I want to train as a reflexologist, any help??

[My Answers Suck]

PS I had to do 64 case studies for my ITEC reflexology.

 

[Miley]

Hi Yasmin, as we already know you have been incredibly unlucky in your courses and it is not just to do with ITEC.

Just make sure that you know what is expected of you for the exam. Usually they will tell you what they want, ie they may say to do a facial only (this has happened). They usually want you to do full body, including stomach but not the head and face. They don't usually want you to do breasts and bums. ASK YOUR COLLEGE! And, if you are still unsure, then bloomin well ask the examiner on the day. Just say, are we expected to do so and so? They are human and are usually very nice and helpful.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Hi Candie

I have to say that I agree wholeheartedly with what you said in your earlier post. Eventually.........when i finally get my ITEC qualifications I shall be very proud of them. I have done VTCT courses in the past and been equally proud of myself for passing them. As you say at the end of the day it is the tutor and ultimately how you perform as a therapist that really matters.

My dreadful problems have not put me off taking other courses with ITEC, I think at the end of the day they are very good professional qualifications. My worries are because I don't actually have a tutor as such I am going into the examination 'cold', not even knowing what 'parts' I may need to do. As you say I shall soon find out and everyone does say that the examiner concerned is very nice. My determination will see me through!!!

Love and Light
Yasmin x

 

[Chansey]

Hi Yasmin



Buttocks are out - Abdomen is in if you are massaging someone of the same sex as you (I still don't know if the abdomen should be massaged on someone of the opposite sex). Face and head is definitely in this year.

As far as who is my examiner this year - ITEC haven't confirmed who will be examining, but that's not unusual, as they don't tend to confirm exam dates and details until a couple of months before the exam date. (My college sitting in June).

One thing I would like to say about ITEC, is the syllabus for teaching is excelent. What I am having to teach, particularly on A & P is far superior that what I learnt when I qualified with the AoR.

The biggest point that causes frustration (and it seems to be the case here) is when silly mistakes are made by the organisations and conflicting information gets out to the students. You are all under enough stress with getting case studies done, learning A & P and rembering routines without being told that what you have just learnt has all changed, just before you do the exam.

Yasmin, I do wish you all the best for your exams - you deserve to pass.

Healh & happiness

Waywood

 

[Uwish]

wow this has certainly caused a great debate, but all this information is good to know. I live in Manchester and have researched a few colleges over the past couple of days, most of the fe colleges seem to do vtct, with the exception of one in stockport which does the aor course but you have to have a vctc cert to get on it (i rang and spoke to the tutor and my 6 yrs nursing experience wasnt enough to meet the a+p)????????. There is also the Manchester college of beauty and complimentary therapies which do itech. With the exception of the aor and the itech all the other colleges are within easier reach, stockport is about 15 miles away.
There really does seem to be a gap in the market in Manchester. Also i am confused what is the difference between a vctc certificate and a diploma, can you still practise with just a certificate. Some colleges seem to offer both while others just the diploma. I wish reflexology was as straightforward as nursing.

Anyway i have decided to do the itech course. I really cant see how paying an extra £1000 will help me be a better therapist. I am already a reflective practitioner, and i know that what i get out of this will only be as good as what i put in . My research over the past couple of days has shown me perhaps reflexology could do with being regulated. Otherwise how are the public to know they have a bonafide reflexologist and not someone who can make up a few letters after their name. Maybe i am biased as i am already on a register (though not a sectionable one lol) and i am accountable for my practise. HHHmm i wonder then if ultimately it will apply to my reflexology, could i still be accountable with a reflexologist cap on????????

Anyway i have weighed up the pros and cons and i can still register with aor after submitting case studies etc.
accessibility to courses does seem to be a problem though and Manchester is very limited in its choice.

, i think ultimately any course i do will only benefit patients, if i choose to practise on them. We do have a complimetary therapy suite for patients and staff, they also run lots of courses for updating practise if anyone is interested.

Thanks for all your help xx Clare (let the debate continue!!!!)

