Acupuncture
This involves the treatment of disease by influencing points on meridians, or 'lines of energy', which interconnect across the body surface and relate to major organs of the body. This is most commonly done by the insertion of fine needles, or by wanning with moxibustion.

Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique is an awareness practice for identifying and developing discipline over the negative physical habits of incorrect posture and movement. Developed a century ago by actor F. Matthias Alexander, who used it to cure himself of chronic laryngitis, he believed if the vertebrae were out of alignment it was due to these poor habits. The Alexander Technique is a simple method of re educating the mind and body to improve ease and freedom of movement, balance, and coordination. The technique teaches the use of the appropriate amount of effort for a particular activity, giving you more energy for all your activities.

Aromatherapy
A natural therapy treatment using a specialised massage technique, incorporating acupressure, lymphatic drainage and facial massage. Essential oils (the light force of plants) are individually chosen for each treatment, bringing about a curative and restorative effect to the mental, emotional and physical aspects of the human being.

Bowen Technique
This massage technique is named after Australian Tom Bowen who, in the 1950's, introduced the concept of having rest periods between a series of massage movements within a treatment session to allow the body to absorb the healing process. The massage moves are a gentle but precise soft tissue manipulation made with the intention of creating harmony within the body so that the body makes its own adjustments and achieves its own cure.

Chinese Herbal Medicine
One of the oldest systems of herbal therapy in the world, Traditional Chinese medicine successfully treats a wide range of conditions with the use of raw herbs as well as a vast array of prepared or patent medicines available in a pill or powder form.

Chinese Massage
The 'manual therapy' aspect of Traditional Chinese Medicine works with the power and sensitivity of human touch to stimulate potent acu-points or healing areas of the body to restore the balance flow of 'chi' and harmony of the system.

Chiropractic
A system of therapy which aims to restore balance to the spine, muscle and nervous systems with the purpose of maintaining the body in good health. This may include the use of manipulative techniques of the spine, soft tissues and other joints of the body, as well as non-manipulative techniques such as Sacro-occipital and Activator techniques.

Colour Therapy
Introduces the optimum balance of colour energies into the human organism via the optic nerve to correct imbalances and encourage good health. Can help relieve many emotional, psychological and physical imbalances.

Counselling
Identify personal motivations that will enable an educational exploration of self. Invaluable in treating any crisis situation; for management of stress, any emotional or psychological problems; grief and trauma, conflict and mediation.

Herbal (Botanical) Medicine
Classical herbal medicine utilises the Hippocratic principles of treating the person, not the disease: evaluating the whole life-style as well as the emotional and circumstantial environment of each patient, not just the physical symptoms. Individually applicable herbal extracts and tinctures are then prescribed.

Homoeopathy
A scientific form of natural healing based on the Law of Similars, which states 'like cures like' ie a homoeopathic remedy that will produce a set of symptoms in a healthy person that will cure those same symptoms in a sick person. It is effective for the treatment of acute, chronic, physical, emotional and inherited diseases.

Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is best understood as a way of instructing or processing the mind so it will affect the autonomic nervous system rather than the sympathetic nervous system. It is at all times self-hypnosis and the client has full control with the process. Hypnotherapy can be applied in business, education, stress management and sport motivation and it is used in a wide range of healing professions.

Integration Therapy
An advanced bodywork program introducing massage therapists to mind-body concepts. It combines deep tissue muscle therapy, breathe therapy, basic counselling and somatics, this enhances the personal development of each practitioner.

Iridology
A method of diagnosis of the body's state of health, by viewing the iris of the eye (coloured part), to gain an understanding of constitution, specific curative factors of disease, and individual nutritional requirements.

Ka-tone (DTMT)
Deep tissue muscle therapy is used as a physical means of obtaining emotional and intellectual balance while correcting muscular, skeletal and neural disorders.

Kinesiology
Kinesiology encompasses holistic health disciplines that use the gentle art of muscle monitoring to access information about a person's well being. It combines Western techniques and Eastern wisdom to promote physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. It identifies the elements that inhibit the body's natural healing processes. It assists with stimulating a person's natural internal energies and accessing the life enhancing potential within the individual.

