Sorry there was no spring Bulletin this year, but we hope this summer bumper edition will make up for it!
Speaker network
We would like to thank everyone who responded to the item in the last Bulletin, “Are Giving Talks Your Thing?” As a result we have now built up quite a wide network of speakers.
Those who expressed an interest will have received a letter from us explaining the procedure. We have written to some 200 organisations – charities, women’s groups etc. – and we have already received several requests for speakers. Hopefully before long, once the Network is established and more widely known, these requests will be commonplace and generate interest in all areas so that you all have a chance to participate.
National education
You will remember that in a previous Bulletin, we explained the educational programme being undertaken in the UK. Basically, there are three levels – Introductory Seminars, Week-end Workshops, and the Practitioner Training Course here at Mount Vernon. Karen Chapman, manager of the Bach International Education Programme, has coordinated and organised the Seminars and Workshops in the UK, and has provided us with the following update:
We are delighted with the success of the 1995 seminar programme. Introductory days and weekend workshops around the country have been fully booked and the feedback from our participants so far has been excellent. Further seminars already planned this year are as follows:
Introductory Days:
- Winchester – 18th June
- Harrogate – 9th July
- London – 17th September
- Cambridge – 22nd October
- Plymouth – 19th November
- Manchester – 3rd December
Weekend Workshops:
More practical training for those with some knowledge of the Bach flower remedies.
- Edinburgh – 9-10th September
- London – 11-12th November
If you know of new learners or if you can help us by handing out leaflets to your clients or in local health centres, libraries etc. please give us a ring for a further supply.
Plans for 1996:
We are starting to plan an ongoing programme for next year; it is likely to continue along the same lines, with two levels of training – beginners and advanced – with the focus on self-help and using the remedies for friends and family. The demand for the weekend workshops has been excellent and we are planning to run increased numbers of these.
As a result of the popularity of the seminar and workshop programme, a training opportunity has arisen as follows:
Teaching the Bach flower remedies
We will be looking for another trainer to join our training team, and invite applications from Registered Practitioners. The work will involve teaching introductory days at different locations around the country during 1996. These seminars will have up to 40 participants and be held, usually on Sundays, at predetermined locations (usually hotels). We will provide the courses and all administrative supports, and will pay a teaching fee plus expenses.
The ideal candidate will be a Registered Bach Practitioner with several years of practical experience to bring to the teaching. He or she will have a teaching background or teaching experience, not necessarily in this field, and be flexible and able to travel around the country.
We look forward to hearing from interested candidates. Please send your CV to me, Karen Chapman, c/o the Bach Centre, with a brief explanation (up to 500 words) on why you think you would be good for this task, to reach us by 31st July 1995.
Refresher Days
We have received a number of requests for refresher days. This is something we have been hoping to introduce since the courses began in 1991, but unfortunately we have simply not had the time to actually make any definite plans.
Having given it further thought recently, it would seem that the main reason for requesting these days is a keen interest in getting together for an exchange of information and discussion. The likelihood of us being in a position to invite you all back to Mount Vernon in the near future is not, unfortunately, feasible, although we do hope to be able to offer something one day.
However, we have another suggestion which we feel would probably act as a more practical solution. What we propose is that local “Practitioner Support Groups” – get-togethers, meetings – be organised at suitable venues in your own areas. This would give all the practitioners working nearby a chance to meet one another, exchange information, news, discuss difficulties etc. The groups would act as a general means of mutual support as well as a good way of meeting old friends (some of you may have attended together), making new ones and establishing a sense of team spirit.
It would also mean that you would be able to meet more regularly than would be the case if refresher days were organised here. If as a group you find a common problem, this can be relayed to us so that we can either address it in the Bulletin or sort it out with you personally.
All in all, we think this system should work well. If any of you feel inclined to organise a local group, and would like us to provide you with up to date details of the practitioners in your locality to enable contact between to be made, please let us know.
Rescue Remedy packaging
Thank you to everyone who wrote expressing their likes and dislikes. Some of you loved it, some of you hated it! We received comments from only a relatively small percentage of you, but the response we obtained from this mini-survey indicated that the majority are keen on the new design. Approx. 85% in favour, 15% against. (We assume those who didn’t respond do not mind one way or the other.)
All your opinions have been passed on to the appropriate department at Nelsons.
Whilst on the subject of packing, we have also received one or two adverse comments about the containers used to package the complete set of remedies. Once again, your comments have been passed on.
Client referrals
We are sorry to hear that some of you have not received a referral. Unfortunately we are not sure how to remedy this situation as it is luck of the draw as to the area requests are received from. There was recently a large article in the Daily Mail (about weight loss) and as a result of that we were inundated with requests for practitioners. We sent out a list of everyone in the appropriate area – e.g. the West country, the South East, Midlands, Wales etc. – and we hope you received a good response.
Thompson Directory
The Thompson telephone directory office contacted us recently to say that all complementary practitioners are allowed a free listing in their Directory. All you need to do is contact you local Thompson office and ask for a free listing! Perhaps therefore all those clients are only a phone call away!
Unqualified practitioners
We have received a “complaint” recently about unqualified practitioners advertising their services and as a result receiving clients at the expense of the Registered Practitioner(s) in the area. There is of course no law to stop unqualified practitioners from working – unless the practitioner advertises their services and/or describes themselves as being registered with us (we can do something about that as it is misrepresentation), or advertises the use of Bach remedies but actually uses some other system instead. Once again, that is misrepresentation and can be stopped.
Eventually EU regulations will stipulate that all practitioners, in whatever field they practise, must be suitably qualified and regulated. When this comes about, it will be illegal for anyone to practise without appropriate training, but until then the law does not prevent it, which in turn unfortunately renders all of us somewhat powerless!
