‘Go beyond what is expected, but never lose your individuality. For to be individual and unique and still deliver high standards is something that will always set you apart from the rest’.
You may have heard of the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and about their Local Champions who spread the work locally across the UK to develop professional standards in Complementary therapies. But also recognise they are more than this. For they are individuals who help to provide a workforce that can meet the demands of today’s needs and ultimately today’s 21st century health service.
We saw the advantages of being Local Champions based in Kent and here is our story. It will hopefully make you think, consider your involvement with CNHC and whether you could also be a future champion.
Coming together. A journey of two individuals having one goal.
Matt
My journey started in 2011, when I moved to Kent following a move from the North East. I was already working in Education and later in Social Care, where the need to be qualified and accountable were already fully engrained in the profession and working professionally very much engrained in my own style of working practise.
In 2013, after a number of years following my spiritual journey as a Clairvoyant medium, I met someone who would introduce me to Spiritual Healing and then Reiki.
This would start a journey that would later continue into developing both as professionals and also in our aims at becoming Professional Complementary Therapists.
In 2014, I met my wife Kirsty and suddenly all of the missing bricks started to fit together, and this was the start of our journey together.
Kirsty
Kirsty was already living in Kent and had been training as both a Clairvoyant Medium and a Spiritual Healer since 2003.
She had trained with The Healing Trust (NFSH) and was delivering healing locally.
She has over the years trained in areas such as Counselling and Hypnotherapy and seen the need to help those with mental health needs.
When both us started working together we felt strongly that we wanted to become professional in our work and develop skills that would be taken as creditable and skills and qualifications that would be recognised by both the public and medical professionals as acceptable and reputable qualifications.
Two become one
It wasn’t till 2016 that we started to develop our skills and gain qualifications in areas such as Hypnotherapy, Sports Massage and Holistic Massage and other Complementary Therapies that would enable us to help people looking for qualified professionals who could help heal the Mind, Body and Spirit.
We very much believe that all healing whatever the therapy, may help people on various levels whether it is mental, emotional, spiritual or physical. Therefore, as a Complementary Therapist it is equally important to work with clients on these different levels and to look at them in a holistic way.
Professional standing
It is always important to get insured and be part of a professional organisation with a reputation for providing quality and professional services.
Over the years we have taken out insurance and become part of professional associations such as The U.K. Reiki Federation, Sports Massage Association, Hypnotherapy Association and U.K. Healers – which are all Verifying Organisations for CNHC.
We have joined different organisations and taken up roles within them making policy decisions.
All these organisations have seen, like us the need for professionalism, one voice and the need for occupational standards and the need to have their therapies recognised by the Government.
The CNHC has been instrumental in making these changes and in giving the profession and an active voice.
As we look towards the future, having a voice that is recognised as credible by both the public and the medical profession and also recognised by Government and follows our ideal of creating a credible workforce with professional standing is very important.
But although the CNHC works on a political level and representing the majority of our profession, there is still more to do. This is where Local Champions come in.
Having local representatives who are also in the profession and who understand the needs of people and the demands of Complementary and Natural Healthcare professionals is a must if the profession is to be taken seriously and given an active voice.
You can help contribute to the success of your own therapies and stand up for your beliefs if you become a Local Champion.
Don’t just join CNHC, become an active part of it. We hope you see the advantages just as much as we have and look forward to hearing your story and your journey to being a real ‘Champion’.
If you are interested in finding out more about the CNHC Local Champions network, email info@cnhc.org.uk.