 

[Frost Gothic]

Hi David

Thank you for your reply and good wishes. It is much appreciated at this stressful time.[sm=sad2.gif]

I don't regret doing ITEC for one moment and have believe it or not enjoyed most of my courses (I am using that term loosely). I think as I was basically self-taught I have done very well to pass my theories.........the practicals are a different matter though. I just wish I knew of other ITEC people in my area so I could see on a practical level exactly what they do.

Never mind........I am a determined old devil and will get there

yasmin x

 

[Lyra [in Wonderland]]

Hi Clarebear,

You've done the right thing, having done the research asked the questions, weighed up the pros and cons, you've reached a decision.

Candie, - wow you have been busy typing, I think you could probably do with a relaxing treatment yourself now.

The whole system is confused, there are so many training organisations, examining organisations, insurance companies, it is a total minefield.

As others have said, the quality of your tutor is the key, however at Colleges you often don't meet your tutor until the first day of the course, and by then your already committed.

In my case my tutor for Body massage was an experienced therapist, but it was her first time at teaching a course, so she was learning the ropes, and it took a while for it all to gel.

Anyway congratulations, we have a nurse on our course too, and she certainly adds to the course.

 

[Seti I]

decided on itec with Manchester school of beauty and complimentary therapies, got the bumff today (wow they are fast) also rang them. I will have to do the A+p diploma alongside. So £600 in total, just found out i can also apply for a career development loan to fund it then pay it back after . So i may be comencing in May if everything goes to plan!!!
I am ringing them next week to arrange an appointment and i will suss out the tutors lol.
I cant wait to get started. Good job i only work 32hrs a week, i am also doing the A1 course at the moment to assess NVQ students so i need to finish that first before i commit to the course but hopefully that will be completed by May.

Thanks everyone, you are such lovely helpful people xxx Clare

 

[dagoodchef]

Hey, good luck Clare! I hope you enjoy it. See you around!

 

[Brother John]

Good luck Clare,
I'm glad you found the right course for you![sm=1syellow1.gif]
LOL...when I said near the beginning of this thread, I'd be interested to hear what others had to say, I wasn't expecting such a debate!!! As I said in that post there are excellent therapists who have been trained by all the different organisations! what matters is that you have the right course and the right tutor for you!
I wish you all the very best , please keep us posted on your progress and once you get into it, if you have any quieries or questions feel free to give me a shout, I'll be happy to help if I can!
Oh, and I'm really impressed that the hospital that you work in takes this therapy seriously, I hope that more take their lead and make such treatments available to more people that could benifit from them

love, light and always healing,
Lisa x
www.relaxreflexology.co.uk

 

[FoulgeVossess]

I'm that furious about some of the comments made here about VTCT trained people that I'm going to have to go away and calm down before I reply.

 

[SLipknOT FTW]

I work at Chrisities In Manchester www.christie.man.ac.uk
They have some info about the complimentary therapies, and there is a conference for massage and reflex in November i think, its all on the website . clarexx

 

[Todd Hignett]

Well, I have to agree with Susan52 here.

I'm currently doing VTCT Swedish Massage L3 and I think the course I'm on is pretty good - but I know there are concerns about this course at other colleges. There isn't any ITEC as far as I can see in my area at all, so I can't really comment.

I sometimes think these comparisons between courses sink to the level of "my dad is bigger than your dad".

It's very clear to me that everyone has had a very individual experience in their learning. Maybe it is time for some form of regulation that will impose some kind of standard across all the various disciplines.

At the end of the day it is the therapist that counts and all the qualifications in the world won't make a difference if the therapist cannot relate, treat or show compassion for the client. IMHO

[sm=soapbox.gif]

Right I'm off my soapbox now

LOL

 

[Annie D]

Whether it's VTCT, AOR, ITEC or anyone else, what matters most is that you end up a competent, confident, well trained, super therapist!

 

[TheDarkLaith]

I can see that this is nearing the end of the thread and all that can be said has probably been said. However now I have calmed down I would like to just have my say too. I qualified to practice Reflexology with VTCT and worked very hard indeed during the course and I am a member of the International Council of Holistic Therapists.

