Knowledge of research adds to a reflexologists' credibility, demonstrating your knowledge and professional skills to whomever you're talking whether it's a friend, family member, a prospective client, a fellow professional or a medical professional. Such knowledge and the ability to convey it sells your reflexology services for you. Also, to your client, it illustrates the value of the reflexology service being provided. If you're not aware that research has documented the worth of reflexology, your client won't be either.
Here are some reflexology research facts:
Hone your skills at accessing Internet reflexology research. If a client or prospective client expresses interest in a particular health concern, know where to go to get information about the efficacy of reflexology as found in research and applied to that concern.
Among skills that add to reflexology services, reading the feet can add credibility to your work. Such skill demonstrates that something real is going on when you work on a client's feet or a potential client's feet. Learning about stress cues on the feet, how to recognize them and apply technique to change them, makes your reflexology services more real to the client. Take pictures of the stress cue(s) and show how they change from session to session. Instructions with color pictures is provide in the Kunz & Kunz work The Complete Guide Foot Reflexology (Third Edition) .
Consumers are now seeking to make up for what they've lost in the faltering economy: their health care safety net. The loss of a job means loss of health care benefits. A tighter budget translates into consumers who are cutting back on expenses including prescription medication, especially the elderly and retired. Yet, in spite of economic set backs, health continues to be an issue for all. And, reflexology can help meet those needs.
A September 24, 2008 Wall Street Journal article noted the cut backs in purchase of prescription medicine. Once thought to be an ever growing market, sales of medicine have declined as consumers cut back to save money. One example was a Florida retiree who can no longer afford her medication for acid reflux and asthma. While one's heart certainly goes out to anyone in such a position, this author's immediate thought was: Hey! Reflexology's helped me out with (and taken care of) both those problems. It's too bad this woman doesn't know about reflexology.
And it's here's where opportunity comes in for reflexologists. One growing market consists of the individuals who have health needs but who have been dealt out of the deck as far as health insurance is concerned. By teaching self-help reflexology and family reflexology to individuals, groups and families, the smart reflexologist can meet the needs of this growing market and earn some money at the same time. The reflexologist can realize an economic benefit and the consumer can meet at least some health care needs.
Loss or limited access to medical care doesn't mean that the consumer has to abandon hope in taking care of health needs. The anxiety of facing health concerns is perhaps the most stressful part of the situation. By fully investigating what one can do to meet his or her needs as well as that of the family, one can take control and lessen the stress of the situation. And, reflexology provides such an opportunity.
For the reflexologist who has invested in reflexology education, building a career and keeping an office, branching out to meet the needs of such consumers provides business opportunities. Potential businesses include: the self-help session, the self-help class and the family-help class.
To sharpen your skills in this area, consider reflexology research and how it relates to people who want to help a loved one. Examples include:
Educating the client about self-help reflexology techniques and information adds value to a reflexologist's services. The application of self-help techniques speeds up the progress towards the client's healthful goals. The client more quickly and economically graduates to reaching goals in addition to learning how to maintain health through his or her own self-help efforts. The reflexologist benefits from the resulting goodwill of the client. As any reflexologist knows, word-ofmouth recommendation from a satisfied client is the best way to win new clientele. Have self-help books available to lend or sell to the client.
Offer a session where the client learns how to approach his or her health concern with a self applied reflexology strategy. Or, it could be teaching how to work with a family member's health concern. In addition to teaching techniques, you'll want to work with the individual to develop a strategy for how-long-and-how-often technique should be applied to see results. Have small reflexology charts and the self-help tool, golf balls on hand to give as part of the service. This added value makes your service more memorable, builds good will and helps develop word-ofmouth advertising for you business.
This is actually a standard part of our reflexology practice. For those who are interested, we teach the reflexology chart and demonstrate how to get results by using self help techniques and strategies. We fondly remember one client who came in with an asthma problem that was beginning to defy medications. We had mentioned a five-minute application of technique. She came back in and proudly announced that she achieved results - in three minutes. She brought family members in and we worked on strategies for their health concerns. She eventually "graduated" as we say. She had learned how to use reflexology for her health problems and those of her family.
As above but working with a group of people. Consider doing this with a family group, a group of friends or any group such as a book club. Offer to teach techniques and strategies for health concerns. As a bonus, provide a reflexology session to each family member or member of the group. As above, have small reflexology charts and golf balls available. Bring reflexology books along for their information and have them available for sale.
If you haven't used self-help reflexology yourself, now's the time to start. Applying technique to one's self is different for many reasons. Finding the time and developing the frequency and duration strategy that results in success is another area for education. Finally, work at it. Get some results from your own self-help work. Get further experience by working with family and friends.
Learn about self-help reflexology yourself. Become familiar with techniques and their application. Use the short cut of buying and studying a book with self-help information. Next, choose a personal health concern to address through self-help. Use self-help techniques to achieve results and then to maintain your results. Try your new-found knowledge on family and friends, getting practice at helping others reach health goals through self-help. Now you're ready to advise clients and add value to your reflexology services.
(1) Reflexology-Health-at-your-fingertips , (Kunz & Kunz, Dorling Kinderley, New York and London, 2003)
(2) Hand and Foot Reflexology, A Self-Help Guide (Kunz & Kunz, Simon & Schuster, 1984)
(3) Complete Reflexology for Life (Kunz & Kunz, Dorling Kinderley, New York and London, 2006)
A basket of golf balls on hand in your office can turn into an economical yet valued gift for your clients. The golf ball is a perfect hand reflexology self-help tool. It's cheap, easy-to-learn and easy-to-use. Demonstrate its use for your client and then give him or her one to take home and use. Golf balls are inexpensive to buy, cheap at yard sales or free if you have a golf-playing friend.
Hand reflexology services increase in value with the passing of every day. Research documents the beneficial aspects of hand reflexology. In addition, more and more individuals are in need of services that make their hands feel better. Numbers are increasing for the ranks of those who are computer keyboard over-users or those whose hands are feeling the effect of advancing age. Hand reflexology can help the mobility of senior citizen's hands.
Learn hand reflexology. Take a class or pick up a book. Start practicing on family and friends. When you feel proficient enough, move on to a paying clientele.
Books available at Amazon.com include: (1) Hand Reflexology (Kunz & Kunz, Dorling Kindersley, 2005) (2) Hand Reflexology Workbook (Kunz & Kunz, RRP Press, 1999)
After you've worked on one of the individual's hands during a session, pause a moment and ask the client to flex his or her fingers to feel the difference between the worked hand and the unworked hand.
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