1. What does CPD even mean for a reflexologist?

Hello everyone and welcome to the reflexology exchange the podcast where we support reflexologists and holistic practitioners to grow in confidence professionalism and impact. Today I'm delighted to welcome Michelle Stringer from the Association of Reflexologists, the largest professional body for reflexologists in the UK, committed to raising standards and supporting practitioners throughout their careers. In this episode, we're talking about something that can sometimes feel like a tickbox exercise, but it's actually one of the most powerful tools for growth in your career. CPD, continual professional development. Many reflexologists think CPD simply means attending expensive courses or constantly adding new techniques. But CPD is so much broader than that. It's about growth, reflection, curiosity, professional responsibility, and continually deepening both your skills and your confidence. Today, we'll explore how CPD can elevate your practice, strengthen client trust, and prevent professional stagnation, as well as help you stay inspired without necessarily spending a fortune. So, whether you're newly qualified or decades into practice, this episode will help you see CPD not as an obligation, but as an opportunity. So, grab a cup of tea and let's get started. Michelle, welcome to the Reflexology Exchange. Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited. I think this is a great topic to be talking about. I feel like CPD is the kind of thing that can have a little bit of a negative connotation, can be seen as like a tick box. It, you know, I have to do this thing to get through every single year when actually there are so many exciting things out there that people can do. There really are. And I think people get a bit caught up sometimes in just thinking about one type of CPD and actually there's such a broad spectrum um especially for AO members um and what we accept as CPD as well. So we'll talk through a bit of that as we go through this uh podcast and help people learn a bit more. >> Exactly. So before we dive in, as um listeners will know, I do ask all my um people who come on the same question, which is reflexologists usually come to reflexology after a big life change or a life event. So Michelle, my question to you is why did you come into reflexology and was there a big sort of life change or event that brought you to the profession? There was indeed. I'm I'm no different to a lot of other people. Um so I um my my background and my career um was in the corporate world. Um I worked for American Express for many many years. Um I sort of diverged into training within American Express. Hence, that's where my training background comes from was more a corporate training and um I then uh moved abroad with my um then husband and there's where the big life event comes in. um we we had my daughter and we were living abroad and things didn't work out and um we eventually separated and I came back to the UK with a uh an 18-month-old on my hip and my suitcase and uh went what do I do? Where do I go? and um do I want to go back to the corporate world and never really see my daughter too much and you know it would have meant going up to London and not coming home until 7:00 at night and I didn't really want that life for my daughter when she was growing up. So I started to look at lots of different avenues. Um where reflexology then came into my life at that well I say at this this point when reflexology training came into my life at that point um is because my mom has been a reflexologist for 25 years now I think it is she'll probably correct me and it's probably more um but um I've been around reflexology and other complimentary and alternative um therapies since I was a baby um my mom has always been very very into uh looking at um sort of more natural ways of of helping the body and helping our minds. And so I've grown up in that world. Um reflexology came into it because I think where I'd been a pair of feet for my mom for so many years. I really benefited um all through my teenage years was when she was training and then getting going with her with her um practice. And so my feet really were in front of her quite often. And I do remember all those years back thinking actually how how beneficial that really was to me in those times. Um she'd always been hopping on at me in the background saying go do your reflexology course. Go do your reflexology course. And I I always put it off thinking that the career came first and and that's where I was going. And um yeah, it it it just sort of all fell into place at the right time. So I think if I'd done it earlier, it maybe wasn't the right time in my life to do it. So it definitely came about at the right time. And uh yeah, the rest is history. You and I share something in common cuz my mom was also a reflexologist. So I spent my childhood um being treated by her. I used to have chronic stomach aches and um she used to treat me and then I used to sit outside her studio and listen and kind of absorb that good energy from the room. So it's definitely within our blood. So we have that in common with each other. >> Thank you also for sharing that. I think it's really lovely that first question that I ask um guests because it kind of brings the human into the room which is what I wanted this podcast to be especially for people from the AO. I think it's really nice for people for reflexologists to understand that people in the AR have also gone through their own journey. So, thank you for sharing >> and we are just human. >> Oh my goodness. Can you believe it? Um, so Michelle, let's dive straight in. Many reflexologists do see CPD as just more courses or more money to spend. How would you redefine CPD? I think that CPD needs to come