Certification - Does It Matter?
by Diana Watson, RCRT
January 2017
Becoming certified in a skill requires time, effort, money and commitment. Is this beneficial or even necessary?
Anyone can take a short evening or weekend class in almost anything they find interesting and would like to know more about. It is also an easy thing these days to look up information on the internet or in self-help books.
But if you are looking for a professional in a field such as law, real estate, physiotherapy, or nutrition – surely you would want to make sure that person is properly trained for the services being offered? Standards matter or anyone could offer any kind of service without a proper knowledge base.
The time, effort, and expense invested in proper education and training from an accredited organization indicates you have the required skills and abilities, and that you are committed and able to provide the best possible care to those seeking your services. It also indicates you are not only knowledgeable on the subject but that you are disciplined enough to follow through.
Certified Reflexology Therapists are governed by a Code of Conduct for competent professional practice. Some of the requirements are as follows:
Maintain good hygiene – personal, premises, equipment
Conform to the local professional health standards
Maintain accurate, up-to-date, and completely confidential records of clients and sessions
Represent yourself honestly as to education, training, and relevant experience
Refer clients to other qualified health care providers when services required are outside your scope of practice
Make no disparaging remarks concerning other reflexologists or health practitioners
Make no verbal or written statement which is fraudulent or false, or engage in unethical conduct
Carry proper insurance and registration
Personally, I became interested in natural ways of looking after and improving my health more than 20 years ago. A friend introduced me to Reflexology when I was dealing with a painful healing crisis of my own. The treatments helped in reducing the pain and inflammation I was dealing with at that time. This cultivated the desire in me to be able to use this kind of natural, non-invasive work to help other people suffering from symptoms of pain, inflammation, congestion, etc. For many years I read, studied, and researched information regarding Reflexology and other natural modalities within the healing arts.
In 2009, I took the training to become a certified Foot Reflexology Therapist through the Reflexology Association of Canada (RAC). These courses require a certain number of hours of class study, home study, hands-on training and practice, a written exam, a practicum (60 pairs of feet for the foot reflexology), and then a practical exam. My next step was to become Registered as well, which requires continuing education courses for credit. These courses and credits are reported once every three years to be eligible to continue as a Registered Canadian Reflexology Therapist (RCRT). A few years later, I completed the training for Hand Reflexology through the same organization, the Reflexology Association of Canada (RAC).
Soon after this, I received training from Patryck Aguilar Cassarà, the international instructor for Dien Chan Multireflexology (or Face Reflexology), a natural healing art from Vietnam created and tested extensively by Professor Dr. Bùi Quôc Châu. This course entailed a full week of intensive class lectures, study, and hands-on training and practice. This certification is through The International School of Multireflexology – Dien Chan. See my October 2016 Blog for more information on this amazing modality!
Being certified indicates to people that the practitioner possesses the proper education and training to practice within their field. It also tells you that this person adheres to high standards of practice, conduct and ethics, and participates in ongoing professional development.
Reflexology offers one of the most comforting, hands-on forms of human interaction, reducing many negative symptoms and increasing a sense of well-being. Reflexology works as a complement to any medical, cancer and/or mental health care treatments being experienced - with no adverse side effects.
Make sure you are receiving the best care by someone truly trained to offer it.
Stress - Today's Biggest Challenge to Your Good Health
Stress ~ Today’s Biggest Challenge to Your Good Health
by Diana Watson
When stress complicates life ~ can Reflexology truly help?
We all experience stress in some form in our lives. It may be a major event, such as the death of a loved one, a job loss, or maybe a chronic illness facing ourselves or a family member. People may suffer from any one of a number of anxiety disorders from minor ones to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Chronic or long-term stress depresses the immune system – even if it is not intense. Today, stress-related illness in our society is at an all-time high. Some researchers consider the level of stress-induced illness to be anywhere from 75% up to 90% of all sicknesses. It does not take a lot of searching to find well documented, medical research studies showing the physical effects on the body from stress, which can lead to illness.
Some of the results can be: a depressed immune system; weight gain or obesity; increased inflammation in the body, possibly causing painful joints; sleep problems such as insomnia; heart disease; depression; digestive issues; and back, neck, and even shoulder pain. Following is a list of the effects of stress to our general health.
