i would have the confidence to practise anyway!

Does anyone know if there is an 'official' board or association for alternative/complementary therapy? There is a 9 week course in Indian Head Massage at a college near me, for £95 which claims I could practice afterwards... am not sure whether to go for it or not.

Where abouts in the UK are you from Fiona?

Im in Wales - so there is not a lot of choice up here anyway!

Love

jen

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Hi Jen

Im from the isle of skye in north west scotland. So doing a course (unless one of these online courses) would mean not only paying a fortune for the course, also moving away and having to find accomodation and part time work too which just at the moment/back then when i was looking at the courses wasnt an option.[:'(][:o]

The closest college to me (apart from a gaelic college here in skye itself) would be inverness, and they dont offer anything like this. I believe there is somewhere in gasgow and possible aberdeen but thats it....[>:]

Surely though we can ALL of misunderstood? HMM:eek:
At the time when i was looking at these courses i actually thought if you were able to practise i would be able to start up on my own, as theres not really anything like that up here and i think within time it would do well....

Let hope someone who knows what they are talking about can help us out

Fiona

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Hi Fiona

Perhaps I can clarify things a little, you can set up as a therapist with no training and no qualifications the same as any other type of business with a couple of exceptions we have the most liberal approach to trading in this country, but if you once go onto one of these courses and get some formal qualifications then that option is no longer open to you, as you then need to get some formal qualifications on whatever type of therapy you wish to practice and you will need to be insured to practice professionally with professional indemnity.

There are some excellent and dedicated therapists around with no formal qualifications the same as there are therapists with strings of letters after their names who are not very good at applying the classroom skills they spent so much time and money obtaining in the real world, personally I judge a treatment on how I feel at the end of it not by the amount of diplomas and certificates on the wall.

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

I agree with Paul.
For example, there is a 'crystal lady' local to me whose knowledge of crystals and crystal healing is second to none - all self taught, and who on occasion runs un-credited courses. I'm sure you would learn a lot more about crystals from her in an hour than on the VTCT crystal course.

I used to worry about getting the 'right' qualification or doing the 'right' course. The older I get, the less concerned I get. Now I tend to go for courses in subjects that truely interest me, regardless of whether you get a qualification at the end of it or not. You never really learn how to do a therapy well until you are practising it in the real world anyway.

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Hiya Paul

Thanks for the info, im going to sound VERY stupid now but could you explain this bit a little more to me please?:)

but if you once go onto one of these courses and get some formal qualifications then that option is no longer open to you, as you then need to get some formal qualifications on whatever type of therapy you wish to practice and you will need to be insured to practice professionally with professional indemnity.

I got the needing to be insured part but not the rest lol - its not something that i would do now anyway as managed to go back to childcare and a doing my diploma as we 'speak' but it does still interest me.....:eek:

What you said about there being some great therapists around with no formal qualifications and others with a string of letters and not being great made perfect sense! I think its like that in all jobs, for expample someone i work with has her SVQ 3 and is now training to be an assessor but personaly i think she is AWFUL at her job and the kids hate her [:'(][:'(]lol

Mello, thanks for ur input, in many ways a agree though being young and in a way still ''starting out'' i do tend to worry about qualifications, you often find now matter how good you are at a job parents look for a more ''known'' qualification than other than college diplomas and certs... i guess though in a ways thats understandable though...U want the best for your kids...:eek: but still annoying, esp when u get people like the girl i was telling paul about.[:@]

Thanks again to both you you

Fiona:)

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Would like to input here as a qualified and (I think) highly trained, busy therapist.

Basically, you can do either VTCT or ITEC, these are the most well known recognised qualifications. All of above is true - as yet it isn't illegal to work without qualifications etc etc, don't have to have insurance - agree with all said.

I did ITEC anatomy and physiology (very intense, very indepth and learned everything you need to know about the human body and more) three month course spread over 10 full days, plus many hours home study - don't be fooled by the three month bit. Three hour (tough) written paper at the end - need to get over 60% to pass. After that could go onto massage course, three months of practical training and more a and p, case studies, three hour written exam and practical one hour exam. After that, aromatherapy - nine month course - same again, three hour paper, 40 case studies, practical exam etc etc. Now doing reflexology, fourteen week course, three hour paper, practical exam, 64 case studies - that is full treatments 64 times, plus writing up all findings, history of client, outcome etc etc - a lot of work.

