camclub October Articles
- The Smart School of Couching - More and more people are choosing to retrain as coaches – but many of these new coaching businesses will fail.
- A moment for mother - Denise Tiran. With kind permission of the Federation of Holistic Therapist
- CNHC registration in demand
- Natural Therapy Pages - Helpful Herbal Pick-Me-Ups
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More and more people are choosing to retrain as coaches – but many of these new coaching businesses will fail.
Why?
Coaching is a huge growth area; both in terms of people wanting to become coaches and people wanting to buy the services of coaches. So, when there is plenty of opportunity, why are so many coaches failing to make their mark and build a sustainable business?
Even when coaches gain some degree of marketing and business knowledge and skills, it seems they create businesses that are occasional.
The reason for this is that the foundation is all wrong. They are basing their business on a specific skill learned and a collection of methods to find a few clients. Unfortunately just because you know how to do something doesn’t mean people will pay you to do it.
Most coaches are missing a crucial ingredient. Nick Bolton of The Smart School of Coaching believes that ingredient is passion, “I’m not just talking about a niche. That’s just marketing speak for a target group or for a unique service. I am also not talking fluffy passion, warm feelings and law of attraction. I’m talking here about dogged determination and gritty action to achieve something that achieves a vision of the change someone wants to make in the world,” he explains.
It’s the missing ingredient because for so long it hadn’t been needed in the way it is now. The coaching industry is changing – it’s moving beyond the corporate walls as coaches build businesses that reach out to people in all walks of life. And here’s where the problems start.
“One of the most important questions I ask all my coaches to consider is: ‘What difference do you want to make?’” says Nick.
That’s the key question a coach building a private practice really needs to ask. Because in that question lies the passion that will provide the fuel to drive their coaching business forward. All the tactics in the world are worth nothing if they are not driven by a desire that refuses to buckle at the first obstacle.
“This one crucial question “What difference do I want to make?” creates a huge shift in perception. It’s not merely a nice exercise. The coach is no longer creating a coaching business. Let’s face it, coaching is simply one way of creating change. A fabulous way, but still just one way.” explains Nick.
Instead the coach is creating a business that focuses on the results the clients want using a range of skills, interventions and services. Coaching provides a core component in all cases and is the platform on which the change is built. For instance one Smart School coach realised her passion was to help people who were going through what she herself had been through: helping gay women live more happily and with high self-esteem. Once she recognised her mission, she knew she would build her business to make this difference. She has since written for magazines, interviewed a leading LA based film director and co-produced a radio show for gay women. Again, coaching is her core way of creating change but she is also so much more than just a coach.
Coaches need to integrate a range of skills including coaching, consulting, running workshops and retreats, speaking, writing, informing. In fact, whatever is needed to bring around the change they are so passionate about. Coaching remains a core skill because it is such a powerful change process but it is part of a range of services that make the coach completely unique. These coaches are just the tip of the iceberg of new generation of coaches who are recognising the need to look beyond the tired words of niche marketing and focus on what real difference they want to make. The scope is enormous. There are as many passions and unique businesses as there are coaches to feel them, follow them and build them. It means that coaches can truly step out of the corporate walls and begin to shape their world in some small way.
Rather than fear failure, a new coach can start from a place of determination fuelled by passion. Coaching is on the cusp of something truly remarkable in which successful coaches will find a place to live their passion and these coaches will be the ones that make it and change their lives for good.
Nick Bolton is the founder of the Smart School of Coaching. Nick is passionate about helping people to become successful coaches with a business they love.
The Smart School of Coaching offers free seminars on coaching & NLP in central London to help you decide if coaching is for you. See: www.thesmartschool.co.uk
The Smart School of Coaching will be exhibiting at camexpo on 22-23 October at Earls Court London on stand 1508.
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A moment for mother - Denise Tiran.
With kind permission of the Federation of Holistic Therapist
Denise Tiran looks at the changes a mother experiences in the weeks following childbirth, and how massage and aromatherapy may offer some support
Many expectant mothers use essential oils at home or consult aromatherapists for treatment during pregnancy, even though there is no definitive list of ‘safe’ oils which can be used at this time. Increasingly, too, women choose to use aromatherapy in childbirth to ease pain and aid progress; some have the luxury of giving birth in maternity units where midwives now use essential oils (Burns et al 2000; Dhany 2008). However, whilst much has been written and discussed relating to pregnancy and labour (Tiran 2000), less is published about the use of aromatherapy in the days and weeks immediately afterwards, yet it can be invaluable in helping mothers to recover from the birth, aiding lactation and facilitating adaptation to parenthood.
