Award-winning therapist trainer provides free support for spa therapists through and beyond Covid-19

For those considering a move into a career as a spa therapist, or interested in how the industry has handled the challenges of Covid-19.Award-winning therapist trainer has been offering important educational opportunities to help the spa industry through Covid-19.

As the third lockdown continues, along with the impact on spa therapists, their businesses and their clients, award-winning therapist trainer, Jennifer Young, launches more free educational resources to help practitioners deliver therapies safely, whilst protecting the interests of their clients and themselves.

This month, Jennifer and her team have added to their library of free resources with new webinars aimed at empowering spa therapists and beauty practitioners with the information and knowledge that they need to protect themselves and care for vulnerable clients, in particular those living with, being treated for or recovering from cancer.

Webinars include discussions on:

• 27th January: Cancer Treatment and Scalp Care
• 3rd February: Scalp Care Tips from the experts
• 10th February: Menopause - the unexpected side-effect of cancer treatment
• 17th February: Treatment related infertility
• 24th February: Nail care during cancer treatment
• 3rd March: Focus on self-help - Jennifer talks to expert guests who will teach us
• 10th March: Feet and Chemotherapy
• 17th March: Acupressure in practice - Jennifer talks to an expert guest to discover
• 24th March: Using essential oils for positivity
• 31st March: Live Q&A with Jennifer Young and guests

These follow the extensive rollout of free webinars and courses launched by the Jennifer Young team in 2020.They include the Control of Cross Infection in the Post COVID-19 World course, for which Jennifer was awarded the FHT 2020 Excellence Award for Tutor of the Year.

This was created when she saw the need for support for cancer patients rise to even greater heights, with more barriers in place for complementary therapies due to the risk of cross infection. The course draws on her expertise as a former inspector for HSE (Health and Safety Executive), international consultant, specialist skincare product developer and accredited training provider, to create an online course to support professional therapists and their clients, through the pandemic. Crucially, it helps spa therapists to understand the virus in detail and walks them through how to create a risk matrix and prioritise appropriate actions when returning to practice.

Spa therapist, Emma, who was one of more than 5,600 therapists to access the course in 2020 said:

“The fact that Jennifer made a conscious decision to share the Control of Cross Infection in the Post COVID-19 World course without charge meant that I was able to share it across my network to enlighten, reassure and build confidence. All of my contacts who have taken the course on my recommendation have conveyed how impressed they were with its content and structure. They also remarked on how Jennifer has managed to deliver a rather daunting subject in a wholly a supportive and empowering manner.”

One of the things therapists have reported as being especially helpful, is that Jennifer has not simply created one course or webinar, but a catalogue that intersect with one another. This helps individuals to develop their knowledge and understanding in their own time, putting lockdown to positive use for their businesses. Sharing her knowledge based on both law and science, Jennifer is able to help therapists feel confident in their capabilities and as a result, deliver the type of care that they want to.

For example, mindful that the UK anticipates a rise in cancer cases following delays to diagnosis and treatment caused by multiple lockdowns, Jennifer also launched a free Cancer Awareness course. It gives therapists and health practitioners an introduction and a strong foundation on which they can support clients with or recovering from cancer. It has been accessed by more than 2,500 therapists to date. This is in addition to a range of paid accredited and certified oncology massage and treatment courses, designed to help make the spa and beauty industry more inclusive.

Meanwhile, all training has been made available online and is structured so that it can be completed safely and at a practitioner’s own pace.

“2020 has not changed the need for meaningful wellbeing practices for individuals, especially those who are vulnerable, it has simply highlighted the need even further and resulted in even more people desperate for support. Therapists play a vital, and often undervalued, role in our society, and it’s crucial that we give them the tools they need to protect themselves as well as to deliver the nurturing care that they are so passionate about providing to their clients. That is something we all need available to us, especially at times when our mental and physical wellbeing is challenged.”

Jennifer Young