39 Ways
A look at complementary therapies – an alternative way to making pots of money

By Laurel Alexander

First published in "Making Money" magazine

Have you got an Interest in healing? Are you interested in natural health? Do you have a caring nature? Are you people-oriented? If you can say yes to all four questions, you may be well placed to make money from complementary therapies.

Complementary therapies are drug-free and involve healing processes. Natural or complementary health treats the whole of a person, their emotional and mental health as well as physical symptoms. A complementary therapist will not only treat your painful back or migraine through drug-free healing, but will ask you about your diet and stress mechanisms to see how your lifestyle and psychological make-up has affected your body. This type of healing is often called holistic healing because it treats the whole of a person.

Complementary therapies are designed to complement the procedures of orthodox medicine. All aspects of health are potentially growth areas but there is a specific interest in complementary therapies and natural healing. Although we live longer, we are also suffering from a greater range of maladies (often stress-related) which need treating.

Many people prefer to take their healing process into their control. While they may still be under their GP they also seek out complementary therapists to work alongside orthodox medicine. Here is an overview of the most popular therapies.

ENERGY PATHWAYS
The manipulative therapies include osteopathy. This is a system of healing that works on the physical structure of the body via manipulation massage and stretching techniques. Chiropractic is another manipulative therapy and treats disorders of the joints and muscles and their effect on their nervous system.

The Alexander Technique is an educational technique that improves mental and physical well-being through efficient body use. You could have a private practice for one-to-one work as an Alexander teacher. Someone I know runs their own school teaching the Alexander Technique and charges thousands of pounds to train students up to qualification level.

Working as a complementary therapist takes
healing skills, business skill and commitment to
the well-being of others

Reflexology as a manipulative therapy works on the principle that reflex points on the feet correspond to every part of the body. By working on these points, blockages in the energy pathways are released. As well as giving reflexology sessions, you could sell health and beauty products for the feet, take your skills into homes for the elderly or use your skills with special needs children or adults.

PRIVATE PRACTICE
Massage is a hands-on treatment and can be used for stress reduction or to treat problems associated with the musculo-skeletal system. As well as a private practice, you could offer on-site neck and shoulder massages for the business market. If you are going to have a private practice at home and you are a
woman, the pitfalls are obvious. Some female masseuses only treat women. You may prefer to rent a room in a health centre if you want to treat anyone.

Nutritional therapy is a natural therapy which uses diet and supplement programmes to correct nutritional imbalances and overcome allergies. Sidelines from a basic nutritional practice could be weight-loss clinics, selling supplements, writing diet and cookery books.

Plant and Gaia (Earth) therapies include medical herbalism that uses plants in tablet and fluid form to treat illness. In conjunction with your own practice, you might grow and prepare your own herbal remedies, selling them to clients, retail outlets or other therapists.

SPECIALISE
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to improve health and is mainly administered by massage. You could combine aromatherapy with beauty therapy. How about making your own perfumes or creating beauty products? You could package and market a travel care kit or a basic care kit for the home medicine cabinet. You might specialise in women's problems or in treating children and babies. Why not design your own range of essential oils and massage techniques for sports people and dancers?

Another idea is to make fragrant products for the home such as air fresheners, bacteria busters, candles, soaps, pot pourris, perfumed pillows and papers. You could make scented gifts for special occasions such as Christmas, birthdays or Valentines Day. What about aromatherapay holidays for education or healing?

Systems of medicine and oriental therapies include homeopathy, a treatment that works on the principle of 'like cures like', using minute doses of animal, vegetable or mineral substances.

As well as private practice you could teach leisure courses such as first aid in the home. One homeopath I know is paid by a charity to take her skills to third world countries. Acupuncture is based on the idea that the body is criss-crossed by energy pathways. Illness is seen as an imbalance of energy flowing along these lines and therapists use moxa herb and/or sterile needles that they insert into the body to regulate the energy flow and restore health.

TRAINING
These psychological therapies cover counselling which provides advice and support to help a person cope with a particular short-term problem. You could advertise through doctors. Other sources of work include counselling the police, crisis counselling, couples work, counselling in an educational environment or working with young people. Psychotherapy uses psychological methods for treating mental and emotional problems, usually over a long period of time.

With both counselling and psychotherapy, you yourself will need to undergo the therapy as a client as part of your training process. Hypnotherapy taps into the unconscious. You could expand into making tapes and videos. This therapy should really be combined with counselling or psychotherapy.

Some therapies take longer to learn than others. For example reflexology, aromatherapy and massage usually take around a year to learn. You can become qualified in nutritional therapy, hypnotherapy or counselling in around two years. Osteopathy, chiropractic, the Alexander Technique, medical herbalism, homeopathy, acupuncture and psychotherapy take between three and five years to learn. You need to have a definite sense of commitment to the longer-term training.

ADULT EDUCATION COURSES
In some ways it is a good idea to blend therapies together so they complement each other. This way you can build up your repertoire gradually. For example, I've just enrolled on a qualification course in reflexology and I might take a short course in colour therapy. Next year I might bolt on a distance learning course in nutrition.

So, once qualified, where do you practice? If you're lucky enough to have a spare room at home, you can set up there. Or you could rent a room in a natural health clinic. What about health clubs or a health and beauty salon? It's nice to have your private practice at home but don't get stuck in your ivory healing tower - get yourself out and about as well. In private practice, you can charge anywhere between £20-£50 for an average session lasting one hour.

As well as hands-on healing, you could teach your subject on adult education leisure courses or you could teach on a qualification course via a further education college or a professional training school. Don't forget about writing articles and books. You could get together with one or two other therapists and offer healthy or educational holidays.

PROFESSIONAL IMAGE
There is the image that some complementary therapies are a bit wacky. Therefore you need to present your clients with a professional image alongside the services you provide. It's all very well being caring and sharing but if you don't have a solid business head on your shoulders, you are not going to make money.

Get yourself a business card and a well designed brochure. Get yourself technology minded to back up your administration. Make sure you visually look the part and make sure your premises reflect your professionalism. Develop your customer care and interpersonal skills to a fine art. Your training should be of a recognisable standard and you must continue with your professional development after qualifying.

Working as a complementary therapist takes healing skills, business skill and commitment to the well-being of others. Many therapists get so carried away with the healing process, they forget they need to pay the bills. You can be both caring and practical.

A last word of advice, don't burn yourself out. People who require healing on whatever level can be needy and draining - remember you need to recharge your batteries and your enthusiasm. Then you can make pots of money and help lots of people through using complementary therapies.

If you want to train as a complementary therapist, contact your local further education college, look in the
Yellow Pages for private schools offering courses (check out the validity of their qualification) or telephone any of the numbers on this page.

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