Reflexology Tips & Secrets by Wendy Coad

5 MASSIVE Mistakes That Reflexologists (And Other Holistic Practitioners) Make… And How To Avoid Them!

WENDY COAD THE REFLEXOLOGY PROFESSOR

THANK YOU for signing up for my bi-monthly Enewsletter: REFLEXOLOGY SECRETS, TIPS AND TECHNIQUES CONGRATULATIONS! You've chosen to add value to your practice and to your life. Twice a month you'll receive Reflexology news, business tips, secrets and information that I've personally used to build a healthy business and Reflexology practice. In addition to the E-newsletter, I'm giving you the following FREE REPORT. I'm so honored to tell you just a little bit about what I've come to know through my 20 years of teaching and practice. In this REPORT, 5 MASSIVE Mistakes That Reflexologists (And Other Holistic Health Practitioners) Make… And How To Avoid Them, you'll read about what a lot of holistic practitioners FAIL to do and the dire consequences of their non-actions: You'll find information on what not to do as well as how to change these patterns to optimize your skills.

www.reflexologyprof.com

Now, I'm going to tell you what I see over and over again with my colleagues and other health professionals. Here they are, the:

● The #1 Mistake is: Not listening to your client.

Well, you might say, "I always listen. They give me information. I pay attention." Okay. But have you really listened and heard why are they seeing you … right now… at this moment in time? Some clients will come because they have just experienced a specific issue, usually a discomfort in their foot or hand. It's all very recent. Of course your first assessment is to determine if they've come to the right place! Reflexology as we all know is not a treatment. We don't diagnose, prescribe or treat. So if the issue is a serious one, I will refer them to a medical professional. I can't remember the last time this happened because people are usually sensible enough to have gone to their doctor before seeing me.

www.reflexologyprof.com

In fact, the reason they do come is often because nothing medical can be found, or there's something chronic that has not responded successfully to other protocols. Their physician may have told them to "try something and see if it will help." For example, a client of mine came with an unusual skin condition on his big toes. It looked like callusing but it was on the top of his toe. He had been to 2 doctors, one a GP and the other a Dermatologist. Both were unable to determine what the deeply thickened skin was a result of. More tests were pending. My first line of questioning was regarding the relationship to the location of the irritation and the reflex area of the body that it relates to. That's what I'm interested in as a Reflexologist. But from what my client told me at that time, nothing connected. When that happens I usually just asked a few questions about possibilities like shoes that are too tight or socks that have seams across the toes. Nothing stood out, so I finished that session and the next without there being any change in the look and feel of that particular area of the foot. Here's the advantage that we have over so many other professions and practices. Although our clients are usually in an incredibly deep state of relaxation, we're with them for a good hour. And during that time we talk, even if minimally, to get their feed back. It's during these moments that I simply note and compare the information they report.

www.reflexologyprof.com

I'm there to listen. And, of course, to provide all the good relaxation that Reflexology offers. I heard this clients' specific concerns surrounding the toe but I also heard his concerns about life, work, his yoga exercise, what brings him joy, what brings unhappiness or discomfort. It's not my responsibility or my job to deeply analyze or correct. As a compassionate person, I'll comfort and share whatever insights or wisdom I might have. But I keep the boundaries clear and do not step over lines that are the job of other professionals. Well, a notion came into my head while working with my client. I, myself, had just gone back to my own yoga practice and noticed I sometimes dragged the top my toes on the floor when I went into the "cobra" yoga position. A light bulb went off in my head and I thought, "Could this have something to do with my clients toe "irritation". At our next session, I mentioned these thoughts to my client. How would he know if the skin thickening was from something so ordinary? Well, I suggested he just pay attention. A simple experiment could be to protect the toe and avoid any dragging of it along the top in yoga. And, if things improveâ&#x20AC;Ś we might be on to something. A few weeks later my client returned with a big smile. Not only had his toes improved, he looked deeper into his yoga practice and found out

www.reflexologyprof.com

from his instructor that the pose that had caused the irritation was being done incorrectly. His yoga was improving also! It was very satisfying detective work that resulted in his feeling better and working smarter. Do you want to know something else? The reflex in question related to the jaw. I had also shown my client some self help techniques using Face Reflexology. He wanted something he could do to support his health. His dentist was working with him to contain a problem area where surgery might be indicated. After a few weeks he again reported that the dentist determined that surgery was no longer needed. You guessed it, the problem which had been in the jaw was on the same side of the body as the previous toe callusing right on the jaw reflex.

â&#x2014;? The #2 Mistake is: Not giving the client a structure for them or you to notice change.