I just like say in reply to Topcat02 that if there were a lot of VTCT people retraining with AOR then I wouldn't mind betting that it's because their confindence has been undermined by people who have done other courses such as AOR or ITEC and then think 'oh my goodness I'm not good enough, I'll have to re-train!'. Some AOR and ITEC people seem to be infuratingly snobby about their qualifaction and some whom I have met seem to get a sick pleasure out of scaring people who are on other courses by telling them that they won't be 'recognised'. I know I had it done to me!!

Can someone tell me just WHO SAYS who is going to be 'recognised' by the government. No one really knows anyway. I think people seem to think less of VTCT because their courses are very cheap in comparison to AOR or ITEC, I know AOR are in excess of £1200. Please remember that VTCT are a charitable trust and their courses are heavily subsidised. AOR and ITEC are profit making organisations and it is in their interest to rubbish VTCT to get 'bums on seats' in the class rooms and money in the till.

I agree wholeheartedly with candie,,,Reflexology isn't rocket science. Some therapists seem to come across like they think they are doctors or something! ANYONE can be a Reflexologist if they want to it's really not that difficult. The difficulty is marketing yourself after you qualify and building up a good reputation if you ask me, cause I'm sure everyone will agree clients just don't drop from the sky, you have to prove how good you are in a practical sense not just with the certificate that hangs on your wall!

In answer to periwinkle,,yes of course you'll get a job and make a damn good therapist if you work hard like I did.

By the way in my area in Yorkshire it would not have been possible for me to do an ITEC or AOR course they just weren't available. What do you think would happen if all at once the government said that, for instance, no one else except AOR qualified therapist will be recognised. There'd be a war,,thats what. Can you imagine,,a therapist with say, VTCT, who has been practicing for years with a healthy client base is told, 'sorry you're not a Reflexologist any more, you haven't got the qualifications'. There'd be hell to pay, because this would include thousands of people. Would they do that do you think? I don't.

In my humble opinion regulation is years away anyway and who knows what might happen by then, maybe even all the 'big' organisations will have merged together, which is a theory I've heard.

I'd just like to wish good luck to everyone, whatever course they choose, but please remember it's not professional to 'bad mouth' other qualifying bodies, because in so doing, you are 'bad mouthing' a lot of excellent therapists. Please keep your words tender, for tomorrow you may have to eat them!

I've been wanting to get that off my chest for some time now, so thank you to all who have taken the time to read.

Love and Light
Susan52 MICHT

 

[sortma5ivci]

Hi Susan,

Read your reply with interest, and am glad you've calmed down. Heaven knows what you'd have said when you were mad!

The point I was trying to make, but that probably came over all wrong, was that from my experience in body massage, 20+ students, 1 tutor, 3hrs every monday night, was very frustrating due to the moving goal-posts throughout the course, and what the qualification would be at the end.

The 20+ students went to 11 or 12, and I honestly didnt feel particularly confident in my skills by the end of the course. We had to perform 6 full treatments on various people and that was it.

I applied for a part-time position down my local gym, but they said they hadnt heard of VTCT, and all their current therapists were ITEC. (So maybe the industry needs to look to itself).

The two ladies from VTCT really enjoyed their course, but openly admit that their current course has been a real eye-opener in comparison. (This may be totally down to the tutor).

I hope regulation is a long way away, but that shouldnt stop us from preparing for it, keeping up to date with what our organisations are doing, what the government is trying to do, and being ready to adapt to those changes, whether it's ITEC, AoR, VTCT, etc.

B.T.W, The best massage I ever had was by an old chinese lady, with hands of iron that turned me into putty, and ironed out all those aches. I doubt whether she had any recognised qualifications, but I'd recommend her to anyone!

This is a great discussion, my aim was not to attack any particular organisation but rather too encourage people to do a bit of research before commiting their hard earned cash.