Postnatal care
In the UK, most births take place in hospital or midwife-led birthing centres, although a small percentage of women give birth at home. Mothers without any pregnancy or medical complications, or issues arising from the birth, usually go home within 24 to 48 hours of delivery, or on the third day if they have had a caesarean section.
The midwife is legally responsible for the care of mother and baby in the early days, transferring their care to the health visitor at between ten and 28 days after birth. The midwife examines the mother to ensure that her body is recovering from the birth, that breastfeeding is becoming established (or the milk is drying up if the mother is bottle feeding) and to advise her on caring for her baby. However, whilst postnatal care was once the pride of British midwifery, cost savings and alterations in care provision now mean that most mothers are visited at home on only three occasions, usually in the first ten days. In some areas, mothers are even required to attend postnatal clinics at the hospital for their check-ups.
Maternal adaptations
The postnatal period (the puerperium) involves physical, psycho-emotional and social adaptation. Physiologically, all the systems of the mother’s body, which have changed to accommodate the growing fetus and to birth her baby, need to recover and return to normal, although her body will never return completely to its pre-pregnancy state.
The uterus shrinks through a process of involution, in which excess tissues are dissolved and the resulting fluid excreted; this causes an increase in micturition (urination) and, occasionally, a worsening of any ankle and leg oedema, as the kidneys struggle to cope with the extra fluid. The remnants of the placenta and other products of conception are passed vaginally as lochia, initially being red blood, like a heavy period, then turning to brown and then serous or whitish fluid. The major organs of the body - the lungs, heart, kidneys, liver and brain - must all adapt.
Establishing lactation also requires various physiological changes, which in turn can lead to a rollercoaster of emotions. The massive endocrine upheaval resulting from expulsion of the placenta at delivery, and the consequent rise in hormones for lactation, frequently give rise to third or fourth day ‘blues’ or tearfulness which, in susceptible women, may progress to postnatal depression. Finally, the social adaptation to parenthood - the change of role from wife/partner and worker to mother, and the loss of control that a new baby wreaks on the family - brings other issues to the fore, which may also contribute to emotional distress.
It is important for therapists wishing to work with new mothers to have an in-depth understanding of the physiological changes which occur in the first six to eight weeks and to be able to recognise when things are not proceeding according to expected norms. Treating women in the first two weeks of the puerperium also requires aromatherapists, and practitioners of other therapies, to liaise with the midwife (not the doctor, who plays little part in the woman’s postnatal care). It is likely that you will have to visit the mother at home in the early days, not least because it takes new mothers time to establish a routine. Later, when mothers attend your consulting room or clinic, you should take into account the fact that some will be late for appointments, some will forget and some will bring the baby with them, which is not ideal if she/he wakes during the treatment.
Massage in the puerperium
It may not be possible to perform a full body massage on a new mother. In practical terms, this may be because the treatment is disrupted by the baby crying to be fed, or the mother needing to pass urine. Physically, the mother may still be uncomfortable and you will need to adapt your treatment accordingly, including her position, the duration, and the body parts on which you work.
Abdominal massage is inadvisable until the lochial discharge has stopped, as it may precipitate a haemorrhage if bits of the placenta remain in the uterus; if she has had a caesarean section, it may be too painful for some weeks to work directly over the abdomen. If the mother is suffering constipation (a common problem in the early days), for which you may normally have chosen to perform abdominal massage, work instead in a firm clockwise movement on the arches of the feet, where the reflexology zones for the intestines are located.
Whilst leg and ankle massage can do wonders for oedema, the swelling may be so severe for a few days (worse than in pregnancy) that the skin is too tight and tender, so massage may be contraindicated. In this case, aromatherapists could offer a compress, using relevant essential oils, such as cypress and lemon, to reduce the oedema. If either leg appears red and hot to touch, or the mother complains of a pain in her calf, do not massage the area as this may be a deep vein thrombosis developing, a DVT or blood clot, to which women in the early puerperium are susceptible. Indeed, in this case, it is wise not to treat her at all, but to refer her immediately to her midwife or GP; left untreated a DVT can lead to fatal stroke or heart attack.
Mothers who had an epidural during labour frequently experience back, neck or headache in the days after delivery, but you should use caution when massaging the lower back where the epidural cannula (catheter) was inserted as this can remain painful and is also a source of potential infection through to the cerebrospinal fluid. Be alert to severe headaches occurring in the first 48 hours after birth, particularly if the mother had pregnancy hypertension, because eclamptic fits, which can occur in severe pre-eclampsia, are most common at this time. In practice, it is unlikely that you would be treating a woman in this condition since she is normally kept in hospital for a few days, for this very reason.
