Category: Other

Co-chair of the Social Prescribing Network, Dr Marie Polley, spoke on BBC Countryfile on Sunday 10 January about the benefits of social prescribing and how link workers use ‘green prescribing’. Marie said, ‘Social prescribing is a way of really easing the pressure off the NHS. Around 20% of people will visit a GP when their…

When the first lockdown was announced in March 2020, reflexologist and author Sally Kay, FFHT, launched a book club on Facebook. The group now has thousands of members worldwide and hosts regular live events with authors of reflexology books and other related topics.  Contributors to these live video streams have been well-known authors such as Lynne Booth MFHT, Jane…

The start of a new year typically involves us looking at changes we would like to make to improve our own lives and the lives of those around us. With 2020 having been a particularly difficult year, the key to working on these goals could first be learning to reframe our experiences and put trauma…

Every month, Action for Happiness produces a calendar full of daily actions we can take to boost our own happiness and that of others around us. To kick off 2021, the charity’s ‘Happier January’ calendar includes daily activities to help you handle difficult emotions and experiences by focusing on what you can control. When noticing the good in…

In the season of giving and reflection, we tend to spend some time thinking about others and how we can be there for those around us. In Episode 138 of his podcast, Feel Better Live More, Dr Chatterjee explores the healing power of compassion with Dr Julian Abel. Dr Julian Abel spent his working career…

Dr Michael Dixon, Chair of the College of Medicine and Integrated Health, addressed how social prescribing could be used to combat loneliness in a speech at the Westminster Insight conference. He highlights that social prescribing is a useful tool when it comes to supporting those who are feeling isolated, as the scheme provides new opportunities…

A study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice examined the effects of peppermint essential oil on postoperative nausea and vomiting, which are common side effects in patients in the first four hours after cardiac surgery. (Maghami et al, 2020)  The clinical trial involved 60 cardiac surgery patients, who were divided into control and intervention groups. The intervention group received peppermint essential oil through a nebulizer before the endotracheal…

Sleep experts at Northumbria University are looking for people who are experiencing issues with their sleep to take part in an online treatment study. The programme has been launched following a review of COVID-19 sleep studies, which indicate that around 40% of people have been experiencing sleep problems as a result of the pandemic. Phycologists…

Musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders affect many office workers and there is strong evidence to suggest that workplace-based resistance training can prevent several upper extremity MSK disorders (Saeterbakken et al, 2020). A recent study published in BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation examined the dose response relationship between resistance training frequency and pain relief among 30 office workers…

There are lots of resources available to increase your own awareness of equality and diversity, including a webinar on Unconscious Bias organised by FHT, and reflective practice on our Accessible to All article (International Therapist, Issue 134). Unconscious bias webinar – Monday, 25 January 2020 (2pm-4pm) We are delighted to be offering this exciting CPD…

Denise Berwick, MFHT, contributed the words below to our ‘Accessible to all’ feature, published in International Therapist Autumn 2020 (issue 134). ‘I worked as a youth worker and project manager before training as a reflexologist and was given a broad range of equality and diversity training. This training, paired with having worked in a diverse…

In International Therapist Autumn 2020 (Issue 133), we shared some statistics from our FHT 2020 Equality and Diversity survey as well as some case studies from FHT members, and some tips to help you to make your practice more inclusive. We highlighted three key areas to look at, the diversity of therapists, the diversity of clients and the adequacy of training to…