CNHC Registrant Board Member, Lynsey Metcalfe, shares with us her experience of building a network in the health sector and the importance of a sense of community.
I have worked as an Alexander Technique teacher for over eight years and one of the things I love about my job is the people it brings me in contact with. I am passionate about complementary healthcare, which is one of the reasons I joined the CNHC Board in 2021 and find working alongside other likeminded practitioners is not only beneficial for my clients, but also helps me. Like many other complementary health specialists, I am self-employed, so feeling part of a wider community is vital for my own wellbeing and I also like to have a network of qualified practitioners that I can work with and share referrals. It was something I was quite nervous about when I left the team orientated environment I was in when I worked in financial services, and so when I started my career in health and wellbeing nearly twelve years ago now, I have always looked for opportunities to work with other health professionals.
Over the years I have worked with physiotherapists, osteopaths, consultants and GPs, as well as those in complementary healthcare. Early on, I started working with the team at Bridge to Health, who have clinics in Ealing and Uxbridge, and I know that one of the appeals for Mathieu Rossano, the registered osteopath who ran the clinic, was that I had become a CNHC registrant as soon as I qualified, which meant I was insured, had the appropriate qualifications and appeared on an accredited register. I was delighted to join a team that consisted of other registrants, including nutritionist Emily Fawell, whose expertise in women’s health I had benefited from greatly on a personal level and still do today. When I asked Emily about her CNHC registration, she told me how much she appreciated the reassurance that it gave her clients, something that was echoed by the other registrants in my wider network. I no longer use a room at Bridge to Health but still have a close relationship with them and the new clinic owner, Sian Smith. They continue to refer clients to me for Alexander Technique lessons and I still feel the benefits of the close knit community.
What working with the Bridge to Health family did was it really encouraged me to reach out more widely to other practitioners to continue building my own complementary health network. One of the huge benefits is that I now do regular skill swaps with several fellow practitioners (all CNHC registrants of course!). My regular swaps (where we get to experience each other's work) in reflexology and massage therapy, and invaluable lesson swaps with other Alexander Technique teachers, not only benefit my own health and wellbeing, but also help my wider professional knowledge and development, including knowing if and where to refer on my clients to other complementary health practitioners.
Complementary health can be a lonely place for many practitioners. We spend our time focusing on helping others, so I would encourage all registrants to look for opportunities to work alongside or share knowledge with others on the register. I have not only received more business opportunities from doing so but I’ve also made what I hope will be lifelong friendships. Human beings are social creatures, and we need a sense of meaning and connection in order to thrive. Being part of a wider CNHC community, including my fellow Board members, has helped me develop my own sense of identity as a practitioner, where I feel supported and have a sense of belonging. We all need people to learn from and to bounce ideas off, and I recently read that the more connections we have, the more chances of success we have. A simple idea. I like it.