All in all started in 2000. Just achieved this and it is a lot of work. For the a and p you will learn every system of the body, all the major muscles - what they do and how, diseases, how the systems interact with each other and what you may be presented with in your clients. Plus how to deal with people, run a business, give after care advice, know when to refer to other practitioners, legislation, safety, hygiene, first aid etc. There is more.

I now work as therapist, have full insurance, have full membership with governing body, am in full favour of regulation, get regular happy and satisfied clients and earn a living from it.

Phew!

Moral of the tale.

You need to do a recognised qualification - regulation will come - you will have to retrain if your course isn't recognised.

You need hands on training - not correspondence - no way can you learn therapies by post.

Training is mixed - price means nothing - tutor means everything.

Most here have been down this road - ask away for advice - it needn't be a mine field, we have all been there - you just need to ask the right questions before you commit.

hope this helps.:D

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Hi Fiona

If you are not a qualified therapist then you are not bound by the legal requirements that therapists are, once you have some formal qualifications as a therapist then you are deemed to be trained and responsible for your treatments and can be sued for professional incompetence which for obvious reasons cannot be applied to someone without formal training for they are only working according to their own standards etc.

Hope that clarifies that one for you?

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Hiya

Thanks very much for the information, like i said was just curious as i do find it a little worrying that some people go around working when they dont have any hands on training... that was all

Found your info very hepfull and interesting, for me i will stick to childcare:) but good luck Persephone with whatever you decide

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Hi Candie,

Just because ITEC and VTCT are the better known, doesnt mean they are the only ones, and doesnt mean that any courses that do not have a ITEC or VTCT qualification at the end of it are necessarily poor courses. By whose yardstick are they being measured by?

Does this mean that Narandra Mehta is not a very good at Indian Head Massage because he doesn't have any formal qualifications? or his courses are rubbish because you dont get a ITEC or IIHHT at the end?

What about Jin Shin, Bowen technique, Shiatsu, TuiNa, Zero Balancing, Polarity Therapy, Reiki, Shirobhyanga, Swiss Reflex therapy, No Hands massage, Bach Flower remedies, LaStone, Shirodhara, Metamorphic technique, Cranial-Sacral therapy, Kinesiology, Johrei, colour therapy, crystal healing, Iridiology, EFT, Su Jok, Bo Shin, Aura Soma, Lomi-Lomi, Ayurvedic massage, etc etc. Are all these therapies and the people who practise them rubbish then because they dont have an 'recognised' qualification?

No doubt though, it wont be long before a lot of these therapies will be ripped of by the larger examination boards. Then they will have their philosophies stripped, be standardised, packaged and exploited with practitioners being churned out in their thousands. Always reminds me of that old song 'and they all get put in boxes and they all come out the same'.

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Hello Mello

Regulation sets standards and protects the public and the therapists, both students and established ones. It's a way of knowing what you're getting and knowing that it meets certain standards. Candie is right about complementary therapies being more tightly regulated and standardised going forward, and by taking a recognised course now you are saving yourself the trouble of having to retrain.

If we have someone in to do some building or electrical work, or have someone fix our corns and veruccas, or want someone to drill our tooth, don't we want to know that they have undergone rigorous training and have met with certain standards? We work hard to get our qualifications and we want to do our best in our training so that we come out as good, competent and caring therapists. That's what it boils down to.

Siobhan

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

When I go shopping, I dont expect to be told I can only buy 'x' washing powder rather than 'y' washing powder. It's a matter of individual choice.
By the same token, I dont think anyone has the right to tell anyone else which therapy course they should go on. If someone wants to do an ITEC course, than that's up to them. If someones else would rather do a correspondance course, then again, that's up to them. As long as that person has insurance and is caring and compatant - what business is it of anyone elses where they trained.

As for corns and veruccas - there are thousands of practising chiropodists in this country. Less than half of them are state registered (SRC) The rest have different qualifications. This doesnt mean they are any less competant.

Canada has just brought in registration for Aromatherapists. It hasnt meant that those who havent registered cant practise. They can.

