How walking down stairs changed my life!

I realised today it is now 10 years since I completed my NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Complementary Therapies at Daventry College. How did someone who taught for two universities and ran a successful support business for charities come to change direction so completely?

In June 2007 I was teaching “Managing Voluntary Organisations” for Leicester University, at their outstation at Northampton College. I remember the day very well – it was baking hot, just as it has been today, and I even remember wearing a plum coloured gypsy skirt. After the session and I’d stayed to do some admin, I walked down the three flights of stairs because the lift was out of action.

On the table at the foot of the stairs was a small pile of next year’s prospectuses. So I thought “I’ll see what I’m teaching next year then” and picked one up. It fell open at the page headed “VTCT Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Complementary Therapies”. “Interesting” I thought – and put the book in my bag and took it home to read.

When I sat down with a cup of tea I was intrigued by this. Only 15 hours a week, during term time – well I could do that and continue to lecture for the University too! So I applied, and I was accepted on the spot.

It was hard work, I can’t deny that. Learning Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Swedish Massage and Indian Head massage was physically hard work. The Anatomy and Physiology I could cope with very well, given I had a psychology degree and had learned the nervous system in depth, but the massaging – now that was a very different  thing. And even given that I had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis two years previously – that’s where Reiki had helped, it had healed me so well that I could take this academic year out and do this very physical training. And I was 48, so no spring chicken – but not quite the oldest on the course.

Of that cohort of over 20, I believe I am the only one who is still a full-time complementary therapist. I am certainly the only one who has her own therapy centre! And definitely the only one who is now in a position to offer other people this life-changing opportunity.

So if you are stuck in a rut, if you want to change career, if you are interested in complementary therapy as a career, or if you want to develop your existing practice as a therapist with a recognised accredited VRQ qualification, please get in touch and find out how we can help you to do that. We do have a great advantage over the FE colleges, in that we only need one or two students to run our courses, instead of the 15 or 20 they need. Indeed, as far as I can see, the Level 3 Diplomas aren’t being run locally to Coventry.

If you are interested, please get in touch for more information, and feel free to explore our Workshops and Courses section: https://www.amethystcentre.com/product-category/workshops-and-courses/