down to being enjoyable and productive. And I think if you can look at CPD in a different light um and you look at it from a planned point of view as opposed to a I've got to do this and as you put it I've got to tick this box and you really start to think at the beginning of your membership year with the AO you look at it and you think what do I want to achieve this year? what areas am I interested in? What areas could I de sort of dive deeper into to help my clients? Um, I think then CPD becomes broader, more enjoyable, um, and not that tickbox exercise. You actually achieve a goal. Um, so yeah, setting that goal, going for it, and and realizing that there's more than just courses out there. there are so many activities um that count towards CPD >> and I really want to talk about this at the end actually because that is the big thing isn't it like the big myth that CPD is just specific courses what I really liked about what you just said then it's something that I haven't done so I've already learned something is thinking about a goal at the beginning of the year and therefore finding what it is within the courses within the profession that can actually help you get there I think that's a really beautiful way to help us elevate our practice is so in that sense what does CPD really mean in the context of being a professional reflexologist do you think so it does what it says on the tin at the end of the day it is that continued development and so um that can take lots of different paths depending on who you are where you want your um career your practice to go and everybody's different and it everybody's path is right uh for them you know that's the One thing that I really get across and some people will be very happy to run their CPD throughout their career as a reflexologist with um ticking boxes like um you know I I've done the research for my client's condition um I may have had a treatment swap with somebody and um I've done a bit of research into XY Z and and that's enough for some people and that's absolutely fine and they they move along and and they don't want to develop that any further. Um there are other people though who maybe have huge dreams where they want to set up multi-therapy practices and and all sorts of things like that. And then so different types of CPD come into it. And um I think that it's just so important to make sure that you are being true to you and your goal at the end of the day um to get you to where you want to be. I really like that actually because people can feel the pressure to do a certain CPD course um a certain route. I know of course menopause is one of the big popular routes that people go down. Same with fertility. Um, postpartum care is something that I definitely specialize in that maybe people feel that that they definitely have to do that. Whereas, you're right, if people have dreams of creating a multi- treatment room business, then their CPD would look completely different to someone else. Exactly. And and my story actually when I qualified speaks volumes in this scenario as well with this question because I was desperate to get my um fertility and maternity course under my belt as soon as I qualified. Did I have anyone turn up at my door that needed me for that specialist area? No one. And um in all honesty, it's not an area that I've specialized in at all. Um I've done my training. I've ticked the box and I've done that training, but it's not where my reflexology has led me. And I think that's something really important to understand is that reflexology will lead you in the direction that it's meant to lead you in. And sometimes you have to listen and and go with it and and realize that maybe your your plan isn't always the the plan that your reflexology has for you. And I I run CPD courses and I do therefore have the privilege of meeting a lot of reflexologists. It's one of the main reason I love them. And the breadth of expertise that I see coming through the doors is amazing. You know, people who've gone down the route of specializing in teenagers or in ADHD or in um oncology, end of life care, hospice, fertility, of course, menopause, migraine. I mean the the route that people take can sometimes be based on their own personal life experience or it can be based on the clients that they see and the journey that they take. So I love just even you know within 10 minutes of this podcast just that little reframe of what a CPD course can be which is rather than being a tick box it's something that's enabling you on your journey I think is really beautiful. >> Fantastic. That said, as a reflexologist and especially as a member of the association of reflexologists, it's really important to maintain professional standards and I think that could be another reason why CPD is so important. I just wonder whether you can talk about why CPD is so important in maintaining that sort of professionalism. So I think with with CPD it keeps you up to date, it keeps you progressing and it keeps you motivated and interested. um with our members in terms of the um professional standards um we've got our code of conduct part of that is that there's 20 CPD points completed each year for each member and um whilst those points can be gathered in in so many different activities um courses being one of them but obviously we'll we'll come on to it a bit later but the there's such a breadth of what constitutes CPD within the AO and that's that's phenomenal And I love that. Um the um the kind of professional standards comes in where you are if you stagnate in your in your um career, you are not going to be at the top of your game. You're not going to have that professionalism at the forefront and things start to slip. By constantly doing CPD in whatever area or whichever direction your CPD is taking