How do you tell if your alternative healer is properly qualified?
If you want to learn a healing art, how can you know if you are getting the
right instruction. Some would say “feel it out”. Go for word of mouth recommendation and trust
your intuition. Others, including The Prince of Wales Foundation for
Integrated Health, think the answer is to publish a book.
In Choosing A Course In Complementary Healthcare – A Student Guide, the
foundation highlights therapies that have a code of practice.
The book gives contact details for the regulatory bodies... and an idea of
what it may take to study each discipline.
The foundation points out that the most popular therapies, acupuncture,
herbal – including Indian, Chinese and western – medicine and homeopathy are
moving towards legal but self-regulating status. All these require study up to
degree or equivalent level, with course length varying from two to five years, and
fees rising to over £10,000.
Therapies which require slightly less lengthy and rigorous study include:
Aromatherapy (www.aromatherapy-regulation.org.uk); Craniosacral therapy
(www.cranio.org.uk); healing (www.ukhealers.info); Massage therapy (www.gcmt-uk.org)
and naturopathy (www.naturopathy.org.uk).
The book though, is by no means comprehensive. It gives little insight into
yoga, for example, Try the British Wheel of Yoga at www.bwy.org.uk or the Yoga
Biomedical Trust at www.yogatherapy.org.
Nor does it cover other popular mind-body therapies, such as bio-feedback and
Autogenic therapy - or crystal and sound healing. Ultimately the best advice remains the oldest. Become a patient yourself and discover first-hand what each discipline has to offer before you start
thinking about training in any particular one.
To obtain the Foundation’s book call 020 7619 6140 or go to www.fihealth.org.uk
Mark Winter