Sometimes when significant change occurs in the body, it has been occurring gradually and over a longer period of time or maybe in a general way. How can you reference your beginning point?

www.reflexologyprof.com

One possibility is telling the client what to expect and how long it might take. Another structure is note-taking a.k.a. - documentations. Holistic practices, such as Reflexology walk a fine line. Since we cannot legally be treatment-based we need to be responsible about the benefits we offer and the language we use. This whole notion used to throw me into a spin of conflict. If we can't treat, what am I doing for my clients? Why will they come if I can't make some claim of effectiveness? I laugh at myself when I remember those early days and how worried this made me. In the end, claims or no claims, treatment or no treatment, the outcomes are the same. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE STRESS RELIEF. That's worth repeating. It's all about the stress relief and relaxation. Stress is the number one contributor to our dis-ease. Can Reflexology help? Absolutely. That's what we do. We don't treat. We hold the space for the body to heal itself. We do this through our attention, our compassion and our wondrous techniques which deepen the relaxation and relieve stress so the body can be more efficient at healing itself! The good news is that everyone alive can use our help. Okay maybe there are one or two highly evolved individuals, but I haven't met anyone yet who can't benefit from Reflexology. How can you tell to what extent you are helping in this process?

www.reflexologyprof.com

For this you need a structure. Here's a simple structure: simply ask your client at the beginning of the session how they feel. After the session, ask the same question and note the difference, if there is any. (Note that some clients are just not "noticers"). We can help our clients to educate themselves in health and body awareness. One thing that works very well is to have your client check into the tension levels in their body before and after the session. I ask mine to do this while either standing or sitting before the session. If they close their eyes to deepen their awareness, make sure they can hold on to something (for support and safety). By doing this one thing you can help deepen their experience, you'll heighten their observation skills and you'll likely get positive feedback. That will reinforce their experience and appreciation. Yes, appreciation for Reflexology but, even more importantly, appreciation for what they're feeling - less stress in their body, balance and relaxation. As for the practitioner, documenting your sessions gives you the best structure hands down. In order to do this, I suggest you use S.O.A.P. notes. Again, nothing medical here, it's just a good framework for all our observations and theirs.

â&#x2014;? The #3 Mistake is: Not thinking creatively in your business.

www.reflexologyprof.com

Most Reflexologists are sole proprietors. Most of us have the wonderful freedom of creating our own destiny. We have the ability to choose where and when we work and with whom we want to work with. I set my own schedule. This includes travel for part of each month. I absolutely love what I'm doing and I earn a good living. For this, I have to constantly work at all aspects of my business. The biggest mistake I see other practitioners make is not understanding a few basic marketing principles. You need to market your skills. Yes, hone your Reflexology or bodywork skills, but you also need to market them. What's the best way to market? How do you market and where? The simplest response is market with your passion, you're enthusiasm and your confidence that what you do has value. Make it known everywhere that you have amazing skills. Let everyone know. Create a marketing capsule in 30 second and 2 minute versions. It's best to include what the specific benefits are in relation to the issues of that specific person. Remember it's all about stress relief. A marketer will tell you that everything we do is marketing. Think about it. We are constantly marketing out knowledge, our beliefs, our opinions etcâ&#x20AC;Ś Use all three to market your Reflexology.

www.reflexologyprof.com

A marketer will also tell you that people need to hear from you 7 - 10 times before they take action. How many of you have dropped the ball, discouraged after one or two attempts. It's not that they are disinterested, it's that they haven't really heard you yet, need more time to feel comfortable with taking action or have not yet developed a strong enough relationship with you. So how many people have you abandoned before their natural acceptance process has had a chance to develop and grow? I've denied a lot of people the benefits of Reflexology by taking their in-action too personally and I've quit sending them information before they're ready to take action. One last statistic. When determining the content of your conversation, use the 80/20 concept. 80% of the discussion is to provide your client with valuable information. The remaining 20% is to make your services known.

â&#x2014;? The #4 Mistake is: Thinking you have to know it all before you can help to really effect change.

It is important to be well trained. And yes, I believe that Continuing Education is absolutely essential. But some people think that they don't know enough to get started.

www.reflexologyprof.com

When you feel insecure about your experience, remember, REFLEXOLOGY IS NOT BRAIN SURGERY. Give yourself the confidence to practice. Reflexology is concise, but it's not about work that's life threatening. Do your best and your client will experience the relaxation. Unlike other modalities in bodywork where you can train for your whole life, (think Meridians and Chakras/Ayerveda) and still have only scratched the surface, Reflexology can be learned and practiced professionally in a much shorter period of time. The minimum amount of time you need right now to practice with a good knowledge base is 200 hours. As the field grows, and it is growing strongly right now, this minimum will increase. Every year the number of people learning, practicing and receiving Reflexology doubles. All that work will generate more research. Last year, the National Institute for Health (NIH) awarded $3.1 million for Michigan State University to research the effects of Reflexology. Be clear that what we do will impact peoples lives. No, we still will not be treating, but the improved quality of life is measurable. If this wasn't true then M.S.U. would have never succeeded in getting its grant. So you can't claim to heal anyone, but you will be helping them to have a better, less stressed quality of life. AND THIS IS HUGE.

www.reflexologyprof.com

â&#x2014;? The #5 Mistake is: Relying solely on yourself.