We have also heard from someone who had a dispute with a self-taught “Bach Counsellor” about the dosage instructions and incorrect interpretation of what is stated on the label. Situations like this can be very difficult – you have been instructed correctly, but convincing others who sometimes dig their heels in and dispute something you know to be right, can be most frustrating!
We do not want to be drawn into any conflict, but if anyone should find themselves in a dispute over a technical point – like dosage – perhaps the way to settle the argument would be to say, “let’s phone the Bach Centre and find out.”
(In this particular instance, we feel that the label instructions may seem a little ambiguous, although if they are read correctly with the punctuation, they are quite clear. We have received several queries from people asking us to clarify the dosage, so we appreciate there may be a problem. Mind you, it is not the easiest task to condense full instructions into such a small space, but we will encourage the manufacturers to make the dosage instructions even clearer.)
Insurance
It has come to our notice that the Harrow office of H&L Balen has closed. If you wish to take up their insurance, you should contact their Worcestershire office. We have also been told of other insurance companies endorsed by professional therapist associations and, we understand, competitively priced. They are C.E. Heath (UK) Ltd and Medical Auxiliary Insurance Brokers.
Thank you Charles for this information.
Client information
Whilst marking papers recently, someone expressed concern about the relevance of asking for information such as marital status. It was suggested that asking such questions were not only irrelevant but an intrusion into a client’s privacy.
We would agree that it does not matter whether a person is a “Miss”, “Mrs” or “Ms”, as this information has not direct bearing on the remedies the person might need. Similarly, it may seem inappropriate to record whether a person is divorced, widowed, single, co-habiting or whatever, as asking such questions may be considered embarrassing and have no value other than pure noseyness!
However, having give this some careful thought, we do feel that in some (perhaps many) instances, such information can be extremely helpful when piecing together certain information which comes to light during the course of the consultation.
For example, a client may come to you suffering with loneliness. As we know, someone who has been widowed or divorced may still be suffering the effects of their grief, anger, disbelief etc. even it if happened years ago, and may actually be the cause of their problem – i.e. loneliness in this instance.
Asking questions, and thus appreciating the fact that the person has experienced this trauma, can save both the practitioner and the client from awkwardness or embarrassment. Without knowing, one could so easily put a clumsy and unwelcome foot in it by asking questions which may appear most insensitive, for example, “do you and your husband have a social life?” or “what does your wife think?” One does not need too vivid an imagination to appreciate how an uncomfortable situation like this might arise – yet it could so easily be avoided by gently gleaning the information from the outset.
In addition, it also gives the client an opportunity to open up and tell you what has happened, or explain a situation which he or she may be too embarrassed to upset to discuss otherwise.
Asking these questions, therefore, is no being nosy – the answers may not always be relevant, but in some cases can provide valuable, perhaps vital, information which enables you to piece the jigsaw of the problem together and in so doing, genuinely helps the client.
Calling all midwives, pregnant women and mums…
One of our practitioners, Sheila Gill, who is herself a midwife, is currently undertaking some research into the use of the remedies during pregnancy and labour. She would very much like to hear from anyone who has had experience, whether it be personal, family or in treating clients, of the use of the Bach remedies during pregnancy, labour, childbirth and post-natally. If you can help, please contact Sheila direct.
Registration renewals
Registration is renewable annually. A reminder is sent to everyone each year, and the required forms must be sent back in order to remain on the Register.
Although most of you are very good and send your forms back more or less straight away (even if we ourselves have been a little late in sending them out), there are occasions when we receive no response at all, and sometimes even reminder letters and telephone calls receive no reply.
We cannot over-emphasise the importance of renewing your registration – if your registration is cancelled for failing to renew, you lose the status you have worked so hard for. Some practitioners choose not to practise for a while – that’s OK – you can still be registered, even though you are “dormant”, but you still need to renew in order to remain registered.
If, however, anyone reading this has not returned their form because for one reason or another they do not wish to be registered with us any longer, we would appreciate a quick phone call or note to say so. If you want to opt out, that’s OK – we won’t bite! – but please let us know.
Sale! 20 ml bottles
If you cast your mind back a few years, you will no doubt remember the days when all the remedies were available in 20 ml bottles. After a while, these were made available only for practitioners, until they were discontinued altogether (apart from the larger sized Rescue Remedy).
For anyone interested, we have some remaining stock of the 20 ml practitioner bottles. They are all individual remedies – not complete sets – and we do not have a quantity of every remedy (no Crab Apple or Walnut, for example). However, if you would like to take advantage of the supplies available, please telephone or write with your order (just state what you would like), and we will supply what we can, together with an invoice.
Price: £2 each + P&P – Bargain!!
Welcome aboard…
Beth Knowles, Lynn Beaumont, Margaret Daniels, Kit Keetch, Susan Smith, Ann Bruce, Elaine Arthey, Margaret Woodward, Fiona Mutch, Anne Sinclaire, Brenda Woodward, Sue Barlow, Jenny Lloyd, Alethea Amsden, Elaine More, Rita Kerfoot-Owen, Aileen Summers, Angela Booth, Hermia Brockway, Brenda Willmott and Shella Parry
have all become registered this year. Congratulations to you all!
And finally…
No doubt many of you will have already made plans for the summer – so happy holidays if you are going away – happy gardening/decorating if you’re not! We have two courses running at the end of June which should keep us busy for a while… (ahhh!)… But everyone needs a break so enjoy yourself whatever you plan to do and have a wonderful summer!
This archive material has been edited to remove some out-of-date advice and information.