 

[vwuwjdbu]

Wow, what a heated debate.
Now I'm not out to rubbish any-one's professional body or their qualification, I completely agree that a lot depends on the particular therapist and the course tutor but you have to accept that there are differences in the reflexology courses available.
I'm an ex nurse myself and I qualified as a reflexologist last year with the IIR (International Institute of Reflexology). The course I did cost about £1000, and took a year to complete. We had to do 100 hours of case studies; all of which were marked and the pass mark for the exam was 80%.
The course which I did was extremely in depth and the theory work was HARD.
There were 10 people on the course when we started and only 3 by the time we finished - Those 7 people dropped out because it was much more difficult than they expected it to be - they had all done 'taster courses' run by either ITEC or VTCT at the local college. Anyone CANNOT be a reflexologist.
I am very proud that I passed that course and I'm very glad that I did such an indepth course - I didn't study as hard when I was training to be a nurse as I did for this .
I consider myself to be a Clinical Reflexology Practitioner not just a therapist.

I don't think that anyone here is actually saying that those who have done VCTC or anything else will have to do more training but if this were the case would it really be that bad? We have to get away from the image that reflexology is a bit of a relaxing foot massage and start convincing the medical profession that it is as worthwhile and viable as any of the more respected complimentary therapies such as accupuncture and osteopathy and we'll only do that by being as well trained and as good as we possibly can be.

Love and light

Sulis xx
)O(

 

[Aloodanis]

wow, sulis, that was indeed a tough course you did... so, just to be devils advocate, how would you feel about having to re-train IF say the AoR get to hold the reigns? afterall, the IIR havent featured in this discussion at all, so far.

the re-training aspect will annoy me IF whoever gets to have the decision can decide that any other qualifications are not up to their particular standard... i.e. AoR says ITEC is not as good and needs to re-train to carry on practising. IF whoever it is will provide the re-training free, i dont mind, but i cannot afford to pay again (and lets hope its not the IIR at 1000 quid a go!!).

FWIW, ITEC (when i did it) required 64 case studies (10 people 4 times, each with a proper write up + 24 individual cases), + 3 hour theory exam (not multiple choice) + a practical exam + i cant remember how mny hours of expected teaching time and all the extra hours of study and practise.

and i am forever open to new ideas and techniques. i see the exam as learning to pass a driving test... once you pass the test THEN you learn to drive! its a constant learning curve and developement of knowledge, technique and experience.

 

[carmaup]

I agree, I'd be annoyed if I had to retrain as well but I don't think it will come to that. The Reflexology Forum has been formed in order to bring all of the training courses which are out there at the moment up to a certain standard and as long as everyone keeps up their continuing professional development hours then I can't see anyone having to retrain - what I can see is some of the courses out there now having to change.
The thing is if I thought that a course I'd done wasn't up to par with others then even if it meant being annoyed I'd sooner go through extra training - I think it's important that we all get as good a basic training as each other - The public needs to know that one form of reflexology is as good as the next.
The IIR is part of the forum, as is ITEC, VTCT and the AoR so I hope all the decisions will be joint ones

Oh, by the way Rosie, I noticed from your home page that you did Susanne Enzer's Maternity Reflexology course. I'm doing her course in May, what did you think of it? I'm really looking forward to it.

Love and light

Sulis xx

 

[Hsjaja Yshajjahahd]

it was excellent, sulis. i learnt many other techniques that we didnt cover during basic training and i can now include these in my general treatments, as i believe some have a place.

susanne is a lovely lady and very amusing and inspiring. she loves her subject and you cant help but feel enthusiastic.

the 2nd part of the course is also being run in the summer, but i dont have the fudning just now and to be honest, i have had problems getting case studies together. pregnant ladies are hard to find and i think many have a worry of treatments because the information is not available/ kept from them.

i have approached and advertised in the NCT local branches and local ante natal clinics at hospitals. i have tried to contact local midwives but they are a tough breed to get hold of! i had a pregnant lady on saturday, by chance, who said many of her comrades had asked the midwife about relaxation and the midwife had suggested nothing. now this midwife has already had me mentioned by one pregnant lady and i have written to her, so i asked this lady to mention me too, so that will be 3!!! i dont know what the matter is with everyone... i just want them to know i am there with services that can help, if needed!

anyway, good luck with your course... its great anyway!

going back to CPD's... i have already said somewhere on here that by practising we are CPDing and we shouldnt HAVE to do formal stuff unless we want to... it should not be a requirement, imo.