Reflexology is a well-established complementary healing technique, which now enjoys legal recognition in South Africa under the Allied Health Professions Act. Reflexology started in the previous century to develop into the arena of preventative health. In the 1930’s a Physiotherapist called Eunice Ingham, who treated the body by working on the feet only, developed reflexology into a therapy that has grown into being a complex process of helping the body heal itself through completely non-invasive, drug free techniques of working on the feet, hands, ears and body reflexes. The treatment itself is not expensive to deliver and requires very little in the line of facilities or equipment.

In South Africa Reflexology has become a fast growing complementary health care modality, with several thousand practitioners throughout the country. “If a young person is looking for a challenging and satisfying career in the health field, now is the best time ever to qualify as a Reflexologist” says Sharon du Raan, Directory of The School of Hand and Foot Reflexology. “The profession is at a key point in its development with recent legal recognition and steady growth in the number of practitioners. Although there are many Reflexologists already practicing, the need for this type of healthcare is far from satisfied. Society is also becoming more receptive to the idea that other forms of healing can be used alongside the medical care that they already receive. The need in our country is big and a Reflexologist can make a big difference to peoples’ well-being, particularly at the primary health care level,” says du Raan.

The School of Hand and Foot Reflexology has its campus in Bedfordview and offers both full-time and part-time courses in Therapeutic Reflexology. The course is fully registered under the Higher Education Act and complies with the requirements of the National Qualifications Framework. It runs over a two-year period during which students will learn the theory of reflexology, physiology, anatomy, pathophysiology and the principles of nutrition. The course is very practically oriented and students will have ample opportunity to practice their reflexology skills. This even includes visits to local hospitals to fulfill the requirements of community service.

Says previous student Helene Samuels: “I found the course very stimulating and surprisingly challenging. The thing I liked best was the fact that Reflexology succeeds in combining the Western view of the body with the Oriental holistic view. This I believe gives the Reflexologist a great advantage in that the physical process can be understood in a fully integrated manner taking into account physical, mental and emotional processes in the achievement of inner balance.”