Essential oils in the puerperium
Many essential oils are contraindicated during pregnancy, although some are permitted for use in labour to potentially enhance uterine contractions where appropriate. There is no definitive list of oils suitable for use in pregnancy, but as a general rule, the whole range of citrus oils is considered safe, together with oils such as certain chamomiles and lavenders, peppermint / spearmint, cypress, geranium, ylang ylang, frankincense, black pepper, and tea tree. In addition to these, jasmine and clary sage may be used in labour, but on no account should clary sage be used before the expected date of delivery, or the onset of labour after 37 weeks, if this occurs sooner.* In addition, research has indicated that ginger can potentially shorten labour, and therefore should not be used before 40 weeks.1
Postnatally, all the oils which have been used in pregnancy are appropriate for the mother, but clary sage is still contraindicated until the lochial discharge has stopped; geranium should be used with caution, as should ginger, because they may interfere with blood clotting if used to excess.2 Clotting mechanisms are altered physiologically at this time as nature’s way of preventing blood clots developing.
Jasmine oil is particularly good for preventing or reducing the severity of postnatal depression, or you could advise the mother to drink jasmine tea. Fennel oil, contraindicated in pregnancy, is brilliant for stimulating lactation, especially if you use it to perform a foot massage whilst the mother is feeding her baby, which has been shown by midwives to encourage the hormonal process which facilitates milk production. Black pepper is useful for pain and discomfort of the legs or back, and tea tree and lavender in the bath can be helpful for wound healing and prevention of infection of the perineal stitches (Dale and Cornwell 1994), or an abdominal wound after caesarean section.
The dose of essential oils for postnatal treatments should not exceed two per cent, including any drops used in addition to the massage, e.g. on tissues or in vaporisers. Although childbirth is a normal physiological event, recovery from birth takes time and the mother’s body remains compromised, so it is not appropriate to return to the standard three per cent adult dose until at least six to eight weeks after the birth.
Breastfeeding and essential oils
While a minute dose of the essential oils applied topically to mother can be passed on to baby via her breast milk, the effects on baby appear to be negligible. However, if the mother has essential oils on her breasts, e.g. after immersing in bath water that contains oils, she should wash her breasts prior to breastfeeding.
Conclusion
Aromatherapy offers the newly-birthed mother some valuable “me time” and can be beneficial in easing her transition from pregnancy to the postnatal period, relieving aches and pains, helping lactation and boosting her confidence in her mothering abilities. With a few precautions, this is a wonderful area in which some therapists may wish to specialise, and you may contribute to a more relaxed mother, which in turn leads to a relaxad baby.
Editor’s comment: a note on essential oil use
Therapists who are not qualified aromatherapists can only use essential oils that are preblended by a reputable supplier or aromatherapist, and should pay due attention to which oils are included in the blend when treating an expectant or recently birthed mother, to ensure these are not contraindicated.
Biography: Denise Tiran is a midwife and educational director of Expectancy, and a visiting lecturer at the University of Greenwich, London. Expectancy provides accredited courses for therapists wishing to work with pregnant, labouring or new mothers, including the FHT accredited Caring for Pregnant Clients course. Members who book any 2011 course before 31 March 2011 can obtain a 10 per cent discount – please quote your membership number. www.expectancy.co.uk
References and comments
*Clary sage can potentially make the uterus contract and is increasingly being misused by mothers, and even some aromatherapists, who do not understand the chemistry and potential powerful effects of this essential oil. In my clinical experience, I have numerous accounts of over-stimulation of the uterus where expectant mothers have tried to induce labour through the use of essential oils such as clary sage. This is a highly dangerous practice. Expectant mothers and aromatherapists need to appreciate that chemicals in essential oils act in exactly the same way as drugs, and ANY attempt to start labour before it starts spontaneously – even with so-called ‘natural’ substances – is an intervention, similar to the medical induction of labour.
1. Calvert I (2005) Ginger: an essential oil for shortening labour? Pract Midwife. 8(1):30-4
2. Ulbricht C et al (2008). Clinical evidence of herb-drug interactions: a systematic review by the natural standard research collaboration. Curr Drug Metab. 9(10):1063-120.
Burns E, Blamey C, Ersser SJ, Lloyd AJ, Barnetson L (2000). The use of aromatherapy in intrapartum midwifery practice: an observational study. Complement Ther Nurs Midwifery 6(1):33-4
Dale A, Cornwell S (1994). The role of lavender oil in relieving perineal discomfort following childbirth: a blind randomized clinical trial. J Adv Nurs. 19(1):89-96
Dhany A (2008). Essential oils and massage in intrapartum care. Pract Midwife. 11(5):34-9
Tiran D (2000). Clinical Aromatherapy in Pregnancy and Childbirth (2nd Ed). Elsevier, Edinburgh.
