If you’re sick of the 9 – 5, then you’ve probably had fantasies about retraining in something more meaningful. Leaving the office for a job where you can do some good is increasingly common in a world where many of us feel there must be more to life than being chained to a PC. So if you’ve ever considering trading the office for a rewarding career in the alternative health field, read on to find out what your options could be.
Overview and Qualifications
Complementary therapies are fast growing, as more and more people find conventional medicine doesn’t have all the answers. Career opportunities in GP surgeries, sports clubs, health spas, natural health centres and even hospitals are proliferating as the benefit of certain complementary health practices are ever more widely recognised. Anyone considering retraining in any of these areas needn’t have any related prior qualifications, but academic strength and a genuine affinity with complementary medicine and its benefits is a basic requirement. However, you must make sure that anyone you sign up to train with is accredited by the professional body who oversee training in the field.
Clinical Hypnotherapy
Working on the subconscious area of the mind is now proven to work for both physical and emotional problems, and hypnotherapists are in demand. Therapists will find some opportunities within the NHS, but most often set up their own private practice. Contact the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR), British Society of Clinical Hypnosis (BSCH), or the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) for more information on training.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy training offers the chance for you to help change the patterns of self-limiting beliefs and thoughts in clients. Recognised by the NHS as a valuable treatment for conditions ranging from anxiety and depression through to bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia, the beauty of CBT is that it can be of great value in almost any environment from private organisations through to primary care providers such as the NHS.
To find out more, click here to contact the Institute of CBT Coaching who offer accredited training and advice in the field.
Acupuncture
Based on the Chinese belief that the body has energy meridians which regulate the flow of ‘Qi’ life force, acupuncture works for a wide number of different physical conditions.
Training to become an acupuncturist is rigorous and academically demanding, but offers a well paid and rewarding career. Currently, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends acupuncture as a treatment only for back pain, so opportunities to practice acupuncture within the NHS are limited. Setting up a private practice is the most common choice for practitioners. The British Medical Acupuncture Society oversee accreditation and training.
Aromatherapy
Used most commonly as a tool for stress management, opportunities to practice aromatherapy can be found within a variety of different environments from sports centres and beauty salons, to secondary care providers. Massage with natural oils has a therapeutic effect on both the body and mind, most useful for stress management and pain relief. The Aromatherapy Council can advise you on training options.
Wendy Lin is a guest blogger and entrepreneur. She is a mother of 3 lovely children and a wife. Wendy recently moved to the UK from Los Angeles for a quieter life.
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