Practicing Therapeutic Reflexology without being registered with the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA) is illegal and a criminal offense. In today’s post, we’ll consider registration in order to operate as a Therapeutic Reflexologist.
Statutory Council Registration
The AHPCSA is a statutory council established according to the Allied Health Professions Act (63 of 1982) to formally regulate all complementary and alternative health professions, which includes Therapeutic Reflexology.
There are various statutory health councils in South Africa apart from the AHPCSA, namely the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), The South African Dental Technicians Council, The South African Nursing Council, The South African Pharmacy Council, and the South African Council for Social Services Professions (BHF, 2020).
If a profession is regulated by a statutory council, then registration with that statutory council is not voluntary, it is compulsory in order to legally practice such a profession. Practicing without registration with the statutory council is illegal and a criminal offense.
Therapeutic Reflexology is a profession formally regulated by a statutory council, the AHPCSA, and in order to legally practice the profession in South Africa, formal registration with the AHPCSA is compulsory.
To put this in perspective: In order to practice as a Medical Doctor, formal registration with their statutory council, the HPCSA, is compulsory, and practicing without such registration is a criminal offense.
It is exactly the same with a profession like Therapeutic Reflexology, nursing, pharmacy, and so forth because all the professions are formally regulated by a statutory council.
Statutory registration is in place, not to promote the profession, but to formally protect the public by ensuring that only properly qualified and experienced professionals are allowed to practice healthcare professions by complying with specific standards relating to qualifications and minimum requirements with regards to practical experience. At this stage, a two-year qualification is needed in order to practice as a Therapeutic Reflexologist from one of only two institutions in South Africa acknowledged by the AHPCSA to provide such training. The good thing is that this ensures that people cannot do one of those short courses and then claim to be a professional in Therapeutic Reflexology. Regular continuous professional development courses should also be attended throughout the year in order to obtain the necessary CPD points that will make annual reregistration with the statutory council possible; in this way, the skills and expertise of the Therapeutic Reflexologist is always kept up to date and to high standards.
Once registered with the statutory council, the practitioner or therapist is formally regulated which means that they have to comply with specific requirements with regards to practicing, operations, practice setup, record keeping and so forth to never mislead the public or never to operate from “dodgy” or unprofessional premises. Statutory council registration ensures the professional practice of a profession in order to provide the general public with the highest quality and standards of healthcare practice and if a member of the public sees a practitioner or therapist practicing without the necessary statutory council registration in place, they may legally lay a complaint with the statutory council that will investigate and deals with the matter accordingly. This ensures the safety of the public in that they can rest assured that only the highest standard of healthcare services are provided to them.
Association Registration
There are various associations available where professionals may register like The South African Reflexology Society for Therapeutic Reflexologists or the South African Medical Association for Medical Doctors. Associations like these offer the healthcare practitioner or therapist the option to belong to an organisation that looks out for their benefit and profession, but such registration is voluntary and in addition to statutory registration. The registration with an association can never replace statutory council registration as it does not provide practitioners and therapists with the legal right to practice a healthcare profession.
The general public should always be aware of this because it is easy for a practitioner or therapist to say that they are registered, but that does not mean that they are legally operating and it does not mean that they are actually qualified to practice the profession; if a profession is regulated by a statutory council, then association registration is not sufficient and the practitioner or therapist should be registered with the statutory council and on top of that, they may be registered with an association as well, but association registration alone is not sufficient to practice a regulated profession.
Registration with an international association sometimes look very impressive, but in South Africa, a Therapeutic Reflexologist has to be registered with the AHPCSA in order to legally practice and any association registration (including international association registration) is an additional registration that does not change the fact that AHPCSA registration and regulation is a legal requirement to practice as a Therapeutic Reflexologist in South Africa.
Practice Number Registration
Healthcare practitioners and therapists that are formally registered and regulated with a statutory health council may apply for a practice number that makes medical aid reimbursements possible. To apply for a practice number, the healthcare practitioner or therapist should have complied with the minimum training and practical experience from recognised institutions and then obtain statutory council registration and once that is in place and paid up for the year, then an application for a practice number may be done.
Once a practice number is issued, such practice number renewal should occur annually.
The general public should note that a practice number is different from a statutory council registration number or an association registration number. A practice number in South Africa is issued for all healthcare professions from the same organisation, thus Therapeutic Reflexologists obtain practice numbers from the same organisation where Medical Doctors obtain their practice numbers from.
With a valid practice number, it is possible to get reimbursed from your medical aid for Therapeutic Reflexology treatments, if your plan/option covers the profession. Depending on your medical aid and plan, Therapeutic Reflexology is a recognised healthcare profession for which numerous medical aids do reimburse patients.
Christo Scheepers Therapeutic Reflexologist
Christo Scheepers graduated with a Diploma in Therapeutic Reflexology (Cum Laude) from the prestigious International Academy of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy (IARAMT) under the guidance of Inge Dougans and is formally registered with the AHPCSA and holds a valid practice number. He is also a member of The South African Reflexology Society.
Conclusion
Therapeutic Reflexology is an amazing healthcare modality that is formally regulated by the AHPCSA and being a registered therapist in this domain, is an honour to practice as part of a formally recognised healthcare team.
If you are considering a Therapeutic Reflexology appointment, ensure you consult with a formally registered and regulated professional; your feet deserve only the best!
Resources
AHPCSA (2020) Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa. [Online] Available from: http://www.ahpcsa.co.za [Accessed 29 June 2020].
BHF (2020) Board of Healthcare Funders of Southern Africa. [Online] Available from: http://www.bhfglobal.com [Accessed 29 June 2020].
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Christo A. Scheepers: Therapeutic Reflexologist
Dip.T.R.(Cum Laude) [IARAMT]
AHPCSA: A11945
Pr. No.: 1080000737453
Tel. 072-800 7243