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Members News Kathryn Wilson, MFHT, talks about her voluntary work in Nepal, where she taught reflexology to carers and staff at an orphanage
I
was a primary school teacher for 24 years, specialising in supporting children with special needs, before I trained as a reflexologist. After completing my initial level three qualification, I went on to train with Dr Carol Samuel, Barbara Scott, Ann Gillanders, Sally Kay, Sally Earlam and Susan Quayle, as well as completing a variety of online courses during the COVID lockdown. I learned a great deal from each and by having a variety of reflexology techniques at my fingertips, I feel I have the skills to adapt my treatments to meet the needs of each individual client. At the Christmas dinner table in 2019, my family and I were discussing our year and what we’d like to achieve in 2020. My brother runs a charity (driftwoodassociation.org), which supports projects in Nepal. I had always wanted to do something to help with the orphanages and schools that he works with and he mentioned that sensory experiences were what the children responded to best. This naturally led to a discussion about reflexology and touch, and the benefits that both can offer children. My brother asked if I would be interested in teaching reflexology to the carers and staff at a school and orphanage in Kathmandu. I knew straight away that this opportunity would play to all my strengths and experiences in both teaching and reflexology but this was not an opportunity in another UK town - it was in the heart of one of the world’s most hectic developing cities, in the foothills of the Himalayas. It would also be completely self-funded, apart from the accommodation and food, while I was staying at the orphanage. After some deliberation I decided to throw caution to the wind and my partner and I found ourselves on a flight to Kathmandu in less than six weeks. 46 International therapist
Arriving at the city is quite an experience in itself, with lots of high-altitude circling due to limited landing slots, sporadic weather conditions and a short runway in a valley surrounded by mountains. Obviously we made it but before we could get over the flight, my partner and I were bundled into a taxi and driven into the somehow ‘organised’ madness of Kathmandu. The next day we arrived at the orphanage. My fears of what we might experience dissipated in a second, as soon as we entered the school gates. We were enthusiastically welcomed by over forty smiling, happy children, many of them blind, deaf, or physically disabled, which immediately gave me some perspective on my privileged life back in west Wales. The children were cared for by the most wonderful family and a team of fabulous support workers. Before getting underway, we discussed common ailments experienced by the children and drew up a list. This included digestive disorders, coughs, colds, headaches, earache and toothache. I then set to work, providing daily reflexology lessons to carers and teachers from the orphanage, who practised on the children. Immediately I could see the importance of touch and physical connection to these children and how much they loved the oneto-one attention from an adult. They were all very keen to come and have a go and then ask for treatments on a daily basis. It goes without saying that all of the children loved receiving reflexology. Using Susan Quayle’s The Children’s Reflexology Programme, I started by teaching the different reflexology techniques, which quickly relaxed both child and adult into the session. I also used the teaching cards from The Children’s Reflexology Programme, to show each of the techniques used, as we worked through
I knew straight away that this opportunity would play to all my strengths and experiences in both teaching and reflexology" Kathryn Wilson, MFHT
Kathryn Wilson, MFHT, has been enjoying the benefits of reflexology for over twenty years, following her initial success with reproductive reflexology. She runs her own business, Cottage Reflexology, from a treatment room in her home in the Pembrokeshire countryside and runs parent and baby reflexology classes in her local town. facebook.com/cottagereflexology Kathyjo215@gmail.com
Winter 2022