This is last but not least. Even though we don't have the liberty to claim direct healing, we can positively influence the healing, rebalancing process. We have all the possibilities of safe and compassionate touch in our skills and our hands. Now that's a pretty big job. Imagine you owned an amazingly sophisticated piece of equipment or machinery. It's one that has the ability to lighten people's burdens, comfort and soothe them body and soul. And, one that people appreciated and were glad to have an opportunity to experience How would you feel about this machine? - A machine that makes life a whole lot easier. Say you owned a $200,000 car. Would you maintain it? If it was a million dollar computer system that could analyze and respond to the most subtle of changes, would you keep it in good working order? Yes, of course you would. Wouldn't you have a technician work to maintain it before it breaks or runs down? Of course you would. It wouldn't make sense not to.

www.reflexologyprof.com

So, what are you doing for yourself to keep yourself in top shape so you can continue to help all the others? Do you take adequate time for yourself? Do you treat yourself like a million dollar baby? If you don't, you're not just taking yourself out of the healing circle, you're impacting all the people who need your fabulous skills. It's especially important that you also experience stress relief. Get Reflexology and get it often. Barter, exchange, be gifted and pay for it. If you're going to ask others to see value in your work you need to value similar work from others. We just can't do it all alone. And there's no need to. Delegate whatever you don't like to do. Get someone to clean the house for you. Take care of yourself. You're a million dollar baby and more than worth it.

Now, I’ll review the ‘5 - Massive Mistakes’ as well as the ‘5 - Practical Solutions’ that Holistic Practitioners Can Use to Deepen Their Practice and Keep Their Clients Coming Back for More

● The #1 Mistake is: Not listening to your client. √ The #1 Solution is: Listen, really listen, to your client. Find out what they need and make that a priority.

www.reflexologyprof.com

● The #2 Mistake is: Not giving your client a structure for them to notice change. √ The #2 Solution is: Give yourself and your client a structure. Start with simple reference questions and document all change. You’ll both be amazed at how much is missed and how easy it is to notice even the subtle changes. Remember the subtle changes can be the most profound.

● The #3 Mistake is: Not thinking creatively in your business. √ The #1 Solution is: Develop your skills to think outside the box. Look at trend setters, who see the larger picture, for ideas and models.

● The #4 Mistake is: Thinking you have to know it all before you can help to really effect change. √ The #4 Solution is: You don't have to know it all before you can help. Yes, be properly trained. Remember there are plenty of people who need help from someone who knows more than they do, but you don’t have to know it all. Sometimes it’s having a

www.reflexologyprof.com

reference to a different perspective that helps the most!

● The #5 Mistake is: Relying solely on yourself. √ The #5 Solution is: Build a team. This is so important for so many reasons. If you offer help and support to people you also need to find it for you. You can’t be everything or do everything by yourself. And, you also need to have contacts with people who have already ‘been there’ for support and mentoring.

www.reflexologyprof.com

Ready to Take Your Practice and Life to the Next Level? Then You're Ready For My Next Amazing Reflexology Workshop. Go to www.ReflexologyProf.com and get ready to Rocket Launch Your Success.

www.reflexologyprof.com

REFLEXOLOGY SECRETS, TIPS & TECHNIQUES. IT’S THE QUICKEST WAY TO LEARN YOUR SKILLS AND TO STAY INFORMED:

Wishing you all the joy, wisdom and health that Reflexology brings.

Wendy, “The Reflexology Professor” info@ReflexologyProf.com

About the Author

Wendy Coad, The Reflexology Professor, has a Masters of Fine Arts and a degree in Education. She has been a Holistic Health

www.reflexologyprof.com

Practitioner and Bodyworker for the past 16 years. As Principal Instructor, she teaches Reflexology Professional Training Programs and Reflexology Continuing Education Programs in New York, NY, Ft Lauderdale, FL, and around the country. Ms. Coad also has a private practice in Manhattan and Ft Lauderdale. An Educator for over 25 years, Ms. Coad has years of professional experience in Reflexology and teaching. She's trained in both Eastern and Western methods of Reflexology. She's a former Director of the American Reflexology Certification Board (ARCB), a member of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB), the New York State Reflexology Association (NYSRA), the Reflexology Association of America (RAA) and is licensed in both New York and Florida. Wendy's teaching brings enthusiasm, a good deal of humor and a passion for the amazing system of bodywork that is Reflexology.

DISCLAIMER: This information was provided to share the wonderful benefits of Reflexology. It is for educational purposes only. Results will vary. Reflexology is never a substitute for medical care. The information on this site is not intended to treat, diagnose, prescribe or prevent any disease. You are advised to consult with the appropriate health practitioner in case of any medical condition.