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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.
Find
Out More
• British Acupuncture Council. Tel: 0181964 0222,
• Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique. Tel: 01713510828
• International Society of Professional Aromatherapists. Tel: 01455 637987.
• The British Chiropractic Association. Tel: 0118 9505950.
• National Institute of Medical Herbalists. Tel: 01392 426022.
• Society of Homeopaths. Tel: 01604 621400.
• The Academy of Curative Hypnotherapists Ltd. Tel: 01614854009.
• Osteopathic Information Service. Tel: 01713576655.
• The British Reflexology Association. Tel:01886 821207.
• The Institute for Optimum Nutrition. Tel: 01818779993. |
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