It is going to be years before registration comes in in this country. The first will be acupuncturists, chiropractors and osteopaths. Holistic therapies are way down the line. And seeing as no one has the slightest idea how registration will affect complementary therapies - only guessing - no one has the right to say that any particular qualification is any better than anyone elses.

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

Hi Everyone

An interesting conversation which we have had many times, I think Mello has stated some very valid points, there are lots of well established training institutes and some like my own have been around seventy years or so and are still going strong and getting students from all over the world by recommendation of the high standards produced by the therapists who trained there.

Now the itec and vtct curses are relative newbie's on the block who do tend to do a lot of paperwork but not a great deal of hands on training from what I have experienced and you have to take pot look with who will be teaching you where as with an established therapist training institute you have a full curriculum before you start and know where you are and what you are expected to learn before you arrive for each class which enables you to do a bit of preparation work.

I do agree that itec and vtct courses are a lot cheaper that the standard training courses which can cost you anything up to £5000 or possibly more for a course, but the other thing that goes through my mind is that I would not expect to get trained to be a doctor or an osteopath at night school so why should I go to night school to learn remedial massage therapy when there is a reputable training establishment out there run by remedial massage therapists and manipulative therapists with proven experience of both teaching and many years of running successful practices?

Siobhan, food for thought! would you want someone to come and drill your teeth who had done a night school adult education course? the argument goes both ways I am afraid and there is a big difference between what the government education department thinks is a good therapist training course and what you receive in a therapists training institution run by therapists although at a price, but you do sometimes get what you pay for

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

I suspect most of us go the night school (or in my case weekend) route because we cannot afford the luxury of giving up our day job, however I can assure you that I put in the hours both at school and at home! You can get excellent training at good professional establishments this way and don't necessarily have to do ITEC or VTCT training - these are by no means the only options and I don't think Candie was saying they were or trying to lay down the law. My qualification will be the AQA Level 3 Diploma in Reflexology, through the Association of Reflexologists. I'm training at a reflexology school (which is also a practice) run by reflexologists with many years of experience both practising and teaching. It is definitely possible to get good training which is recognised by the government.

Persephone/Jen, I hope you're finding all this useful

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

The point i was trying to get over is that, at this moment in time, the government do not recognise ANY therapy qualification. There is no such thing in law as far as complementary therapies are concerned as a 'recognised' therapy qualification. There is no official government body who decides which therapy course is valid. In other words there is no legal distinction between one course or therapy and another, and each individual has the right to practise whatever therapy they wish to, regardless of what qualification (if any) they may or may not have.

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

I don't know you go off and do some clients and come back and see a full scale row has blown up!

How do you do Mello? Nice to meet you and sorry that you have totally misread my comments, that were in answer to a question from Fiona I believe, and yes, I was coming at it from the angle of massage/aromatherapy/reflex etc. I apologise to any AOR/IFR Reflexologists, ISPA etc Aromatherapists - I was not in any way saying that ITEC or VTCT were better - I wouldn't be so ignorant. I was simply saying that these two bodies seem to provide the majority of courses and suit a lot of people.

I can't remember at any time saying that anybody had to do anything that i said and I think you have jumped down my throat rather on this one. Of course there are many therapies, there will be more, some are good and some are a waste of time and money. I know this because I have done various courses and know a lot of therapists who have done even more.

Osteopaths are already registered and since 2000 it has been illegal for anybody to practice who is not registered. Chiropractors have been regulated since 2001 and the same applies.

So I think things are a little further along than some realise.

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

It is not my intention to row with anyone. There are lots of wonderful therapies out there with great techniques and unique philosphies. I feel sorry for people who have been neeedlessly put off becoming involved in complementary therapies or just stick to the 'famous five' (body massage, sports massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, IHM) , because they are have been frightened into believing that the majority of qualifications given for such courses are not good enough.

RE: How do I get into complementary therapy?

I'm glad that your intention isn't to argue with anybody coz I think you will find a lot of nice people here who help each other a lot.

I am sure that anybody who is drawn into a therapy (whatever it is) will have the courage of their own convictions and go ahead and do what they want and certainly it isn't my intention to put anybody off.

I find that a lot of people start with massage etc and then add strings to their bow (as I am doing myself).:)