you, it's refreshing. It's sparking that passion again. It's keeping you um up to date. It's reminding you of what you're doing and why you're doing it. And I think those things are so important to keep us on track and to keep that standard high. I think that's a really important one because things do change, right? So, there's constant research papers that are coming out, um, new codes of conduct and ethics coming out. It's really important for us to, um, absorb, to learn, um, to understand crucially, they can keep us at the top of our game. But what I loved about what you just said just now was about stagnation. And um there is something that's that's uh it's like we go from unconscious incompetence which is we don't know how to do reflexology but we it doesn't really matter because we didn't know about it before um to conscious compet conscious competence. So we've really learned it and we understand it. But then we can go into unconscious competence which is that we're kind of just going through the motions. And actually that place can be one of the worst places to be in any career, not just in reflexology. Because if you're unconsciously competent, you're kind of just going through the motions. Then where's the joy, the creativity, the spark, as you said, to really enjoy what you do and therefore give the best to our clients because it we are people people, aren't we? Like that's what we're essentially to do. >> Exactly that. So how does ongoing development benefit clients as well as the practitioners? We've kind of talked about that a little bit, but how would this benefit clients too? >> So, I think if you're um when we look at CPD um if you're focusing and planning your CPD around the type of clients that you've already got or andor um thinking about the type of clients you would like to have, um sometimes putting out to the universe and and doing something about what you want in the future is sometimes really beneficial as well. doesn't always come to fruition as I've spoken about in my own experience. Um but um if you do CPD that is client focused, so you're you're specifically looking at um a collection of conditions that maybe a a client's got and you're delving into those a lot more and having a deeper understanding. if you're doing CPD courses that maybe give you different techniques or different ideas, different theory um maybe a different angle of looking at it um to really benefit um your clients. The other thing that it brings is that confidence in the therapist because if you've got somebody that has gone through CPD courses or even just has a deeper understanding of what you're going through as an individual, you're going to buy into them more and you're going to be able to relax when you're having your treatment. You're going to feel um confident in your therapist. Um, so there's a there's a there's a sort of whole another level of of well-being really when having that therapy with somebody who's done that extra bit of work and has that extra layer of understanding um to really give you um a sense of being valued and also that sense of being safe in someone's hands and I think that's huge for a client. Um and then you've also got um areas where sort of benefiting clients um you're able to give like they can get better advice, they can get better um afterare. They've got somebody to come and talk to who truly understands and that I think is really important as well. Um, so that whole package that you create for your client when you do CPD that is client-led CPD, which is just a part of CPD, that not all of your CPD needs to be clientled, but that part of CPD that is clientled is is so valuable to their whole well-being and confidence in you as a therapist. I think that's lovely. And I think that I know it as a client of a reflexologist to go and feel like I'm in safe hands. It's it's part of the process in a way. I think the other side of it is a lot of reflexologists because we're good people and majority or not empaths wanting to do well for other people can sometimes get that little feeling of imposter syndrome or lack of confidence. And to be able to grow, elevate your practice, read, understand, it means that you're going in with that confidence that also is impacting the client, but it's also impacting how you treat. And I think that can make such a big difference, too. >> Yeah, definitely. It takes a barrier away. >> Yeah. And so, I want to get into the really big kind of meaty part of this now, which is people can say, "Okay, that's all well and good. CPD sounds great. It's just really expensive and there's all these big courses out there for £300 and I just can't afford it right now. Let's debunk that myth. What actually does count as a CPD within the AOA? So we look at it that it's anything that is going to advance, develop, back up, refresh your understanding and knowledge and skills in reflexology. But also um there are other things that count towards CPD such as um business element of your practice. So if you're rebranding, if you're thinking about any of the business side of it, creating a new website, updating your website, thinking of a marketing plan, all of that counts towards CPD2, as well as promotion of reflexology as well because we want to scream and shout about this wonderful thing that we do. And um you know, we we try to make it as easy as we can for for members to get um CPD points, but they're all in activities that are really valuable. Um, so as I say, you can scream and shout about it with talks, with events, with um having stalls at fairs. Um, you might um you might want to go and get involved and talk to a local company about how reflexology could help in their workforce. Um, we've got um the other side of it as well there. The courses I will say are really valuable when you've