Different countries around the world have their version of using natural healing using plants, nutrition, homoeopathy, hydrotherapy, remedial therapies, and the likes. These therapies are usually holistic in nature and include practices and medicines coming from a plethora of cultural and historical backgrounds.
Typically, a person needs to actively participate in the treatment when using these methods, like maintaining some forms of diet, exercise, regimens, meditation, and psychological practices. These are unlike taking pharmaceutical medicines that just require you to swallow a pill or two or see a doctor and/or go to the hospital to heal.
There are different ideas behind how these are believed to work, but the very essence is actually the idea that your body has the capability to heal itself. From here stems the long been discussed and highly criticised medical practice of treating the condition and symptoms rather than healing the person. Hence it is believed that it is high time to recognise the value of self-involvement and your personal choice when it comes to treatment, rather than just blindly taking doctors’ advice.
Natural Therapies in AU and Corresponding Courses
Below are some of the widely accepted natural therapies in Australia, the courses to take, and examples of schools offering them.
Acupuncture
This is a form of complementary medicine that originated in ancient China. From the word itself, it involves puncturing or pricking the skin at strategic points using very tiny needles. This is primarily used to relieve or reduce pain, but can also be used as treatment for other physical, emotional, and mental conditions. However, it has gradually been used by a lot of people for their overall wellness, as well as part of stress management.
Course Available at Endeavour College of Natural Health – Bachelor of Health Science (Acupuncture Therapies) – 3 Years Full-Time (Part-Time Options Available)
Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Perth – 1300 462 887
The course includes deep diving into the philosophy and principles of Chinese medicine theory and their manual therapy practices, particularly acupuncture, Chinese remedial massage, moxibustion, and Qi Gong.
Ayurveda
A natural system of medicine that originated in ancient India, around 3,000 years ago, Ayurveda literally translates to “knowledge of life”. It revolves around the idea that sickness and diseases are a result of a person’s stress level or imbalance in their consciousness. This kind of treatment encourages you to improve your lifestyle through natural therapies and certain interventions to reclaim the overall balance between the mind and body, as well as the spirit and the environment. It involves internal purification, coupled with some herbal remedies, meditation, yoga, massage therapy, and of course, a special diet.
Course Available at Australian Institute of Higher & Further Education: Advanced Diploma of Ayurveda
Parkwood, Western Australia – (08) 94173553
The course includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Foundation of Ayurveda
- Ayurvedic Lifestyle and Nutrition
- Ayurvedic Pharmacology
- Ayurvedic Bodywork and Remedial Therapies
- Ayurvedic Dispensing
- Ayurvedic Nutrition
- Manage Ayurvedic Treatment
- Ayurvedic Diagnosis
Nicole Mason, a top roof restorer in Perth, tells me that she found this diploma to be super helpful and very comprehensive.
Chinese Herbal Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM is a large healing system where Chinese Herbal Medicine is a part of, besides acupuncture, exercise, and massage dietary advice. These herbs are prescribed to treat imbalance in energy otherwise known as “Qi” that is believed to run through the meridian points of the body. While not everyone may believe the efficacy of these, there are studies that have shown that they actually work in treating a wide variety of disorders. Perhaps some of the most successful are those that pertain to gastrointestinal and gynaecological conditions and disorders.
Course Available at Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine – Chinese Herbal Medicine – 4 Years Full-Time
Melbourne VIC – +61 3 9925 2000
The course includes a full range of modalities of Traditional Chinese Medicine, including the theoretical aspects of acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine and dispensing them that comply with the SUSMP and CITES herbal restrictions. It also includes practical training when it comes to safe application, among others.
Hypnotherapy
Otherwise known as a hypnotic suggestion, hypnotherapy is a kind of therapeutic practice that utilises the so-called “guided” hypnosis. This is to aid the person in reaching a trance-like state of focus or concentration, as well as reduced heightened suggestibility and peripheral awareness. The situation you will be in when under the spell is like the one you experience when you are totally engrossed in reading a book, watching a movie, or listening to music. It is even similar to being deep in your own thoughts while doing meditation. Contrary to what you might have in mind, people under hypnosis are not really under anyone’s control, but rather, the hypnotherapist helps them relax and divert their attention in discovering and using their own resources to achieve whatever physical pain they want to manage and behavioural changes they want to achieve.
Course Available at Hypnotherapy Training College – Diploma of Clinical Hypnotherapy & Applied Psychotherapy
Mindcare, Queensland – +61431547908
The course module includes the following theoretical lessons (as posted on the website):
- Introduction to Clinical Hypnotherapy
- Understanding hypnosis and the therapeutic approach
- Working within a hypnotherapy framework
- Facilitating the art and science of clinical hypnotherapy and applying psychotherapy
Remedial Massage
This is a type of massage where a wide array of skilled techniques, such as compression, deep strokes, effleurage, skin rolling, and wringing, is used in manipulating a person’s soft tissues. It is actually designed to address issues pertaining to both the superficial and deep tissues of the body. However, just like any type of massage, remedial massages can also be aimed at relaxation, even if you don’t have any underlying condition. However, it is mainly aimed at pain reduction and normalising soft tissues and muscles of the body.
Course Available at Aminya Natural Therapies Academy: Diploma of Remedial Massage
Marcoola, Sunshine Coast Campus – (07) 5450 5077
The course includes a four-day Foundation of Massage, six-day Remedial massage, and three-day Sports massage classes.