How does reflective practice, supervision and the professional development policy, support professional practice?

The link between vital components such as reflective practice, supervision and ongoing professional development are important to ensure your business will continue to grow into a successfully well rounded professional practice.

Reflective Practice

Reflective practice is about looking at the way you currently do things and scrutinising every detail to identify your strengths and weaknesses within the entire process of running your business. By recognizing your flaws or strengths you can then make a conscious effort to improve or try a different approach to the way something is presently working for you. I consider this a hugely beneficial process especially when first starting out in the Massage industry. When first starting there are so many things you are trying to get right treatment wise that details start to slip, and by carrying out reflective practice by creating a feedback form to give to clients you can find out how others see your business. This could include questions about environment, behaviour, treatment and other aspects of their experience as a client; this will give you an idea of any weaknesses you have missed yourself to work on.

Supervision

As a massage therapist I personally see supervision as a crucial element within the health industry because we deal with others emotions, energy and well being from people everyday. Supervision allows us time to discuss issues or any concerns we ourselves experience with a qualified trustworthy outsider and gain a different perspective we may have never thought of. Supervision can be in the form of just opening up to issues that have affected you and having someone listen, making frequent supervision beneficial to keeping an open and clear thought process needed to tackle day to day running of a professional well run practice.

Professional Development

Massage New Zealand (MNZ) recognises the need to keep MNZ therapists striving and enthusiastic towards Massage, they have set up a policy that is recognised by a points system, this is to ensure therapists continue to develop their skills and contribute to the professional future of Massage Industry in New Zealand.

I find this is an encouraging way to continually up-skill therapists once they are out practicing within the community and by boosting the public profile of Massage therapy within New Zealand by establishing a level of high standards that should be sought when choosing a therapist for treatment.

Reflective practice, Supervision and Professional practice are positive steps to be taken to ensure yourself, and your practice are maintained to a high quality, combined they all work to encourage a healthy sustainable positive environment within your business.