This article was first published in International Therapist (January 2011, issue95), the membership journal of the Federation of Holistic Therapists (www.fht.org.uk). Reprinted with permission of the FHT and Denise Tiran.
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CNHC is finding that increasing numbers of commissioners and employers are requiring their complementary healthcare practitioners to be CNHC registered to ensure public safety. Many view CNHC registration as a demonstration of best practice for practitioners as well as the profession itself.
Jan Wilkinson, Complementary Therapies Co-ordinator for Guys and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust said: “CNHC registration is essential for any complementary practitioners who wish to work for us. This is in line with guidance from the National Cancer Action Team and demonstrates our commitment to meeting national occupational standards.”
CNHC also spoke to Lyn Lamont, Complementary Therapies Co-ordinator at Belfast City Hospital’s Cancer Centre. Lyn said the Hospital currently employs a team of eight CNHC registered practitioners and is due to recruit a ninth: “I want practitioners who appreciate patient safety enough and who are up to date enough to realise the importance of CNHC registration.”
Practitioners who have been employed as a result of their registration also see the benefit. Emma George, who was recently employed by Guy’s & St Thomas’ as an aromatherapist and reflexologist, sees CNHC registration as a positive thing: “It helps the complementary therapy profession to progress and develop. It also helps complementary therapies become more integrated with conventional care which is particularly good for practitioners like me who want to work in the health service.”
Lyn Lamont agrees: “We work in the hospital and the community and it’s important for us to model best practice and this works both ways. We want to model not only to complementary therapists but also to the NHS, demonstrating what best practice in complementary therapy looks like. CNHC registration is part of this and is in line with our Trust policy as well as the guidance from the National Cancer Action Team.”
Jane McGrath is a complementary healthcare practitioner who has recently set up a social enterprise to empower vulnerable patients in Hammersmith & Fulham. Her service is supported by Mind, Leonard Cheshire Disability and her local PCT. “My CNHC registration was crucial in setting up this service. The first question the PCT practice manager asked me was ‘Are you CNHC registered?’. He told me they are approached by a lot of therapists wanting to work with these patients but they will only recommend CNHC registered practitioners.”
But perhaps most importantly, Jane talks about the difference it makes to her patients: “I work with some very vulnerable people, particularly those who are in recovery from mental health problems. They always ask me where I’ve trained and want to know that I am properly registered. They want to know that I am credible and that they can trust me. My CNHC registration provides this reassurance and that’s very important.”
CNHC will be at Stand 2536 at this year’s camexpo where practitioners can come meet the team and find out more about CNHC registration. CNHC’s Chief Executive (Margaret Coats) and Chair (Maggy Wallace) will be holding a seminar at camexpo on Saturday 22nd October from 1.45 – 2.30pm about the latest developments with regulation in complementary healthcare.
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Natural Therapy Pages - Helpful Herbal Pick-Me-Ups
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Have you been feeling a little low on energy lately? Before you reach for the coffee or some other pick-me-up, consider using herbs for a much-needed boost. There are several different herbs that are great for increasing your energy and making you feel better in general. Here are four of our favourites.
Ginseng – One of the Best Herbal Pick-Me-Ups
Ginseng is one of the best herbal pick-me-ups available. There are several different types of ginseng; however, Siberian ginseng is probably your best bet. This herb has been used for at least 2000 years to improve health, increase energy levels and also as a longevity tonic. It also helps to increase a person’s resistance to stress, meaning that it works on both the physiological and psychological levels.
Schizandra – A Popular Chinese Herb for Fatigue
Schizandra is a Chinese herb that stimulates the central nervous system without any of the jittery effects that a person may get from caffeine. It also provides a mental boost. Schizandra also increases physical and mental exercise capacities as well as improving adaptability to environmental stresses. This herb is commonly used for fatigue.
Mate – An Energising South American Herbal Tea
Pronounced “mah-tay”, mate is an herbal tea that is native to South America, and widely consumed by South American residents. It is far more nutritious than either tea or coffee and, while it contains caffeine, mate tea’s effects are energizing rather than causing any jitters. It is stimulating and wakes the mind.
Ashwagandha – An Ayurvedic Tonic Herb
Ashwagandha is also known as winter cherry and it is a rejuvenative tonic herb. It is the most frequently prescribed tonic in Ayurvedic medicine. It is able to increase energy and endurance, it promotes longevity, supports sexual vitality, calms the mind, enhances mental functioning, rejuvenates the body’s tissues, strengthens the immune system, improves sleep, and helps the body to overcome any imbalances that may have been caused by stress, poor diet, lack of sleep or environmental factors.