Myofascial Release
Myofascial Release is the application of techniques to free the body from the constriction of tight fascia (connecting tissue), thus restoring normal alignment and function. Myofascial Release can facilitate the emergence of negative emotional patterns that may impede the healing process and is effective for many disorders, including chronic pain syndrome.

Myotherapy
Developed by Bonnie Prudden in 1976, Myotherapy is a method of relaxing muscle spasm, improving circulation and alleviating pain. It works by defusing "trigger points," which are intense knots of muscle tension that often refer pain to other areas of the body. When a trigger point is under excess emotional or physical stress it often responds by throwing a muscle into spasm. Spasm, in turn, causes pain. The myotherapist erases the spasm by pressing on the appropriate trigger points for several seconds by means of fingers, knuckles, and elbows and then re-educates the affected muscle to its normal resting relaxed condition with special exercises designed for each individual problem.

Nutrition
The treatment of disorders and diseases with specific substances to correct or prevent an imbalance. To correct the daily nutrition so that once biochemical balance has been achieved through supplementation, it can be maintained with the daily diet.

Natural Fertility Management
Natural fertility management incorporated the use of various holistic methods for achieving or avoiding conception. Infertility problems are also examined and evaluated through a variety of diagnostic and treatment programs.

Natural Vision Improvement
This therapy assists eyesight, using a combination of relaxation, movement and visualisation techniques. It alleviates short and long sightedness, astigmatism and reading difficulties.

Natural Therapist
This is a generic term that covers a variety of natural therapy treatments. Usually this term is used to describe a therapist who is trained overseas and possibly used different styles than those of locally trained therapists.

Naturopathy
The naturopath deals with internal health problems, metabolic disorders and imbalances, through treatment of the whole person. In general, a wide range of diagnostic techniques are employed to assess causative factors, and treatment may involve dietary changes, herbal medicines, homoeopathy, bodywork or nutritional supplementation.

Osteopathy
A system of therapy that employs deep tissue massage, manipulation of the joints, spine and soft tissues of the body to treat many symptoms and illnesses.

Reflexology
Reflexology is the application of appropriate pressure to the feet and legs by the hands of a trained practitioner to bring about physiological and psychological change, stimulating subtle energies. It is a system of health care that focuses on the whole body, not just the feet.

Remedial & Swedish Massage
This modality, as evolving in Australia, is a blend of approved, scientific massage techniques, promoting efficiency in the body's system, which in turn enhances the functioning of the entire person.

Remedial Therapies
An extension of Remedial massage, usually including training in Shiatsu or Chinese massage, sports medicine, nutrition, iridology, corrective exercise therapy, bach remedies and other advanced bodywork techniques.

Rolfing
A hands-on bodywork used to free shortened, miss-aligned soft tissue, returning the body to balance. Life-long patterns of tension are released, giving a sense of fitness, wholeness, increases energy and vitality. It is used for improving appearance, performance and enhancing personal growth in order to realise our full potential.

Shiatsu
This traditional Japanese technique of diagnosis and treatment is a method in which the thumbs and palms of the hand are used to apply pressure to certain points. Deep pressure is used to stimulate these points, clearing blockages and restoring the flow of energy to the body.

Sports Therapies
Sports therapies incorporate the study of massage with a specialised focus on sports injury prevention and treatment. Sports therapists have training in Remedial Massage therapy and anatomy and physiology. They assess and treat sports injuries, provide rehabilitation advice and offer pre and post event massage.

Touch for Health
A system of energy balancing, using touch and acupressure massage to improve posture and reduce physical pain and tension.

Traditional Thai Massage
The various styles of Traditional Thai Massage use hands, elbows, knees and feet, often in association with yoga stretching manoeuvres and herbal compresses to release and balance the circulation of blood. This stimulates an integrative response, which promotes health, structural poise and a deep sense of relaxation for the mind and body.