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Friday, March 24, 2023, 11:29 AM
Celebrating 35 Years with Life Members
2023 marks the Association's 35th anniversary. We started as the small, Edmonton-based In Touch Massage Club of Alberta in 1988. Four years later, we became known as the Association of Massage Therapists and Wholistic Practitioners (AMTWP), and in 2007, we became the Natural Health Practitioners of Canada Association (NHPCA).
As our membership grew, our desire to advocate for the benefits of holistic health care continued to grow with it. Our Association continues to evolve yearly because of our members' loyalty, passion, skillsets, and standards.
To celebrate this milestone, we sat down with a few NHPC Life Members to hear about their NHPC experience and holistic health journey.
Life members are NHPC members who have been in good standing continuously for over 20 years and, for 10 of those years, have volunteered in at least three different services with the NHPC.
Pam Hyde
Pam Hyde, Massage Therapist, has been an NHPC member since 1994. She has volunteered in the Association as Director and Secretary, and she has been involved in various committees and task forces from 1998 to 2017.
What attracted you to join the NHPC?
My first employer and mentor, Wayne Wilson, an early founding member and director, encouraged us to volunteer to become active in the Association.
The need to support alternative health care practices was urgent, as was the need to educate the public and government regarding the value of holistic approaches to wellness.
When I started my practice mid-1990s, we faced attitudes from some medical practitioners who would not work with clients if they were being treated by massage therapists.
The Association provided an important place to organize support and change.
Why do you choose to stay with NHPC?
...no one holistic health treatment will help all the people all the time!
The NHPC is still providing that engine for change. Its vision, mission, and core values still guide me professionally and personally.
I am most drawn to our value of "inclusivity." After 29 years in practice, I say with absolute certainty that, in the field of natural health care, no one holistic health treatment will help all the people all the time!
The NHPC inclusively recognizes over 60 holistic health treatments. Within those diverse practices, I have met — at meetings, workshops, courses, and conferences — amazing people (e.g., teachers, mentors, challengers, researchers, visionaries, and fellow members) who are passionate about their work and skills. They are eager to learn, share, and keep the natural health care landscape vibrant and moving forward.
Additionally, the Association provides information on education and benefits. The NHPC administration continuously works — on my behalf — towards the recognition and regulation that I could only have dreamed of in the past.
And because of those things, I stay!
As a member, what would you consider the most significant challenge and opportunity for the NHPC?
I think our challenges and opportunities as an association and as individual members lie in returning to in-person gatherings.
We are hands-on people! Online interaction is crucial, and it has been invaluable as the Board and the staff guided us through the uncertainty of the past three years.
Now it is time to regroup and create local and national spaces to respond to each other's wisdom, curiosity, and energy and continue to build the networks that feed our individual practices.
We do that best face-to-face, continuing to build the energy, enthusiasm, and direction on which the NHPC thrives.
Todd Lorentz
Todd Lorentz, Massage Therapist, MA, BA (Hons), has been an NHPC member since 1995. Todd was instrumental in performing research to help legitimize massage therapy within the larger health care community.
In what ways has the massage industry changed since you began practising?
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, massage therapy was gaining more traction in the alternative health sector but still struggled to find legitimacy among members of the mainstream medical community.
Public Perception of Massage Therapy
As the general public's interest in alternative health grew, academic and medical institutions became more interested. Their interest prompted an increased uptake by the public of massage services as well as interest from some physicians.
This placed enormous responsibility on associations like the NHPC to ensure that the delivery of therapeutic services was professional and backed by standards and practices that could instill confidence in both the public and other medical professionals.
Early NHPC Advocacy
NHPC staff and volunteers established the standards of practice for over 60 modalities in complementary health practices, growing its membership to one of the largest and most diverse in Canada.
NHPC's work in the earlier decades involved establishing various standards of practice for dozens of modalities, including research into efficacy and mechanisms behind massage therapy. The early 2000s was a period of significant activity within the Association.
I was grateful to be part of the multiple committees developing the standards for a professional association. The Association worked very hard to communicate the standards to our membership. As a national organization, this work was repeated across the country and coordinated within each province.
The NHPC was also one of the first associations in Alberta to work closely and cooperatively with other Alberta associations to initiate the application for professional status under the Alberta Health Act.
