Professional Bodies – why you should check and see if your therapist is a member

The massage industry in the UK is currently not regulated the same as doctors, physios, osteopaths or chiropractors, we as an industry are trying to become regulated but its a very slow process. 

So why should the massage industry be regulated?  This gives you the customer confidence that the service you will receive is of a certain standard or above, therapists will need to complete education to a certain level in order to practice so no more 2 days courses then you qualify to be an aromatherapist as there is far more information you need to understand about this topic that 2 days just cant cover.

Sandra at Essential Thyme is registered with 4 different professional bodies, these are:

• Complementary Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC)

• International Federations of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA)

• Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT)

• Guild of Holistic Therapists (GHT)

In order to be accepted by the above professional bodies, Sandra has had to have completed her studies to a certain level. For example Sandra completed a 2 year Foundation Degree in Clinical Aromatherapy, as well as her initial qualification each year she must complete a certain amount of hours in addition per year as continuous professional development (CPD), this makes sure that Sandra is always kept up to date on what is happening in her industry and massage disciplines she is trained in.

As well as the qualifications all therapists who are registered with these professional bodies must work within certain working ethics and criteria, thus giving the customer the confidence that they will be receiving a good quality of service from their therapist. If it is found that the therapists are not working within these areas they will be removed from the professional bodies lists.

To give you an example of why having your therapist be a registered member of a professional body, the CNHC is approved as an Accredited Register by the Professional Standards Authority for Health & Social Care (PSA) – this body is accountable to Parliament.  This provides additional assurance that CNHC registrants meet UK wide standards of client safety and service quality and have a commitment to Stand Up for Standards.  These are the people who have been liaising with the government about the new procedures which therapists have to enforce since COVID-19 and the PPE requirements for both therapists and clients to keep everyone safe.

So the next time you look to book in for a massage stop and think about the therapist, are they registered with a professional body, what standards are they working towards.  There are some great therapists out there who are not registered with professional bodies as at the moment its optional but hopefully one day this will change and we can all know we are working to a safe levels for clients.