TOP TEN EFFECTS OF STRESS
Stress has a number of negative effects on the body, of which the worst are the following:
The body calls on fat reserves to be used up for energy. These fatty deposits stay in the blood vessels and contribute to arteriosclerosis (thickening of the artery walls). This narrows the blood vessels and puts you at risk of heart disease.
Your heart beats faster, increasing blood flow around the body, which can lead to high blood pressure and headaches. This puts a strain on all the blood vessels.
The liver pours out glucose for the muscles to use as energy. Glucose stays in the bloodstream when it does not get used up, which can lead to diabetes.
The adrenal glands pour out the steroid hormone cortisone. In large doses it is toxic to the brain causing depression and memory loss.
Blood diverts from the bladder, and if the bladder is not continually emptying, this can lead to cystitis (urinary tract infection).
Stress lowers the immune system so that you find it harder to fight infection and bacteria have a better chance of taking hold.
Tense neck and shoulder muscles lead to pain. This tightness in the muscles can restrict nerve impulses to different parts of the body. For example, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is common during times of stress because of compression of the nerve roots.
Blood is diverted from the digestive system because it is considered nonessential in times of danger, so the digestive system does not function properly. This can make any digestive disorder worse.
Stress directly affects the hormonal system and puts the body’s glands and hormones out of balance.
Your breathing is restricted during times of stress, so less oxygen reaches the cells and consequently there is a greater accumulation of waste products.
(From The Reflexology Bible by Louise Keet.)
Your health and well-being can benefit from purposeful and conscientious efforts to manage your stress levels. So – how to deal with this problem we all face on a day-to-day basis?
WHAT WE CAN DO TO MANAGE STRESS DAILY:
~ Meditation ~
More and more information is available now on the health benefits of practicing meditation on a regular basis
~ Deep breathing ~
This is something you can do almost anywhere, anytime during your day
~ Exercise ~
Regular, daily walks and/or exercise of some kind help us to stay healthy
~ Eating and drinking ~
Choosing healthy food and drink, as well as lowering intake of things like caffeine, sugar, alcohol and nicotine will go a long way to assisting with health and sleep patterns
~ Natural Therapy ~
Different therapeutic techniques such as massage therapy, cranial sacral therapy, aromatherapy and reflexology can benefit your health and well-being
Reflexology offers one of the most comforting, hands-on forms of human interaction, reducing many negative symptoms and increasing a sense of well-being. Reflexology works as a complement to any medical, cancer and/or mental health care treatments being experienced - with no adverse side effects.
The Benefits of Reflexology - Because you are so worth it!
Our health and balance are constantly affected by many things in our life and environment. Stress, illness or disease can cause a state of “imbalance” preventing our body from functioning effectively. Reflexology helps to restore and maintain balance in the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of your whole body. It encourages healing and promotes a feeling of well-being.
Very beneficial physiological changes take place when we are in a relaxed state. Some of the well-documented responses to Reflexology are: relaxation; lowering of stress and anxiety; pain reduction; improvement of circulation and blood supply.
Because Reflexology is helpful on so many levels, it assists the body to normalize and is able to help with whatever issues or imbalances you are dealing with. Some of the modern-day issues it can help minimize are; anxiety disorders, effects of stress, improper function of the immune system, constant pain, headaches, poor circulation, bowel movement and digestive problems, menstrual issues, and toxicity due to inefficient elimination of waste.
People dealing with cancer, chemotherapy and any type of chronic illness often end up feeling isolated – cut off from the comfort of normal human touch. Reflexology offers one of the most comforting, hands-on forms of human interaction, reducing many negative symptoms and increasing a sense of well-being. Reflexology works as a complement to any medical, cancer and/or mental health care treatments being experienced - with no adverse side effects.
Whether you are looking for relaxation, want to re-energize, or wish for some assistance in dealing with a recent chronic condition, Reflexology will give you a break from the physical and mental aspects of stress. If you do have a health concern or you would like to help your body function better, you may want to consider a few sessions close together. Frequency and consistency will help your body to normalize and facilitate its amazing ability to heal!
*Reflexology is not used to diagnose or prescribe and is not a medical treatment.
Facial Reflexology - The ultimate two in one treatment
Find out about facial reflexology, now available in Drumheller, Alberta. Therapeutic and beauty treatment all in one!
Read more