What to Expect From Chiropractic Medicine

It appears the general population is divided into two camps, those who believe in chiropractic medicine and those who think it is flawed science at best. Regardless of individual opinion, it can’t be denied that this practice of treating the body as a whole has helped millions of people since its birth in 1895. The philosophy on this type of medical care is that the spine, muscle system, and all other systems of the body work together as a complete unit. When one system of the body is damaged, the others are at risk as well. So when treatment is given for the injured system, work must also be done on the other systems of the body for complete healing. Chiropractic medicine is considered to be one of the holistic healing arts.

One of the most situations that lead patients to the chiropractic medicine industry is neck and back pain, though other ailments can be helped with these practices. Even non believers have been known to decide chiropractic care when conventional medicine doesn’t help with misalignments of the spine and other musculoskeletal issues. Logical reasoning tells us that medication isn’t going to correct an incorrect alignment of any of any of the joints of the body. It may mask the pain caused for a short period of time, but remaining on pain and muscle relaxing medications isn’t safe for the body. Once a traditional doctor makes the decision to stop pharmaceutical treatment, the patient is often right back where they started with horrible pain that interferes with their quality of life. Once a patient tries chiropractic care for this kind of ailment, the treatments are usually a success and they can get back to the business of living.

Most people are well acquainted with going to the doctor by the time they reach adulthood. One of the biggest things that stops many people from trying out chiropractic medicine in the first place is fear of the unknown. Unlike some traditional treatments, chiropractic care is nothing to be afraid of and causes no discomfort to the patient so there isn’t anything to be worried about. On your first visit, you can expect a tour of the facilities as many chiropractors have additional services like massage therapy and/or acupuncture specialists. A detailed medical history and description of your current symptoms will be taken. Your chiropractor may decide to take X rays of the spine or problem area to check for misalignments or minute breaks. He or she will want to be sure it is safe to treat you before proceeding.

Chiropractic medicine has grown into one of the most popular forms of treatment for people who want real help for spine and neck problems. This holistic approach to care leads to injured people living more productive, pain free lives.

Chiropractic medicine has come a long way since its beginning in 1895. many people have been helped with chronic pain due to its holistic, natural approach to treating the body as whole.

What About Art Therapy Programs?

By the time the art therapy programs have been chosen in the Art Therapy school of choice, students should have already declared this their major primary field of study, which is considered the most important decision they will ever make. According to one college, the Ursuline College Graduate pre-requisites, many prerequisite courses will have been already completed in college to qualify for upper-level courses, with a Bachelor’s degree in art, psychology, behavioral science, social science, or a related field already acquired before art therapy programs can begin.

Schools that teach art therapy programs require the student to show evidence of their ability to do graduate work in the art therapy field. Not a simple field, this requires a 3.0 grade point average or above, which is based on a 4.0 system. The reason for this is because anything as a high school freshman (or 9th grade) and on up will be added to the cumulative GPA, which will effect the outcome of the schools seeking admittance to, and the scholarships being applied for. When applying to a school which teaches art therapy programs, this will have great impact on whether or not the student will be accepted.

Art therapy programs have quite a few prerequisites, which make art therapy classes easier to understand and to apply to one’s ability to learn. One such group of prerequisites to art therapy programs is a completed minimum of 18 semester hours in studio art–drawing, painting, clay or sculpture. Another is a minimum of 12 semester hours in Psychology, a prerequisite that involves four areas: General Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Personality or Counseling Development, and Abnormal Psychology or Psychopathology. And last but not least is some experience in a human service context field working with people on some level.

U.S. News has a partial list of 26 Art Therapy Schools which have quality art therapy programs under a national listing of the top “America’s Best Colleges 2008″ list. When choosing the college major for a future in art therapy, working with people of all types, ages, and backgrounds will be part of the job description. Working in art therapy uses visual artistic expression by the client to allow them to safely express hidden emotions and to explore their personal problems. The end result can enable them to achieve positive change in their lives, combined with personal growth. The major difference in art therapy, as compared to traditional psychological therapies, is that it consists of a three-way process. This process is combination of efforts between the client, therapist, and the artwork itself.

Art therapy programs have professionals to train the prospective art therapist to work in many different ways. Some of these ways are to work with other professionals as a team; assess the individual needs of the client; listen to them and provide guidance; work creatively with them in a therapeutic setting; enable the client themselves to explore their own creativity, their art work, and its process; and most important, maintain the latest research and new ideas regarding the latest developments of art therapy.

BACP Art Therapy Provisions

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, or BACP, is today’s professional membership association for UK’s counselors and psychotherapists, a branch of the Standing Conference for the Advancement of Counselling. Originally it included only counseling, but in September of 2000 it branched out to include psychotherapy with the BACP name change from the British Association for Counselling. It was here that the BACP Art Therapy came into effect on the psychotherapy level for accepted professionalism.

Art psychotherapy uses visual expression as a form of therapy that can effect the mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders of disturbed individuals of all ages, gender, and background. To apply for BACP membership for accreditation as a BACP art therapy professional, requires qualification from a BACP art therapy accredited training course in addition to a minimum of 450 hours of supervised practice. Mandatory is 450 hours with 150 of them must be subsequent to the training completion from three to six-years. Or alternatively, the individual can be awarded a admittance from a BACP accredited training course.

A certain amount of criteria must be met before an individual can become accepted through the BACP Art Therapy in the psychotherapy division, and this criteria is met by following certain things.
• The individual is a member of BACP, and will remain so for the accreditation period. Requirements must be met to maintain the accreditation.
• The individual is covered by professional indemnity insurance.
• The individual is in practice as a professional at the time of the application.
• Training and supervised practice is provided and followed.

BACP Art Therapy plays an active part in the Faculty for Healthcare Counsellors and Psychotherapists (FHCP), as a major subsidiary organization of the BACP. With close to 2,000 members, it is the largest membership organization that is entirely associated with healthcare counselors and psychotherapist. With similar goals, both BACP and FHCP promote and support the patient’s choice of psychological therapy, along with accessible services. Their members are competent and efficient, while the organization trains and provides opportunities for their prospective counselors, such as art therapist, by providing training events and conferences.

Another division of the BACP is the Association for Independent Practitioners, or AIP, for those who are interested in the BACP Art Therapy membership but more on an independent level. Formerly the Personal Relationship Groupwork (PRG), it involves those who choose to work independently rather than within a professional group. In this region, there is more of an emphasis on clear boundaries, and provisions of support and supervision. Members from other groups and cultures are actively invited to join this group, as a part of their philosophic practices.