got something in particular that you you want that certificate for and you want to feel really confident with. But there are other free ways to gain some knowledge as well. So things like um just watching a TV program, watching a YouTube video, watching the videos that are on the AO website, um having a read of any of the documents in our document library, having a look at research in a particular area, all of that counts towards CPD. And so you really can grab CPD points in lots and lots of different places. So whilst that £300 course if it's going to be enjoyable and it's going to be productive and and you can put it into place, go do it, you know, if if that's going to help you. And if you are struggling financially, pick the phone up and have a chat with the provider. You know, everyone lives in a realistic world these days and the answer might be no. You know, it's full full payment upfront and that might be their their policy. But but don't be afraid to pick up the phone and have a chat to someone if you're struggling, but you really want to do that course. Um but then also do consider the fact that there are so many other ways of gaining some knowledge or as I said as well refreshing um just because you may have a bit of knowledge already don't think that re reooking at that topic is not CPD because it is. That's lovely and I think that's a really important point about um financial limitation and just picking up the phone. I have done that many of times with my CBD courses cuz people have been brave and vulnerable and honest enough to message me and say, "I can't afford it right now." There's always a payment plan. There's always a way because the providers are also there and wanting you to learn too. So, I think that's a really important one. Um, I would like to talk about reflective practice because anyone who's listening, be completely honest whether you do reflective practice every single time after a client because I don't and I should. um that is part of CPD and I think it's one of the most powerful things that we can do because it helps us learn from a client from that specific situation, that technique, that setup. So, can we talk about reflective practice as a CPD? Does it have to be written down for it to be >> not at all? Not at all. And you say that you don't do CP you don't do reflective practice after every single client. There are always elements of our brain where we go even during a treatment sometimes where you you sometimes go oh I've I've just done that but what if I do this instead or something along those lines and that is all reflective practice because you're basically you're you're doing you're analyzing you're possibly adapting and changing trying again and then repeating that whole process and I think just doing and then thinking about what you've done. Would you have done it any differently? What sorts of things came out of it? Did it go the way that you thought it was going to before the treatment happened? Um what did you learn from it? What can you take away from it? Good, bad. You know, it doesn't always have to be really good and amazing. You know, it can be something that's not so good or something that you could develop or or adapt. Um, one thing I will say with this is that uh when we're talking about kind of adapting, so say you've done something in a treatment and then you've decided actually afterwards I I didn't like the way that that went and I really want to try something different. Um, Sally Erlam once said about being uh playful with your reflexology and um I've highlighted this a few times and I I really love the way that she explains it about being playful and it's all about being adventurous and exploring different ways of working, different reflexes, about trying different approaches. You don't have to stick to one particular sequence. You can play about and it's okay to It sounds really harsh to say use your clients as sort of guinea pigs for your playfulness, but but that is really what you're doing. But you're doing it for their benefit because you're saying, "Oh, look, I I what I'm doing at the moment maybe isn't working. I've done some reflective practice on the fact that you're not, you know, you're not benefiting from these treatments at the moment. I'm going to try something different." and and doing that as a conscious decision because of your reflective practice is is amazing. And the thing you next try doesn't have to go well. You know, it's not about always winning and about finding the the um you know that magic spot or or anything along those lines, but it's about trying and it's about adapting. And I think when you're using reflective practice in a way to actually adapt your reflexology, you dip into this toolbox that some people are unaware that they've actually got because all these CPD courses and all the training that we've had, all the things we've read, all the videos we've watched, all the podcasts we've listened to, they they all add something that you can take away. Even if it's not everything, you know, we don't have to take 100% of everything that we learn away. But you take a bit away and you pop it in your toolbox and you do your tool box up and every client you lug this tool box around with you and sometimes you forget it's there. So open the tool box, grab out a tool that you think is appropriate for that client and try but then reflect. And that is you you use the word curiosity at the beginning of this podcast and I think um I I I think it's a lovely word to to throw into CPD because actually it is about being curious about what if what if I try this well or do it do it and see and then reflect on it. Um and that is about reflect that is all about that is what reflective practice is. It's about going, "Oh, this didn't quite work, so I'm going