1.Studying the healing arts and getting certified by an appropriate organization is generally rather easy. Take the class, show up, follow directions. No prior prior education necessary, no prior knowledge of physiology necessary. Some, such as acupressure or massage, don't even require much for physical ability.
2.The hard part isn't learning the skill...its the selling required to establish, and maintain, a profitable business. A cert alone doesn't equate to an income.
3.There is also a mindset required that isn't necessarily intuitive.
Several years ago I took a massage class that was lead by a personal trainer/massage therapist. Massage was not something that I want to as a profession or hobby, its something that I want to share with those closest to me. I dropped out after the second meeting because giving another person a massage was beginning to feel like work, and I didn't want it to feel like that. At least for me, I wanted it to stay fun.
A healing arts practitioner also needs to be able to deal with people's problems and be OK with what is essentially profiting off of people's problems. Earning money by helping someone with their problems isn't a bad thing, but it does take a willingness to do so and the ability to have some amount of professional detachment but not so much that the client thinks the practitioner doesn't care.
Carol, I want to preface my post by saying that you must have had some unusual or unsuccessful holistic treatments, or perhaps you've just very limited knowledge of the actual healing arts themselves.
Ive been practicing shiatsu for 10 years and studied shiatsu under a world renowned teacher and therapist.
I've numbered a couple of points I would like to address.
1. This is completely false. Japan Shiatsu college has specific entrance requirements, Shiatsu Academy of Tokyo has entrance requirements (while not strict, if the student can show knowledge, ability, and willingness to learn) of sciences, like physics and biology.
The physical requirement is equally important, a letter is required from your family doctor stating good general health and physical fitness.
Shiatsu treatments are done traditionally on the floor, requiring the therapist to kneel for an hour or more during the therapy.
The in class requirements are pathophysiology, human kinetics, nutrition, physiology, anatomy, communications, public health, theory, ethics, etc. The courses are taught by doctors and experts in a given field and at a post secondary level.
The curriculum is taught in a high volume manner with lots of notes, and lots of studying......showing up does not guarantee a pass, which is a B-.
2. After all of the science, I think the hard part is learning the skill......After 10 years, I am still discovering things, and without sounding arrogant, I'm pretty good at what I do.
At Shiatsu Academy of Tokyo, you spend over 200 hours in the student clinic giving treatments, while having your technical skills regularly tested by the head instructor and feedback given from other students.
3. Intuition and a curious nature are 2 of the best qualities a therapist can have. In order to help someone, you need to be able to investigate further into the problems than a patient is often able to verbalize, oftentimes, the presenting ailment has nothing to do with the underlying cause.
Shiatsu is a scientific approach based on the western medical model.
As for something like acupuncture or acupressure, while not based wholly on western science, does have a science of its own which is just as complex which requires astute teachers and hungry minded students.
I would never let someone that took a weekend course work on me, being a therapist
is work, with patient records and note taking.
