The Complementary Medicine Qualification Jungle!

I love Complementary Medicine; I haven’t found a form of it that I disagree with, despite being one of the most sceptical and critical people on the planet! It goes back to the ways our ancestors treated themselves, and forward to the ways our descendants will treat themselves. It cannot be argued with because it is utterly in sync with the ways that we and our environments work. It causes no harm, is not invasive and is exceedingly powerful.

I’m well qualified to state that it’s powerful because I’ve used it to treat myself for a so called incurable, life threatening disease that the medical profession cannot treat. I’ve experimented on myself and though I haven’t reached perfect health yet many positive changes have been occurring, mentally, physically and psychologically. It’s only a matter of time before I’m completely well, I know!

If the medical profession was treating me I’d keep asking them if they thought I’d get well and what my prognosis was, but how would they know? I’m the one who knows my body, mind and spirit, so therefore I’m the only one who is aware of whether I will recover and the only one who can cause it! That’s what I appreciate about Complementary Practitioners; they help people to bring about their own recovery but do not claim to be medical gods knowing it all.

Nevertheless there’s a complex side to complementary medicine, in that it’s very expensive to get qualified, start a practise and treat people. The therapies are often expensive to use because the practitioners have to pay insurance to practise, eat, live, and perhaps support families, depending on no other income because (and I speak for the UK only) social security benefits are stopped. It’s a tough life choice for practitioners; make no mistake!

Not only this but complementary practitioners are mostly not professionally recognised at national or international qualification levels. Homeopaths and Reflexologists are among the very few that are. The trouble is that Complementary Medicine courses are largely not available at university level so it's impossible to be professionally, medically, nationally trained and recognised!

I know because I’ve been attempting to walk that route myself. I had no idea of the extent the governments, medical professions and especially the pharmaceutical companies are in control of our lives! I’m absolutely appalled. In the last Counselling module I took with the Open University a UK Professor of Psychology said, in the course materials, that in his opinion the pharmaceutical companies are more in control of our lives than the medical profession and governments put together. That was in my words but in the gist of what he’s teaching university students like me.

Again I can only speak for my area of the world, Europe, but I’m spitting feathers over the way the EU government are regulating Herbalism, and health information on supplements and herbal products. Massive pharmaceutical companies are flexing their muscles and are clearly far too much in control. I’ve taken Herbal Medicine courses and have been treating myself and my friends and family very successfully. As from March 2012 I may not even be able to buy the raw herbs, let alone practise! I only have a small garden so there’s a limited amount of herbs that I can grow.

I don’t feel that I’m committing a crime by practising herbal medicine, treating people with the power of Crystals, Aromatherapy, Reiki, Chakra balancing and other beautiful forms of helping people to feel better. My friend Alison has a slipped disc and had been walking doubled over and in a great deal of pain for months when I met her. I grow Comfrey in my garden so I gave her some Comfrey ointment that I made and within a couple of weeks she was walking straight and without pain. I could write a book about the people I’ve helped. Who the h*** has the right to stop me from making people feel better!

Recommendation: If you want to be a Complementary Medicine Practitioner then get at least a few academic qualifications under your belt; you can add as many Complementary qualifications as you like later or at the same time if you’re wealthy enough. The reason I say this is that you have to consider future government regulations and if you have an academic foot in the door it’ll be harder for them to prevent you from practising!

You can study Psychology and Counselling with universities and study and use Complementary Medicine disciplines once you're professionally using the academic qualifications. It's the only feasible route I've found, unless you're wealthy and can set up your own buisness after some non academic Complementary health courses. If you feel that you're a healer I urge you to jump hurdles to heal; so many people need you!