What is the difference between Authentic Therapeutic Reflexology and Copycat Reflexology? In today’s post, we’ll consider this controversial topic so if you are a sensitive reader and easily offended, beware that there may be some toe stepping involved in this article.
As a Therapeutic Reflexologist, I sometimes get “patients” attending my practice for Therapeutic Reflexology, but they are not really there for the treatment, they are there more to “spy” on me as they may be Reflexologists themselves trying to see what others are doing in order for them to attempt to do the same in their businesses. It is sometimes so funny as I usually see right through the intentions of people and they usually tell me at the end of the session that they are doing reflexology themselves. My response to people like this has always been the same: I’m a teacher at heart and I love to teach others and therefore I’m not a Therapeutic Reflexologist on an island; if you want to see what I do and how I do it, be open about it and I’ll gladly provide you with a treatment and answer all your questions; that is just the person I am. You don’t have to attempt a spying session, just be honest and you may actually walk away with much more valuable information.
My outlook on life has always been that if I’m in a position to benefit others, I’ll gladly teach them in order to help. That is probably one of the reasons why I’m also a lecturer teaching different subjects, specifically, research methodology, on university level; I love to teach.
When asked, why are you not threatened by other people and reflexologists spying on you and the way you do things? The answer is easy because they can never be me. I am who I am and the treatment I provide, as a result, is from a place of being comfortable with who I am and the abilities I have, but also within the limitations I have. Nobody else can ever provide a treatment like I can; they can provide their own treatments.
Being authentic is a needed quality in order to provide quality Therapeutic Reflexology and trying to be a copycat in attempting to provide treatments as others do, is a sure way of showing phoniness to the patient, and believe me, patients see right through phoniness. Authenticity is needed to be a good Therapeutic Reflexologist or good in any profession.
Copycat tactics may be a strategy some people use to try and build their businesses, but it usually results in clients reaching a point where they see right through you and then you lose a client for life. There is no need to be a copycat; each one of us has our own unique personalities, temperaments, gifts, and talents, and if you use your creativity and innovation to enhance your own unique abilities instead of wasting time trying to be a copycat, you will end up as a more authentic and successful therapist or professional in any field.
The world has reached a point where we are all tired of copycats and there is a crucial need for authenticity in all areas of life. You need to know who you are and be authentic to yourself and then you will naturally be authentic in your professional life as well. A lack of authenticity may be the result of being unsure of who you are and having a fear of failure or a fear of originality that may make people desperate to try and be like somebody else, however, the problem is that you can never be somebody else and if you are busy being a copycat, it is actually stealing your authenticity from you and your clients. Be yourself; be authentic.
Therapeutic Reflexology is a healthcare modality formally regulated by a statutory council, the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA), meaning that the practice of Therapeutic Reflexology without AHPCSA registration, is illegal in South Africa. As a healthcare modality, Therapeutic Reflexology offers specific treatment techniques and skills that are taught in professional and recognised Therapeutic Reflexology training, but the practice of the modality is more than merely applying specific techniques.
Therapeutic Reflexology is more than a science, it is also an art. That means that each individual Therapeutic Reflexologist has to practice the specific healthcare techniques and skills in a unique way, just like an artist will use authentic methods to apply specific concepts. Developing the art of Therapeutic Reflexology may take time and therefore there may be a difference between Therapeutic Reflexologists, just like there is a difference in bedside manner between different Medical Doctors. Just because you are skilled in a profession, does not make your authentic style acceptable to everyone. Patients may prefer one doctor over the other based on the specific bedside manner used; similarly, patients may prefer one Therapeutic Reflexologist over the over. At Christo Scheepers Therapeutic Reflexologist, I am not offended by this, I understand that I’m not everybody’s cup of tea and therefore I’ll gladly refer you to another professional if you are not fully satisfied with the way I do things.
Being authentic is crucial in 2021; ensure you get authentic Therapeutic Reflexology; you deserve authenticity in treatment.
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Christo A. Scheepers: Therapeutic Reflexologist
Dip.T.R.(Cum Laude) [IARAMT]
AHPCSA: A11945
Pr. No.: 1080000737453
Tel. 072-800 7243