New Year, New Beginnings - brought to you by APL Media • Wednesday 7 January 2026


Health, Fitness & Beauty • 9 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE


Choose therapists with confidence


Complementary therapy can be used alongside, or in addition to, conventional medical treatments


Complementary therapies could help to support your lifelong health and wellbeing goals — from weight loss and eating healthily, supporting better posture and movement to aiding relaxation, improving sleep and enhancing your general sense of wellbeing. They have vastly grown in popularity over recent years and now many medical professionals are happy to recommend complementary therapies as a way of promoting a “holistic” approach to healthcare alongside conventional medicine.


HOW CAN YOU BE CONFIDENT YOU’RE CHOOSING A THERAPIST YOU CAN TRUST? Health professionals such as doctors, nurses, dentists,


pharmacists, physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths have standardised training and exams and are regulated by law. However, anyone can call themselves a complementary therapist. They may have completed a short online course of dubious quality, or not participated in any training at all. So how can you be sure you’re making the right choice? The Complementary


and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) is the independent voluntary regulator for complementary healthcare practitioners in the UK, set up with government funding and support in 2008 to “Stand Up for Standards” in the sector. CNHC’s register of practitioners is approved as an Accredited Register by the Professional


Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA), a body accountable to parliament. This provides additional assurance that CNHC registrants meet UK-wide standards of patient safety and service quality — giving greater peace of mind to consumers. All CNHC registrants


Choose with confidence at cnhc.org.uk


are trained to a level that meets government standards for the therapies that they provide. They also agree to comply with CNHC’s rigorous Code of Conduct, Ethics and


Performance. CNHC’s sole purpose is to protect


the public and it will investigate claims against practitioners registered with them. Always ask your therapist if


they’re registered with CNHC when making a booking. You can look for CNHC’s quality mark on their website or promotional materials.


DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR GP CAN REFER YOU TO A CNHC REGISTERED COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIST? Increasingly, more and more practitioners of conventional medicine are recognising the benefits of complementary therapies. General Medical Council (GMC) guidance states that doctors can refer patients to practitioners on Accredited Registers — which includes everyone registered with CNHC. If you feel you might benefit


from complementary therapy in addition to conventional medical


treatments, ask your GP about referring you to a CNHC registered therapist near you.


WHO DO CNHC REGISTER? The following 18 professions appear on CNHC’s Accredited Register: • Alexander Technique teaching • Aromatherapy • Bowen therapy • Colon hydrotherapy • Craniosacral therapy • Healing • Hypnotherapy • Kinesiology • Massage therapy • Microsystems acupuncture • Naturopathy • Nutritional therapy • Reflexology • Reiki • Shiatsu • Sports massage • Sports therapy • Yoga therapy


By choosing complementary healthcare practitioners registered with CNHC you can be confident that they’re qualified and insured to practise and have chosen to make themselves accountable if a complaint is made against them to CNHC.


Find a practitioner near you


Search CNHC’s online accredited register at: cnhc.org.uk


Look for the CNHC Quality Mark — your guarantee of standards:


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