to try this." Or, "That really worked, so I'm going to try it with that client as well." And and that sort of reflective practice is is fantastic for both the the therapist and the client. So, you you can't go wrong with having that that thought process. Um, and different people do reflective practice in different ways. You could think it, you can write it down. Um, you know, you could you could create a a vision board for your reflective practice. You can do how however it works for you. You could just put colors on a piece of paper if that's what's resonating with you for your reflective practice. Um, it doesn't have to be one way for everybody. I really love that answer, Michelle. I think it's a really empowering way for people who might not have confidence and might think um that they don't have the authority to be able to be playful. And I think that's going to really help a lot of reflexologists. I did go to Sally in 2019, Sally for a little refresher. So I special I qualified in 2012 and then I just wanted to try with someone else and she used that exact term. It was serious playfulness. And I still quote her in my CPD courses about the fact that actually being a reflexologist is about serious playfulness, which is that we can have a technique that we've learned and we can have a sequence that we've learned, but reflexology is about a relationship between us and the client and the feedback that we're constantly getting from them, from their feet energetically, and then how we can adapt and I think that does help build a lot of confidence. So, >> I think that that is a a really really good answer. >> So, another thing that does come up is I'm just so busy, Meg. Like, I've got so many clients and I've got children or, you know, I've got another job because you do get a lot of reflexologists who have two jobs. I just don't have time for CPD. So, can we talk about how we can build CPD into a routine without it feeling overwhelming? Of course. Um so one thing I would say is at the beginning of this question is that um AO CPD we make as I say I've said previously we make it as easy as we can for members to build up their points. Um but we allow them to do that through productive and enjoyable ways and the way that's right for them. Um so there's three ways to look at CPD. You've got your planned CPD and if you're planning CPD, I would diorize it. And that is one huge way to make sure that you hit that magic number of 20 CPD points at the end of your membership year. Um, but you spread it out and you can really focus on different things that you you that are important to you that that help you get to that goal at the end of your membership year. So all of those planned CPD things will be um you know it might be watching a a anatomy and physiology program that you've been longing to watch on Netflix. Diorize it. Work out when in your in your next month or two you're able to actually watch that. Double check when it when it's expiring as well so you don't miss it. Um you know get it in that diary. Um it might be that um you follow a YouTube channel and you just haven't had a chance to catch up with it. Diarize it. put it in as if it's an appointment. Um, you know, if if you'd booked your own treatment with somebody, you've booked your own um reflexology session with a with a friend or with with a colleague, um, you're not going to not turn up to that. So, put it in your diary as an appointment. So, that's all the planned CPD. The other thing to point out is that there's also reactive and opportunistic CPD. And so whilst we can plan our CPD, there are um the reactive CPD that that I think many of us forget that we do because we do it so often, which is looking up clients conditions. It's researching things. It's it's looking for links that that might help one of our clients. It's it's all of those things that we do quite naturally as reflexologists and we we don't give any credit to really. That's all CPD. So log it. That's that's the biggest thing when when you're when you're doing anything that that you think is potentially CPD, log it. Um and you'll be surprised how quickly that racks up, which is amazing. And then there's opportunistic CPD as well, which is well my my the best story that I can put to opportunistic CPD is that um where I've said about for the AO CPD um also includes sharing information about reflexology. Um, one of our members, she was standing in a queue in a shop and overheard two people talking and all that was going through her head is reflexology would be fantastic for you. Reflexology would be fantastic for you. and she buted into the conversation and then proceeded to have about a half an hour conversation with these people outside the shop about reflexology, how it could, you know, support them and and what what she could do and and and where she practiced and and everything about um reflexology that she could possibly think of and um she ended up getting two clients out of it. And I think, you know, it's those type of conversations even with a friend that knows about reflexology because they've they've, you know, seen you go through your um your training and and into your practice. If you're just discussing reflexology with somebody and um expressing something about how amazing it is, that that's all CPD. Um, and so it's really important to just remember that you've got your planned, you've got your um reactive, and then you've got your opportunistic. And and all of it counts. The whole lot of it counts. Um, so it really really doesn't need to be scary. Um, one of the things that um I am very very hot on trying to to push out there is that we do have a whole handbook on um on CPD. And so it's so it's so valuable to people if you just read it um because it will help you to understand what counts as CPD