Shine Your Light & Share It

It is a wonderful honour to be short listed for an industry award and an enormous sense of achievement to win one. The FHT have been shining a light on therapists for many decades, they understand how prestigious it is to be voted as a winner in any of the categories.

Over the years I have experienced deep gratitude to be a winner and runner up for Tutor of the Year Award. Equally so, I have also felt such deep pride when upon nominating two of my students for FHT Student of the Year Award, not only were they short listed, but both won in 2021 and 2022.

Last year Paula Watts was the winner of the FHT Student of the Year Award. I nominated Paula because of her wonderful thirst for learning, her tenacity and determination to step towards her life goal and purpose. Paula is a Reflexologist who has worked within the holistic industry for a long time, she has supported and helped people with learning and educational disabilities but also wanted to work within the cancer and palliative care field.

She enrolled on my Complementary Therapies in Cancer Care oncology training in Reflexology. Upon successful completion of the course, I told Paula about the Clinical Practice Pathway I had created. I explained how this was an initiative which supports patients in healthcare settings such as hospices and cancer care centres by giving them the many benefits of our wonderful gentle treatments and in exchange therapists are supported and guided under the wing of the clinical team.

Paula was so keen to volunteer and be a part of this pathway, to learn more and hone her skills specifically to cancer and palliative care. However, just as she arranged to speak with the Complementary Therapy Co-Ordinator Helen Dowell at John Eastwood Hospice in Nottingham, the pandemic was declared, and services were severely restricted. Nevertheless, Paula remained determined and decided during this time to train in Reiki. She committed to learning and evolving through her Reiki 1 and 2 training and then enrolled on my oncology course again but this time for Reiki.

Register for clinical practice placements here.

Once the restrictions were lifted Helen Dowell invited Paula into the hospice at John Eastwood and guided her through her clinical practice placement. Paula completed her case studies and hours and felt so valued as a member of the team that she decided to continue to volunteer her treatments there.

In March 2022 after 20 years of wonderful service Helen decided to retire and after much thought Paula applied for the Complementary Therapy Co-Ordinator position.

The most wonderful news is that she was successful in being appointed in this salaried position and is expanding the complementary therapies service at John Eastwood Hospice.

What a wonderful and inspiring story and not one you will hear from Paula; she is way too humble to celebrate and share how her devotion to learning and therapies has led her to her life dream and purpose.

You too can let your light shine or nominate others who inspire you.

If we hide our light, who does this serve?

The world needs your light.

Shine your light and share it.

Let it shine, it is not yours to hide.

https://www.fht.org.uk/fht-excellence-awards-2023