We place value on something based on our perception of what we believe it is worth to us and in today’s post, we’ll consider the value of Therapeutic Reflexology.
The Cost of Therapeutic Reflexology
It is always interesting to me that when some people phone to find out what is the cost of a Therapeutic Reflexology session, they may want to negotiate my price down as they would like cheaper sessions. The very same person would have no problem spending three times my consultation fee to have their hair done or 10 times my consultation fee for an hour at a health spa, but they want me to lower my fees because they think my fee is too high. The same person would have no problem paying more for a Physiotherapy session or even more for a Medical Doctor consultation, yet they devalue Therapeutic Reflexology and do not want to pay the normal fee for a session.
At Christo Scheepers Therapeutic Reflexology, I work on medical aid rates and whether a patient is on medical aid or not, I believe that to be a fair rate for a good quality Therapeutic Reflexology service. Putting it in perspective, a Therapeutic Reflexology session is usually of 60-minute duration and when you go to a Physiotherapist, you pay more than my fee for a 45-minute session and if you go to a Medical Doctor, you pay even more for a 5-to-10-minute session. Just because you devalue Therapeutic Reflexology and are willing to pay much more for a Physiotherapy or Medical Doctor session, does not give you the right to expect a professionally registered Therapeutic Reflexologist to lower their fees to boost your ego of having negotiated a lower price. Do you ever negotiate consultation fees down for Physiotherapists or Medical Doctors? Exactly, if you do not do it to other healthcare providers, why do you think it is acceptable to do it to Therapeutic Reflexologists. Chances are that when I want to make use of your services in your place of work, you will not be willing to relook your pricing of services and products to provide me with lower prices; what a cheek to expect it from healthcare providers.
Why work on Medical Aid Rates?
Being a Therapeutic Reflexologist carries lots of costs with it, just like when being a Physiotherapist or Medical Doctor as there are legislative and regulatory costs that patients may not be aware of. Let’s look at some of these costs.
To practice as a Therapeutic Reflexologist, the therapist needs to hold a National Diploma in Therapeutic Reflexology which is a two-year full-time qualification that costs in the region of R60 000.00 to R80 000.00, depending on the training institution. The professional qualification is not the only cost and in order to practice, a Therapeutic Reflexologist need to be registered with a statutory council, namely the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA), and also hold a valid practice number issued by the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF); many Therapeutic Reflexologists also belong to a professional association namely The South African Reflexology Society (TSARS), for which an annual fee has to be paid; the cost of these annual registrations is more than R3300.00. On top of that, annual re-registration with the AHPCSA is only possible if the Therapeutic Reflexologist complies with a minimum number of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points which is compulsory ongoing training that has to be completed annually and each of these training courses comes with specific costs; it is not free and may range anything from R150.00 to R3500.00 per course that provides anything from 1 to 8 CPD points. A Therapeutic Reflexologist needs to complete 40 CPD points in a two-year cycle.
That is not the only cost, because based on legislative and regulatory requirements, a professional Therapeutic Reflexologist may not work from a room in their house to save costs; it is illegal. A Therapeutic Reflexologist needs to rent professional premises (at very high monthly fees) that not only provides a therapy room, but also a separate waiting room, ablution facilities, and wheelchair access; if Therapeutic Reflexologists work from their homes, it has to be expensive homes where there is a separate entrance (it is not allowed to go through the house) with therapy room, waiting room, ablution facilities, and wheelchair access. These are just the basic costs in order to practice and then there are the usual operational expenses that any other business has.
Putting all this in perspective, it is not out of proportion to charge medical aid rates for a consultation, especially not when considering that a 60-minute Therapeutic Reflexology treatment costs, on average, less than a 45-minute Physiotherapy treatment, less than a 10-minute Medical Doctor consultation, far less than a 50-minute Psychologist session, less than a hair appointment and is only the fraction of the cost of a 60-minute consultation with a lawyer or having an attorney appear in court for 10-minutes.
Therapeutic Reflexology at medical aid rates is definitely not out of proportion but in actual fact a very fair fee for good quality treatment.
Do Therapeutic Reflexologists charge lower fees?
I’m sure there are Therapeutic Reflexologists that will charge lower fees, especially if they are not reliant on the income from the Therapeutic Reflexology practice. Every potential patient has to make the decision what they are willing to pay and what they will be willing to give up paying lower fees because lower fees is usually accompanied by a reduction in something.
At Christo Scheepers Therapeutic Reflexology, I charge medical aid rates because I believe that to be a fair rate for a good quality service. By charging medical aid rates, I offer a Therapeutic Reflexology treatment experience in a professional treatment office, centrally located, with clean linen or disposable linen, proper hygiene as well as COVID-19 regulatory hygiene and because I believe to charge a fair rate, I offer the best possible treatment without watering it down based on my many years of practice experience.
What is the value of Therapeutic Reflexology?
Therapeutic Reflexology is a healthcare modality offering one of the best methods of stress management, pain management, infertility and pregnancy management, and health and wellness maintenance. It is a relaxing treatment that may help you improve your quality of life. It improves circulation, helps you to feel balanced and it enhances your overall wellbeing.
I, personally, enjoy receiving regular Therapeutic Reflexology treatments so it is not merely a profession to me; Therapeutic Reflexology is my passion, but also a way of life. I practice Therapeutic Reflexology, but also regularly receive Therapeutic Reflexology because I believe in the modality that I practice and do not only want my patients to experience the benefits, I also experience the benefits of this wonderful healthcare modality.
Conclusion
The value of Therapeutic Reflexology is definitely in the accompanying benefits, but you have to decide for yourself if you value yourself enough to schedule a regular Therapeutic Reflexology for yourself.
Therapeutic Reflexology is a professional healthcare profession offering excellent treatment that will help you relax and deal with the usual stresses of life in a more efficient way.
Do not devalue Therapeutic Reflexology while you are healthy and then expect Therapeutic Reflexology to be a miracle cure when your body cannot handle the stresses of life anymore and you end up with health issues and then expect one Therapeutic Reflexology treatment to miraculously cure you. Therapeutic Reflexology is ideal for health maintenance and as a healthcare modality within the dimension of preventative medicine; prevention is better than curing a health condition.
Value Therapeutic Reflexology enough to schedule your next treatment and giving your body and mind the ultimate form of relaxation you deserve.
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Christo A. Scheepers: Therapeutic Reflexologist
Dip.T.R.(Cum Laude) [IARAMT]
AHPCSA: A11945
Pr. No.: 1080000737453
Tel. 072-800 7243
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