Holistic Institute offers alternative career

Alternative therapies are now a full-fledged academic option in the UAE with a Holistic Institute in Dubai going by the same name finding many takers. The institute, located in Jumeirah Lake Towers, offers 50 courses in various disciplines like aromatherapy, reflexology, therapeutic massage, magnetic healing and ear coning, besides core subjects like anatomy, physiology and pathology, its founder Sunita Tekchand said. Since its launch on November 3, 2010, the institute has catered to around 300 students, she said, adding that some of them come from abroad as well. Tekchand, an integrated holistic therapist with 14 years' experience, claimed: "We are the only institute in the UAE and the entire Middle East to be accredited with the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA)." She said training offers students the flexibility of completing their studies full-time, part-time or through modular programmes, the duration of which could vary from nine months to two years. The modules are self-contained units, assessed through course work and by examination at the end of the term. Registration is currently open for the next term which begins in September. The institute also offers a number of short-term courses which are open not just to academic students but also others wanting to take them up for self-improvement, she said. For example, Jin Shin Jyutsu meditation classes are held every Tuesday with a registration fee of Dh80. The cost of the full-time academic courses could go up to Dh15,000-Dh20,000 for two years, said Tekchand. The institute uses blends of around 60 essential oils in its academic programmes to address different conditions. "We source these oils from distilleries in the south of France," said Tekchand, adding that the right blends greatly benefit patients. Tekchand said diploma-holders from Holistic Institute can practise anywhere and link up with IFPA schools around the world. "Our aim is to bring a shift in people's lives by sharing the knowledge we have," she said, noting that the faculty includes 11 professional therapists from overseas, besides 11 others from the UAE itself. She said the institute is training staff in various spas in the UAE in holistic aromatherapy. Courses in ear coning, which has an accreditation from Canada, are also effective in dealing with headaches and migraines, besides problems with hearing, vision, taste, smell and colour perceptions, she added. From / Gulf News