BRCP Therapists Level Registration
The Institute for Complementary Medicine, which administers the British Register of Complementary Practitioners (BRCP), has always recognised three levels of competence in Complementary Medicine, these being:
- The Therapist / Beautician.
- The Practitioner who can make a Complementary Diagnosis.
- Advanced Practitioner who has proved their excellence within their chosen disciplines.
The BRCP was started in 1989 to offer to the public a multidisciplinary register of competent 'practitioners' of Complementary Medicine. It defined a practitioner as one who had sufficient underpinning knowledge and clinical practise to enable the practitioner to be able to make a Complementary Diagnosis within their own terms of reference. Hence they are able to treat illness rather than offer just offer the client holistic therapy. This diagnosis differs from that of the orthodox physician in that the latter's is symptom-based whereas the Complementary Diagnosis comes from an holistic approach and considers the cause rather than the effect of conditions.
Since January 2004, without lowering the standards for our Full Practitioners of the BRCP, we have recognised the Therapist level for Registration on the BRCP. These Therapists will not be competent to make a complementary diagnosis but will be competent to give their clients holistic therapy. Many of these therapists will want to take additional courses arranged by the ICM which can then bring them up to the standard of the Full Practitioner. They will also be able to enjoy the advantages of the insurance scheme while students training to Therapist level can now also become student members of the BRCP.
Therapist level membership of the BRCP will be open to therapists in Aromatherapy, Massage, Reflexology, Healing, Lymphatic Drainage, Indian Head Massage, Reiki, Energy Medicine, Bowen and Pilates. Therapists will be able to use the letters Assoc BRCP after their name to distinguish them from the Full Practitioners, who should now use the letters MBRCP. Therapists must still agree to abide by our Code of Ethics and are also bound by our Complaints and Disciplinary Proceedure.