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.
