Around the world much
debate on various levels and areas (legal, social, economic, scientific) has
been going on regarding Complementary and Alternative Medicine, of course as
Reflexologists we should also focus on the debate regarding our modality more
closely.
The time of anecdotal
evidence and unsupported claims is fading away, especially and specifically if
one has the ambition of Reflexology accepted and integrated in what we call
western medicine.
I consider myself your
everyday Reflexologist, I have not gone through nor posses academic rationale.
I love offering Reflexology; I feel very good at it, and enjoy my
acceptance as a practitioner from the recipients of our modality.
The first
time I touched another person’s feet with the intention to offer what we call
Reflexology was in 1992.
I state these things
because these issues are adressed in the book and by reading Nicholas book, Relational Reflexology: The Blog Posts, I lived again my development from the first
glance I took at a Reflexology chart to how I anticipate who I am as
Reflexologist today, what I am doing today, and pausing for a moment now, choosing
how to proceed.
For a long time now I
feel very strongly that there is more to Reflexology then just stimulating a given
reflex point. If you also have felt this way but have found it difficult to put
down in words, then this book is for you. This book contains the answer to the
question
“What makes a successful Reflexologist”.
Of course there is not one
answer to that question, for every recipient of our method there is at least
one element of our multidimensional method that they relate too. I never would
have expected for somebody to find an easy to understand, thoroughly structured
step by step, and academically sound way to surface all that Reflexology is.
For instance the area
of research, this can be a very stressful area for your average Reflexologist,
by now we already know that research is not only offering Reflexology.
But what
is it, what is bias, blinding, quantitative/qualitative?
Nichola explains
these and much more in simple language, even for me your average Reflexologist.
I understand now and can utilize the information.
Who are
our clients, why do they come to us, probably for Reflexology. But why do they
commit to treatments with me with you? In some cases for a long ongoing period of time, even
when the initial issue has gone.
Is it me? What part about me?
If I only new, I
would refine these qualities, I would get better.
Nichola addresses this, it is
like she has seen me and you work. She even has advice on how to get better,
stay humble and introduces us to the ethics associated.
I appreciated
very much the information on Traditional Chinese medicine and the examples given from her own experience on
how to utilize this knowledge in our practice.
Of course the tremendous amount of
information provided on the unattractive matter of scientific principles like, psychoneuroimmunology,
cognitive neuroscience, are offered to the reader in such an attractive way
that you wish there was more.
I understood, and there are no pictures,
incredible! I can begin to explain, justify what I am doing when I touch someone’s
feet.
The chapters
of the book addressing complex health
issues like sub-fertility and migraine could easily each be a book on their
own. There is a lot of useful information, information that you as a Reflexologist can immediately use.
This is not another book depicting a new method or a new chart, it is a book about you the individual therapist, and what makes you as a Reflexologist special and unique.
Either novice or experienced Reflexologist, think of it as a book of the possible "new you", it will help you find yourself!
At the
end of this review I have a confession to make.
I am in despair!
I am to
speak at the 2015 ICR conference about the science behind Reflexology, leaving
the charts aside.
By reading Nicholas book I see that she has covered many
parts of my planned presentation!
What am I to do?
I know,
I will utilize her information also, I will develop, I will make it even
better, I will become better. Maybe that is what Nichola means by self-development.
This paragraph kind of stood out for me.
"Leaning too
heavily towards understanding the exact mechanics of a reflexology encounter
from a solely quantifiable stand-point might be akin to trying to understand
the taste and texture of a chocolate cake through describing its molecular
structure. Whilst it might be useful to know how it is constructed, perhaps it
is the taste that really counts.
Spiros Dimitrakoulas
Conventional medicine is very far from being fully evidence based and the NHS has not decided to remove interventions that are not evidence based from what it offers to the public. Thus it is hypocritical and disingenuous for opponents of CAM to call for homeopathy for example to be removed from the NHS for ‘lack of evidence’. Why is this disingenuous? Because it leaves in the public’s mind the very false message that conventional medicine is obviously all evidence-based.
