It's not nice!

OK, I know Blogs are supposed to be uplifting, informative nuggets of information and insight but I just cannot stay quiet any longer! Too many therapists and training providers are damaging their business image and the industry by of all things making a classic spelling mistake. So please indulge me whilst I take a little step up onto my soapbox for a few lines.....

The word 'complimentary' has two meanings: someone expressing nice things abut another or something that is free. So if used wrongly Complimentary Therapy means you either intend to spend the whole treatment doing nothing other than telling your client what a wonderful, beautiful human being they are, or they aren't expected to pay you for their treatment. I am pretty certain that you don't intend either to be the case.

On the other hand the word 'complementary' is related to the word 'complete'. Used with words such as therapy, therapist and health it can be construed in different ways. One of my favourites is that it works alongside orthodox medical treatments in order to offer a complete healthcare solution. Many therapy professionals take it to mean that complementary therapy assesses and treats the whole person, focussing on cause as well as alleviating symptoms. Whichever perspective you take you will see that it isn't about saying nice things about people or giving away your valuable service for free.

So please, in 2016 make it one of your goals to ensure you pay attention to detail in your marketing and advertising your services as a Complementary Health Professional.