With the recent decision of the Government to remove natural therapies from the definition of private health insurance, starting from 1st April 2019, it's time to spread the word to the community on the importance of finding a "Professional Reflexologist".
As with any Professional Service, you'll want to do some research before choosing a Reflexologist. Look for a Registered Reflexologist who holds a Diploma or a Certificate IV in Reflexology and belongs to a professional association, as opposed to someone who has just had a brief introduction (eg- a two week course or a weekend workshop) and believe they have mastered the techniques of delivering a Reflexology treatment. The advantage of a Reflexologist who is nationally certified and experienced is that you will benefit more from the session. A Professional Reflexologist has undergone extensive training and understands the body systems and anatomy reflected in the reflexes of the feet, rather than just giving a general foot massage. True reflexology is performed only on the reflex maps of the body located on the feet, hands and even the ears. Therapeutic Reflexology involves the application of alternating pressure techniques that are unique to reflexology and different than massage or acupressure techniques. There is much research done in countries such as the UK, Germany, US, Denmark, Israel etc. where Reflexology is also used in Hospitals and hospices, however this was not considered in the National Review due to very little existing Australian research. In Australia, Reflexology Association of Australia is the governing body - http://www.reflexology.org.au/find-a-practitioner For those of you who know how wonderful Reflexology is, please share this post among your networks to ensure that Reflexology in Australia doesn't die along with these new rules.
