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Complementary therapies have become more and more popular over the past five years and are becoming accepted as the norm into mainstream medical establishments such as doctors' surgeries, hospices and hospitals. It is this shift of understanding and acceptance of such therapies that is reflected in the increased number of people embarking on a training course to become a therapist.
 
It is a common trend for those already established in a career to seek out complementary therapy as a new career option, more often than not because they have had remarkable results themselves from undertaking a course of treatment in that therapy. So, what attracts people to reflexology? Why do some people get drawn to feet when others are repelled by them?
 
"Most people have heard of reflexology," says Pascale Atkinson, reflexologist and Chair of the Association of Reflexologists, "and they usually know that it is something to do with the feet. However, I always feel that the only way for people to fully appreciate what reflexology is all about is to experience a treatment. Only then, can they decide whether reflexology is the therapy for them.''
 
With approximately 3000 students enrolled on reflexology courses and an estimated 15,000 practising reflexologists in the UK, it is no wonder that reflexology is becoming better known.
Training establishments range from large Further Education colleges to smaller private schools, so there is little consistency in terms of curriculum, tutor contact or length of courses. The Reflexology Forum, the developing regulatory body for reflexology in the UK, currently consists of 10 member organisations and aims to represent approximately 80% of reflexologists. Each organisation has their own training requirements consisting of their own syllabus, accreditation process and qualifications.
Reflexology courses in the UK are offered by many different organisations, groups and individuals; however the only ones recognised by the Forum are those provided by their 10 members. With the increased pressure on complementary health organisations to regulate, it will only be a few years before reflexology is one of the many therapies that will need to conform. The Forum is working towards a common standard in reflexology training, developing a core curriculum so that when regulation of the therapy is finalised there will be a national register to which the public can refer in confidence.
 
As a general rule the courses that provide the most comprehensive training have 100 hours contact teaching time which includes lectures, tutorials and supervised reflexology practice, normally spread over 9 calendar months and taking place at weekends to accommodate those in full time employment. As reflexology students need to be 18 years or over, the courses tend to attract mature students or those who continue to work while learning.
 
What makes someone decide to become a reflexologist?
People from a wide variety of backgrounds choose to train as reflexologists. Many turn to reflexology to satisfy their desire to help others. They may already be in a caring profession or have worked within a medical establishment. Plenty of students on reflexology courses haven't been to school or college for several years and find that studying is a really stimulating addition to their lives. Many student groups often have a wide mix of ages, backgrounds and previous experience. Lesley, a registered nurse, wanted to build on her existing skills rather than start completely afresh. She says, "I became a reflexologist because I have always had an interest in complementary therapies."
 
A change in career is also another factor why people become reflexologists. Bob has been a Fire-fighter for over 30 years and decided that he should look for some other means of supplementing his pension when he retires. He trained as a counsellor and gained experience with Cruse bereavement care with a view to starting a professional counselling degree but ended up as a reflexologist.
 
"What interests me is how," explains Bob.
"Although we as individuals are very complex, there are constants in healing to do with fear, acceptance and when the time is right, letting go and moving on. I experienced this in my own life ….. in some cases healing needs to be approached on a subconscious level and reflexology can be very useful in these cases." Some people may on the other hand have worked in a very impersonal career sector that is not people-focussed and want to change direction by becoming a therapist to work and help the general public as well as having the autonomy of being self-employed.
 
"I will admit that to start with I was looking for a way of working for myself," says Kathryn. "I have worked for too many grasping, greedy business owners as an accountant over the years and I felt my spirit was being trodden into the ground. When on holiday 2 years ago I saw an article on the research a hospital was doing into whether reflexology can help sub-fertility and thought, what a wonderful way to help people. I have always been admiring of the medical profession but have not got the stomach for some of the nastier aspects of that profession. So here was a way of helping people achieve better health without the blood and guts!"
 
Sue found that synchronicity played a great part in drawing her to train as a reflexologist when she was 55.
 
"I had been a teacher for over 30 years and my mind and body caved in under the stress," says Sue. "Whilst being treated by my reflexologist during my extended sick leave she asked me what I could see myself doing in 12 months' time, and where the reply came from I do not know: "Exactly what you are doing!"
 
Sue found an advert in her local paper that very day for a reflexology school, obtained an interview, and now explains, "I love what I do and the training was great; for the first time in my life I enjoyed studying."
 
Class sizes can vary from as few as four students to as many as fifty. Maximum ratio of students per tutor ensures that there is sufficient supervision, so it is worth checking how many other students will be enrolled on a course before you start and how many tutors will be teaching you. Robert, a student, describes his first experience of reflexology:
 
"I had reflexology demonstrated on me at a Healthy Living fair in the late 1980s and realised then that it was very potent therapy. It was also very pleasant and relaxing. I bought books on reflexology and started having a go myself on friends and family. I wish I'd known then about proper training courses to learn how to practise reflexology as a therapy."
 
The more you put into something, the more you get out of it and that's certainly true for reflexology training.
 
"Learning reflexology has also helped broaden my outlook on health, diet and lifestyle," enthuses Robert.
 
The commitment to enrolling on a reflexology course should not be taken lightly as it is often challenging, including regular taking of case studies and home assignments twinned also with financial outlay. Students who qualify often comment that they have found the course to be a lot of hard work but also intensely rewarding and deeply satisfying once they have passed their exams and received their practitioner's certificate.
 
In fact, ask anyone who has embarked on that route and they will say give it plenty of thought and make sure you find a high quality practitioner course which will ensure eligibility to a membership organisation.
 
A good course tutor will be able to let you visit the centre and have a look round before you make a decision. This is a valuable way of getting a feel for the course, and talking to current students is always helpful too.
 
Robert offers words of wisdom from the viewpoint of a student: "Be aware that whilst the course will normally be part time, you'll need to allocate extra time to reading, treating clients and writing up case studies."
 
Once the exams are passed and the certificate is hanging on the wall - what then? It can be lonely starting out as a sole trader and reflexologists, like other therapists, tend to be self-employed and working in a variety of locations. Some enjoy the freedom and control of practising from home. Some reflexologists work in clinics, health centres, doctor's surgeries, salons or within work places providing reflexology to employees. This is one of the main draws of becoming a therapist, the autonomy and control that comes from being your own boss and earning a living by doing something you love.
 
You can make it work as a full time reflexologist but as with all new businesses it takes time, energy and also money to establish yourself. It is unlikely you will gain full time employment as a reflexologist within an organisation because, as yet, reflexology is not a regulated therapy. With the development of research into the effects of reflexology and incorporation into mainstream medical establishments such as the NHS it is likely that reflexology will continue to become more and more popular, enticing people to train and experience its multiple benefits.
 
Further information:
The Reflexology Forum
Tel: 0800 037 0130, www.reflexologyforum.org
About the author:
Polly Hall MAR is a qualified reflexologist and freelance health writer. She offers reflexology treatments in Glastonbury
Somerset, UK and also runs introductory Reflexology workshops. See website www.pollyhall.co.uk
or call 07811 447213.
 
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