Degree or not?

[Cydney]

I was really unsure where to post this, so please feel free to move it!!!

I had my interview for my Holistic Therapies course today, and I was offered a place so I am dead chuffed, however she asked me what my intentions where for after the course, and I told her that I wanted to do a Complementary Therapies Degree, she seemed to look at me like I had two heads.

So my question is this, who else has done a degree in a similar subject, and have you found it useful?

I would love your imput

Many Thanks

Lilac

 

[JisteSeptwita]

I know someone that has and now works as a receptionist.

I don't know the details of the course, but suspect that you learn a little of various therapies, but none in any great depth, so you may be left wanting for a passion in actually practicing anything at the end of the day.

There are various Diplomas & Degrees in specific holistic healing modalities, so I would suggest you use the time on imminent course to decide which direction to head in.

I woulnd't worry about their reaction if you got in. They were just probably just expecting you to say that you wanted to practice a particular therapy.

Andrew.

 

[? un?-z????]

I know someone who di this at the Uni of Westminster and it's stood him in good stead. I'm thinking oif applying to do it myself.
Sharon.

 

[Morigidael]

My mum is currently completing her last year in a Complementary Health Science Degree at the University of Central Lancashire (in Preston). It’s a BSc and has taught a wide range of things. There has been a large amount of biology and physiology within the course and has even given her the opportunity to gain good and extra qualification i.e. Therapeutic massage.

As a Psychology Student I found it hard to see how much could be done on a BSc degree as there is little to no research in some fields; however the same was said for my course about 10 years ago. I have been proven wrong as the course is intense and the research growing, currently my Mum is writing a Lit Review on the effectiveness of Acupuncture with Drug Addiction, not an easy task as first of all you have to learn and understand how drug addiction work i.e. increased dopamine within the Mesoaccumbens Dopamine Projection. and how acupuncture (that to which there are several procedures) affects the biology and causes the interaction between the two. If you find this sort of thing interesting then it is defiantly a serious degree to look at and if someone is looking at working within the complementary field then a degree of this standard sets a great base level. Ethics, Standardisation, Analytical reviewing are all skills that I’m sure will help build the field of complementary/Alternative medicine over the next coming years.

It’s just a personal opinion but if you want my Mums email address drop me a message (or go to the link below) and I’m sure she'll be more than happy to provide you with more info / insight.

Hope it helps.

Nick

 

[Seth Gray]

Many of the acupuncture courses are now becoming degree courses BSc(Hons), I think. I believe the courses have had to be extended to allow enough time for the extra research and dissertation.
Soon, all (or many of) the newly qualifying acupuncturists in the UK will have a degree and as such it will become the norm.

Nick - I'm sure your mum is already aware of it, but ARRC (Acupuncture Research Resources Centre) collates a load of acupuncture research and will certainly have info relevant to her review. I think they can be contacted via the British Acupuncture Council.
Also the Gateway clinic in London specialises in drug addiction and may have some useful audit information available.

Aragorn

 

[?Rachie? ?Liz?]

Thank you Aragorn,

I shall certainly pass the information on.

Nick

 

[erik s]

IMHO the degrees are there to give academic/clinical backing and develop research in the field of complementary therapies and this is a good thing, but is not all that is required to be a good therapist.

There is a feeling that more and more degrees will be required for complementary therapies, but there is also the belief that as we are increasingly becoming part of Europe, Complementary Therapies will also fall under European Law and we will see ourselves following in the footsteps of the French. This may mean that CTs will become regulated and as in France's case you must have had suitable medical practitioner training in order to practice eg. Doctor, nurse, physiotherapist etc. I don't think this will mean that those of us with proven experience will have to stop practicing, but it may mean that we are required to take bridging exams to prove our academic knowledge in addition to our practical skills.

 

[NuEndrach]

Hi Lilac,

I'm applying to do a degree in Complementary Therapies in 2006. The reason why I want to do a degree is because the university I am applying to gives me a choice of modules that suit my interest. I can therefore focus my full attention and really learn more about the subjects on a deeper level.

For me it means a lot of sacrifice, it means giving up full time work as I want to do the degree full time and it means saving up over the next year so I can support myself. At the end of the day, should I be accepted by the university, it'll all be worth it. I can show that I've got a good knowledge and understanding of my subjects and even though it may (or may not) improve my circumstances finacially should I qualify, it will leave me with something I can be proud of and something I feel a tremendous passion doing.

Gemma xx

 

[Obliterator]

Hi Lilac

I had an interview and was accepted for comp therapy foundation degree in January but decided against it in the end. But this info may be of some help to you. Different uni's have different core subjects for the degree. For example I looked at what was available in my area and the subjects varied enormously. One course covered NLP and Aromatherapy, another sports massage, and yet another homeopathy. So you need to choose carefully. As gemma says it does take a lot of commitment but if it is what you really want then go for it.

It is a big sacrifice in time and money but very rewarding.

love and light

 

[sajeesh E.R.]

So true, Pinkangel.

I think it depends on what you want to specialise in. I'm keen to do Shiatsu and Kinesiology and am looking ahead to doing something in Health and Fitness. The course I'm looking at is also offering stuff like envirnomental stress and diet.

It's probably worth doing if, like me, you have a specific goal that you want to work towards and want to link several subjects together. If it doesn't suit you, there are many other courses you could do on a part time basis, best thing would be to contact people like ITEC and VTCT and find out which local colleges offer what.

Remember as well that some qualifications do require you to do a degree i.e. homeopathy and acupuncture and (if you want to on a deeper level) aromatherapy. Again, it depends what your interests are and if you want to specialise in one area or several.

Gemma xx

 

[Lowly]

Hi Gemma
Neither of these courses requires a degree for admittance. Is this what you meant?
If not, only some of the homeo and acupuncture courses are degree courses - you can still get good old fashioned vocational training should you prefer it!

Aragorn