I spoke to a psychologist the other day and she asked me the regular question when she heard that I was a Therapeutic Reflexologist: “Why feet?” In today’s post, we’ll consider this question and why I work with feet in my profession.
“Why feet?” is a question that implies that working with feet is weird or not as important as working with other body parts or doing counselling and working with people’s “heads”. When having to answer a question like this, I’m just glad that I’m not a Gynaecologist, because how will answering a similar question goes if you are a Gynae? Putting the question in perspective like this may have people reconsider asking such a question, but let’s consider it further.
It is not strange that people want to know from a Therapeutic Reflexologist why I’m working with feet, but my question is always, do you ask a similar question to a Gynaecologist to find out why he or she is working with female parts, or a Urologist for working with male parts or the urinary tract, or a Dermatologist for working with skin and so forth. It becomes a totally ridiculous question when put in perspective, however, the question is often asked due to a misperception of what Therapeutic Reflexologists actually do.
A contractor came into my practice office the other day and when he saw that I’m a Therapeutic Reflexologist, the first words out of his mouth were: “Oh, this is a foot fetish business”. That is exactly what is usually behind the question of “why feet?” because often people associate reflexology with foot fetishism, but the same people never associate podiatry (that also works with feet) in the same way or any of the other professions like Gynaecology, Urology and so forth in a similar way. It is always interesting to see the misperceptions people have about certain professions and often they look down on professions as if the profession is inferior to another.
With that in mind, let’s talk about why I work with feet.
Firstly, feet are just a body part, just like your hands, your face, your teeth, your back, your stomach, or any other part of your body. Working on your feet is not inferior to working on any other part of the body. If nobody worked on feet, it would be quite a problem if you experience a problem with your feet.
Secondly, Therapeutic Reflexology does not only work on feet, although feet is usually the main body part being worked on, as a registered Therapeutic Reflexologist, I also work on the hands, the face, and the ears. As a Therapeutic Reflexologist, I’m known for working on feet, but that is not all I do. Working on feet is no different than working on any other part of your body and there is no fetish or sexual connotation involved in it, just like there is no fetish or sexual connotation involved in a Gynaecologist working with a women’s or a Urologist working with a male’s private parts. It is a recognised healthcare profession that is formally regulated by a statutory council within the boundaries of professional scope of practice and as such, your feet are just a body part the Therapeutic Reflexologist uses to work on.
Thirdly, Therapeutic Reflexology works on the feet because it provides a bigger surface area to work on than the hands or the ears and you have numerous nerve endings in your feet making it possible to stimulate these nerve endings (reflexes) in order to assist your body to relax, calm down and then heal itself or at least attempt to balance itself from the inside out. Therapeutic Reflexology is a very effective healthcare modality that provides one of the best forms of relaxation while being non-invasive.
Fourthly, on a personal note, I personally work with feet due to my interest in complementary healthcare that spans decades and having the opportunity to have qualified and practice as a registered Therapeutic Reflexologist. It is such a privilege being able to practice Therapeutic Reflexology as a healthcare modality and to see the difference it makes in people’s lives. It may not be a profession like a Surgeon where you hold the life of your patient in your hands, but as a Therapeutic Reflexologist, I hold the potential in my hands to assist a patient in improving his or her quality of life. Seeing the difference a few Therapeutic Reflexology sessions make in the lives of people, are reward enough to work with people’s feet, and to enjoy what I do in the process.
Lastly, being entrusted with people’s feet (and bodies) and having the amazing honour of providing them with touch therapy, is one of the most humbling experiences for any therapist. Being trusted to the point where people allow you into their personal space by allowing the Therapeutic Reflexologist to touch their feet (and bodies) in a professional way, is an experience that comes with a huge responsibility as the therapist is expected to remain ethical and professional at all times while providing a safe space for the patient to relax, destress and obtain physical as well as emotional calmness in order to experience overall wellbeing.
Ultimately, I work with people, not with feet; their feet just happen to be the therapeutic domain I’m using to help them.
I have been touching lives through touching feet since 2003 and being able to help people in such a tremendous way is worth answering the question that is sometimes asked of a Therapeutic Reflexologist: “Why feet?”
—
Christo A. Scheepers: Therapeutic Reflexologist
Dip.T.R.(Cum Laude) [IARAMT]
AHPCSA: A11945
Pr. No.: 1080000737453
Tel. 072-800 7243