BCMB Newsletter - April 2008
I can't really say "Happy Easter" on this Newsletter, as that was 2 weeks ago - although the school Easter holidays are upon us now! Confusing, isn't it? Certainly , I feel as though my normal routine and that of quite a few clients has been disrupted by this separation.
Developments at BCMB and in the world of massage generally include:
- From next September, our Professional Training Course will be extended to 27 days of training over 11 weekends. A total of 200+ hours of training. The reason for this is to maintain our edge as a provider of excellent training in Holistic Massage and Bodywork. The extra time will enable us to build even stronger foundations for our students, including more muscle identification and palpation skills, as well as a thorough introduction to further massage modalities, which qualified practitioners may wish to add to their portfolio of skills. At BCMB, we've always regarded our training as the first stage of a lifelong process of exploration and discovery, supported by further training and supervision. Exactly which direction YOU take is of course up to you as an individual. I love hearing of different courses people go on and get excited by the continuing wealth of possibilities for enriching my work with clients and students. We are recruiting now for our next intake of students in the Autumn. Further details can be obtained from the office- phone 0117 377 1201 or the Professional Training Course pages.
- Following the last Newsletter, we have now established a reliable supply of "Gloop" - the Biotone Advanced Therapy Massage Gel. Its a lovely medium, non-greasy, easy to work with and a little goes a long way! The full 8 oz bottle actually costs £6 to begin with but refills from us a just £3 - a bargain! Rather like filling up your Ecover washing up liquid. Do drop by the office to pick up your supplies!
- Remember also our book selection, at very competitive prices, often cheaper than Amazon. And if you hear of any good massage books, please let us know - we're always interested to stock good stuff.
CPD programme
Our CPD workshops are open to other health professionals as well. For instance, a (McTimoney) Chiropractor recently attended our Deep Tissue and Mobilising workshops. He's now got a massage practitioner working alongside him and is really reaping the benefits in his own bodyuse. He is including soft tissue techniques and awareness in his work with clients - a more holistic approach that means his clients are looser before adjustments and are 'holding' their treatments better. The workshops have been carefully designed to offer a comprehensive range of further skills and insights to bodyworkers - so please share this information with anyone whom you think may be interested.
Remember that Deep Tissue Massage with me is now in May and Ayres Gipson's Integrative Bodywork has moved to April. In June its Suzanne Yates' introductory day on Massage and Pregnancy; she offers her own 4 day accredited training in this subject for those wishing to take it further. Also in June is Darien's ever popular Hands-Free Massage. Those of you interested in structural release work may like to consider, over time, doing Deep Tissue, Hands-Free, Mobilising and Freeing the Shoulders - they interlock and complement each other really well!
Remaining Massage Practice Days (7 hours CPD) for this year are: 13 April, 1 June, 26 October.
National Regulation
As you may know, I attend regular meetings of the General Council for Massage Therapy, the national lead body for massage in the UK. We've worked really hard in recent years towards a regulatory framework for massage and other complementary therapies. You may have seen information about it in the press and on TV. The new Regulatory body will be the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council. It will start registering practitioners in the Autumn and massage will be one of the first therapies to sign up. Registering will reassure and protect members of the public over the professionalism of your work. Your existing professional association eg MTI will continue, rather like a trade union, and look after your interests as a professional practitioner. For example, it would support you in the event of a complaint. The voluntary scheme is really important but will only succeed if the large majority of therapists sign up - the alternative could be legislation that none of us like!
Enjoy your massage!
Andy Fagg