In addition, NHPC staff and volunteers established the standards of practice for over 60 modalities in complementary health practices, growing its membership to one of the largest and most diverse in Canada.
The Future of Holistic Health Practices
The complementary and alternative health field will increase exponentially over the coming years and decades. Today's practitioners will have a significant role in making massage therapy an essential part of the public health care system.
How has NHPC helped your growth as a holistic health practitioner?
...the work of the NHPC and the people with whom I have had the privilege to work has helped to amplify my confidence, refine my character, expand my professionalism, and sustain my compassion over almost 30 years.
Today, the NHPC is a powerful voice advocating for a broad spectrum of complementary health care practitioners in general as well as massage therapists.
I am pleased to have had at least a small role in several of these developments. For many years I had the opportunity to assist in developing the scope of practice standards for many complementary modalities.
As my research skills improved, I had the opportunity to produce reports for the Association, including on the efficacy of massage therapy, which was subsequently used in negotiations for massage benefits included in the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act.
That work subsequently played a part in my later work for Prosecutors as an Expert Witness in the Provincial Court dealing with sexual assault cases in massage therapy.
Each step of involvement with the NHPC allowed me to develop and hone skills to give back to the NHPC and the industry in other capacities.
It is so clear now — as I find myself closer to the end of my career than the beginning — that the value of my membership with the NHPC all these years can't be calculated on paper.
Beyond the ample "benefits" which are accorded to any member of an association, the work of the NHPC and the people with whom I have had the privilege to work has helped to amplify my confidence, refine my character, expand my professionalism, and sustain my compassion over almost 30 years.
Dr. Anna Weir
Dr. Anna Weir (Richards) has been an NHPC member since 1987. She was the founding president of In Touch Massage Club. In addition to massage therapy, she also learned sports massage, reflexology, trigger point therapy, touch for health, and therapeutic touch. In 1996, she graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and now integrates chiropractic techniques and massage therapy into her practice.
What are the attributes of a successful holistic health practitioner?
Successful holistic health practitioners take time to listen to their clients. They recognize that everyone is unique and has different comfort levels.
As a practitioner, you must communicate before and throughout the treatment session. Start with a phone call confirmation to get to know your clients' medical history and their goals.
During the session, as you proceed with your evaluation and examination, ensure you continuously discuss your findings and recommendations with the client. Openly communicate any discomfort or tenderness. Informed consent must always be obtained prior to any treatments.
Discuss post-treatment symptoms, provide recovery recommendations, and book a follow-up session. Encourage your clients to log their feelings for the next few days after the session.
As a practitioner, be aware of whom you can help in their healing journey and who may benefit from another type of therapy. Referrals are best as word of mouth from other patients and clients you have helped in their healing journey.
Successful holistic health practitioners take time to listen to their clients. They recognize that everyone is unique and has different comfort levels.
Jan Bagot
Jan Bagot has been an NHPC member since 1997. She has volunteered in various committees and held positions on the NHPC Board of Directors. Massage therapy and Thai massage are her leading holistic health practices.
Is there a particular moment or memory of being an NHPC member that stands out for you?
[What really stands out for me is] the variety of speakers and networking opportunities offered at Annual General Meetings, Keynotes, and Conferences.
Even though my practices stayed in the massage therapy lane, the keynote speakers at these conferences left memorable impressions that inspired my career and life.
What would you say to someone considering joining the NHPC?
Any time and effort you expend to engage and connect with the NHPC will always be valuable and rewarding.
The NHPC can provide just the basics you need or be a lifeline for support and growth throughout your career.
The expansive community across Canada, practising a variety of modalities, connects you with a unique membership. Any time and effort you expend to engage and connect with the NHPC will always be valuable and rewarding.
Choose the NHPC if you want to be accountable and responsible for your professional career. Use the lifeline the NHPC has, and enjoy the community.
Celebrate with Us!
Our journey to 35 years involved a lot of hard work, dedication, and commitment from our members and staff.
We've grown to be a community of skilled professionals, guided by ethics and passionate about helping people. We are an association that has and will always strive for excellence. We are the NHPC!
We invite NHPC members to celebrate this milestone with us by sharing your NHPC journey with us on our social channels (Facebook and Instagram) using the hashtag #WeAreNHPC.