Educational Services

The Therapy Network offers a wide range of services to both students of complementary therapy, and qualified professionals.

Qualified Therapists/Practitioners

For qualified and practising therapists/practitioners we offer opportunities in the form of Student Mentoring, Practice Management coaching, Supervision for Complementary Health Practitioners, and an ongoing CPD programme, details of which can be found on the Diary page.

Students

Many of the services for qualified practitioners are also suitable for students looking for Practice Management or other marketing support in the run up to qualifying. The right support can pay dividends and save time and money in the long run, so is an investment well worth considering.

Student Mentoring

We are also able to offer mentoring for students taking courses either at local colleges, or through the distance learning schools for subjects such as:

  • Aromatherapy
  • Bioresonance (including MORA and Scenar)
  • Colour Therapy and Colour Balance
  • Facial Massage
  • Holistic Dowsing
  • Holistic Massage
  • Hopi Ear Candles
  • Hypnotherapy
  • Indian Head Massage
  • Indian Face Massage
  • Iridology
  • Marketing your practice
  • Nutrition
  • Radionics
  • Reflexology
  • Stress Management
  • Other subjects by arrangement

Fees for students are based on the local hourly rate for a treatment in your chosen therapy - students don't pay extra for being mentored!

Certificates of attendance are available to anyone wishing to obtain evidence of having attended for continuing professional development. Please note that certificates of proficiency are not issued by the Therapy Network - it is the college or distance learning school that remains responsible for a student's training and the issuing of any diplomas to enable a student to obtain professional insurance.

However, we are able to offer mentoring from qualified practicing therapists in a range of subjects, so however a student chooses to learn, we aim to support them in achieving their goals. Mentoring co-ordinator is Sue Pash.

Practice Management

Why Practice Management?

An important part of The Therapy Networks ethos is that good Practice Management skills are key to a therapist being able to provide clients with the best service. The Network's Practice Management Consultant is Damian Etherington. Damian is a regular speaker at our Continuing Professional Development events in Somerset, which are opened up to therapists from outside The Therapy Network, as well as students of complementary therapy. He also offers one to one practice management coaching by phone and email.

If you would like more information please see Damian's profile page and his Practice Management Consultants website.

Supervision for Complementary Therapists

Most complementary practitioners consider on-going training an important part of their work, and in recent years supervision has become an essential part of that training. Instead of trying to work with clients and their problems entirely alone, the therapist enlists a supervisor to bring a new perspective, or a new pair of eyes to any problems. Sometimes when working with a client you just can't put your finger on 'the problem'. This is where a supervisor helps by bringing different skills and knowledge to the situation, helping the therapist to see the client from a different viewpoint. All information of course remains completely confidential, but the result of that extra input often moves a person's healing swiftly onto another level.

Most complementary health practitioners base their working philosophy on the link between physical symptoms, however caused, and something being stuck in their patients' lives. The purpose of treatment, which is inevitably contained within the patient/practitioner relationship, is to discover what thoughts and feelings might be blocking the healthy and creative flow of energy, and what might help release it.

Supervision can act as a space for reflection between practitioner and supervisor who each bring their respective viewpoints and experience to the issues of the patient. In this way, it may be possible to look beyond the more obvious causes of suffering, and explore unconscious processes. While we may often think of blocks being created by existing situations, there are times when the patient is being challenged by life to develop and move forward. In either case, pain simply communicates the presence of painful anxieties.

The Therapy Network is lucky to have their own Supervisor in Jennifer Forssander. Jennifer works as a counsellor, psychotherapist and supervisor with many years experience of listening to and engaging with others. Before becoming involved with the talking therapies, she worked as a Herbalist and Shiatsu practitioner. She firmly believes in the links between the mental, emotional and physical elements of the individual and how the interaction between them can become tired or in need of disentangling. As a supervisor, she provides a supportive and reflective environment which benefits both the healing of the client, and the further development of the practitioner. Practitioners do not need to be Therapy Network members to avail themselves of this service.

Jennifer Forssander practices in Shepton Beauchamp, Nr Ilminster, Somerset and can be contacted either through the website or directly on 01460 391076.