|
Special Healing Topics
Energy Healing
Spiritual Healing
Human Energy Field
|
Becoming a Healer
Part 2: legalities of energy healing as a profession
In Part 1 we answered
general FAQs about becoming a healer. In Part 2, we focus on the
legalities of practicing the healing arts. Since our specialty is energy
healing, many of these answers emphasize energy healing. (Please see our
disclaimer below.)
Do I have to be licensed to be
a professional healer?
If your interest is in
energy healing, and you are incorporating it into a previously established
healing practice such as nursing, massage, etc., your practice will be governed
by the laws regulating your profession. If you do not have a previously
existing practice that you can add your new healing modality to, and if this
modality is not specifically regulated by the government, then you are among the pioneers who
are helping to establish a new profession. There is much that is still
undefined, and you will need to carve out a professional identity and practice
based on the laws of your state and locality.
Because of the split we now
have in our institutions between secular and spiritual, scientific and
religious, you may find yourself deciding whether to define your practice as
spiritually or scientifically based. This will help determine the legal
basis for your practice. In some cases, people consider their healing to
be part of a ministry and become ordained. There are some healers who
establish churches within which they do their work. Some feel that being
an ordained member of the clergy provides a legal basis for practicing certain
healing arts -- others disagree and say that it is not enough to simply be
ordained, but that the healing work must be part of an overall ministry with
other traditional ministerial functions. The laws are different in every
state and locality. There are many opinions concerning the
legalities of energy healing, and little that has been clearly defined by law.
(Those who live in California may want to read about SB577.)
Some people say they are
"certified" healers. What is meant by "certified"?
Is it the same as having a "license"?
Certification involves
regulation within a profession, not by the government. It indicates
recognition that an individual is competent to practice that profession.
The requirements for certification are set by the profession itself. It
has nothing to do with whether the State regulates that profession. The
term "license" applies to government regulation. It means that a
practitioner can legally practice within the scope defined by the law for that
profession.
The traditional method of certification is for an
organization to be established within a profession which is independent of a
particular training program, but which provides a means for certifying the
competence of individuals trained in that profession. The requirements for
certification often involve a certain amount of hands-on experience, as well as
an exam of some sort. Because the organization providing certification is
independent of the training program, it allows for more "objectivity".
In the healing arts, however, the title "certified" is often given to graduates of a training
program who have met certain requirements. In addition, some individuals
may refer to themselves as "certified" when they have simply received what is
called a "certificate of completion". A certificate of completion
indicates that the person has completed a particular course of training.
From the standpoint of the public, this can be confusing, and it requires some
research to find out what it means when an individual uses the title
"certified".
What about certification
in energy healing?
There are some energy healing training programs which lead to
the designation "certified" for graduates who have demonstrated a certain level
of proficiency in that practice. Some have taken significant steps to
develop a well-defined "scope of practice", "code of ethics" and "standards of
practice" in keeping with the tradition of other, well-established professions.
In some cases, a certifying body may have been established which is independent
of the particular training program. In almost every case, however, the
certifying body provides certification only for individuals trained in a
particular modality. Practitioners of Healing Touch, for example, can
apply for certification from Healing Touch International, but have received
their training under the auspices of the Colorado Center for Healing Touch.
There are not, however, any energy healing organizations which provide
certification for people trained in a number of different modalities.
Energy healing is too new as a profession to have developed a universally agreed
upon body of theory and practice.
Some people feel that there healing work is part of a healing
ministry, and may become ordained as a way to represent themselves and establish
a the legal basis of their work.
Is it important to get become
"certified"?
Being "certified" may indicate completion of quite rigorous
requirements, but in other cases the requirements are much more lenient.
In considering whether to pursue a program leading to certification, it will be
important to investigate what certification actually means for that program, and
most importantly, whether attaining the title "certified" is an important step
for you. In some cases it can be very meaningful, and in other cases it
may not be important. This will, in part, be determined by the context in
which you intend to practice.
The whole field of energy healing is in a very early stage of
development. It involves many different kinds of modalities which work in
very different ways. There are people who have had considerable training
and experience, and some with very little. The amount of training may not
even be a reflection of the practitioner's skill, and it is well known that
there are very effective healers who have received their abilities
"spontaneously" or through self-development.
Looking ahead to the future of the profession, there may be
some challenges in the attempt to regulate energy healing in the way other
professions have been regulated. Since the United States emphasizes a
separation between church and state, the institutions are secular in nature, and
may not readily integrate practices like energy healing which so clearly include
what would be considered the "spiritual" dimension of life. It will be
interesting to see how this all develops!
What is
California's SB577?
In California, the Business and Professions Code regulates
health care providers. This code includes the Medical Practices Act which
pertains to the practice of medicine. Thanks to the work of the
California
Health Freedom Coalition, Senate bill SB577 was signed into law (and
implemented on January 1, 2003). It allows alternative and complementary
practitioners to practice without being in violation of the Medical Practice Act
as long as they comply with certain requirements. The most significant of
these is to provide clients which a Disclosure Statement which makes it clear
that the service they are offering is not licensed by the State, that they are
not a licensed physician, what the theory is behind their practice and how they
were trained to provide this service. In order to practice legally, anyone
practicing a holistic modality in California which is not a part of another
practice which is licensed must comply with SB577. (Click here to read the
text of SB577.)
Disclaimer: The answers on this page should not be taken as
legal advice. We are not attorneys, and are simply sharing our
understanding and opinions about the legalities of the alternative healing arts.
It is important to consult with the laws and regulations of the country, region
or state, and locality in which you live. It is advisable to consult your
attorney with regard to setting up a practice in the healing arts.
Website founder, Mary Maddux, provides mentoring to those who are
exploring or developing their healing abilities (read
more...)
|
|
Mentoring
Energy
Healing CDs
Energy Healing CD
Learn energy healing from a CD -- do a hands-on chakra balancing!
Musical Massage Sound Therapy CD
Let these musical tones and patterns clear and balance your energy field!
Chakra Dhyana CD
Powerful meditation to open the chakras and raise kundalini.
Ease of Being CD
Guided meditations for centering and healing.
Energy Healing Oils & Scrubs
Atlantian Angel Products
Clear and enhance your energy with these aromatic oils and scrubs!
|