and that you're probably getting 20 points per membership year without really doing much else other than your job. So it's it's it's done really. So almost and I just I want to go back to what you said because I think it's really powerful but just on that point it's almost to reframe the tick box. The tick box almost is the ticking off the 20 things at the end of the year on the membership area to make sure that you've logged it. That's the tick box. But actually the continual development and confidence building that you have throughout the year is CPD and for people to have that as a reframe I think is really really beautiful. One thing I would say about the courses which I think is a massive benefit is that being a reflexologist can be quite a lonely thing. You know, you're you are working on your own. You might be self-employed. If you're working in a hospice or you're a nurse as well, then of course you're getting that interaction, but actually the beauty that I've seen on my CPD courses is that that the group comes together as a group. You can chat to other reflexologists too. And that almost is a form of CPD within the CPD without getting too meta about it where people are learning from each other. So that can be a huge benefit as well is actually getting together with others. It sparks that passion again and stops that stagnation. It's it's amazing the energy that you get from working with others, especially in this day and age where everything is like we're doing. It's virtual, you know. It's it's lovely just to get bodies in a room together and and have that energy and be there for the same purpose and and that's wonderful. And when you I mean reflexologists all in a room together sharing such a common passion. It's a it's a beautiful thing. This podcast has gone really fast and um it's been amazing. Thank you. I feel like there's been quite a few light bulb moments for for me and hopefully for our listeners too. you touched on it already, but I want to make sure everyone knows. What support does the AOL provide to help members access meaningful CPD opportunities? So, we've got a whole host of things. Um, as I've said so many times, there's CPD is such a broad spectrum of activities. Um so we've got our approved CPD providers um where we've approved the content of courses and um there's a list of the providers on our website. Um within our website in the members area there is a whole host of um resources and information that you can um plan and use as your planned CPD or use as your reactive CPD um or possibly opportunistic if you just happen to be scrolling through the through the website. But there's things like our video library. Watch the videos, gain your points. We've got um the document library where you can get so much advice and um insight into lots of different things and it's all searchable. Um there's the research library as well um where you can um use the search tool and find relevant research. Um there's the um we've got a lot of business support online as well. So when you're setting up in business or if you're sort of rebranding or you're coming back into the reflexology world, there is a whole host of templates and documents and and lots of things there and advice about business. And so anything that you're doing around that can all count towards CPD when you're setting up um all of these things. Um we've got our contraindications. So when you've got clients who have got um uh certain conditions, we've got our contraindications list that have got information sheets attached to them. Uh we produce the reflections magazine. So reading the reflections magazine um counts towards your CPD and it's a lovely read um sit there with a with a cup of tea or or drink of choice and uh snuggle up and have a read or take it on holiday with you if you if you're lucky enough to get the chance to to head off somewhere this year. Um the other uh two things that I wanted to mention with regards to resources in CPD. So when I said about um screaming and shouting about reflexology, we've got reflexology in healthcare, reflexology in the workplace um areas on our website. Um so they can really help you to get into um different companies or different organizations um to scream and shout about reflexology and hopefully actually get hands- on feet and practice it within those organizations as well. Um, and then the biggest one that people forget about and definitely don't log very often is our advice line. If you ring us to soundboard an idea, to have a chat about a client, anything along those lines, that counts as CPD. So, don't forget that there are so many ways of of gaining CPD just from the AO, let alone the bigger world that that's out there. Um, there's so so much out there. So, yeah, enjoy it and uh and um yeah, delve into it and see see what's available to you. And isn't that a beautiful way to end this podcast? The fact is is that we are constantly creating CPD opportunities. And those CPD opportunities are there to increase our confidence. They're there to elevate our practice. They're there to help us show up as the reflexologist that we're all supposed to be. The only thing that is the tick box is at the end of your reflexology. Yeah, you need to put those 20 points in. But that your CPD isn't restricted to those 20 points. And I think that's a really really lovely message to give our listeners. >> So thank you Michelle. I've really appreciated your time. I know you at the AO very busy. Um so thank you so much. And to everyone listening um go shout and scream about reflexology and remember that there is so much that you can be doing as part of your um your CPD, your continual professional development. Michelle, thank you so much for being on the reflexology exchange. I hope to see you soon. >> Thanks very much.