Health Sciences and Social Services - Promotive Health and Developmental Services
The purpose of this qualification is to enhance the professional development and leadership skills necessary to be a successful somatic therapist. The qualification also assists the learners in transition from the institution into a professional setting. The qualification supports the learner in improving career progression and in pursuing personal interests in a topic in greater depth. Qualifying learners will be able to practice independently and function as managers in practice involving employees and colleagues and interact with other health care professionals providing optimal therapeutic service through referral and cooperative practice. Clinical training will take place in various clinical settings such as private practices, public and private hospitals, integrative practices, wellness centres, health care settings, medical spas, medical aesthetic clinics, community clinics and sport rehabilitation centres. The learner therapist will deliver service under supervision of qualified health care professionals and/or therapists. Such therapists perform non-therapeutic and therapeutic services offered through the application of skilled manual techniques, massage techniques, mind-body techniques, movement therapies, light therapies, lifestyle modification, relaxation therapies, stress management skills and natural therapies. As health advocates, therapists will be responsible for using their expertise to advance the health and wellbeing of the community. A lifelong learning and research culture will be promoted and therapists will be driven to master their field of expertise, with full recognition of the need for continuous professional development. This qualification articulates vertically to the Postgraduate Diploma in Somatic Therapy.
This qualification is also designed to prepare learners for postgraduate study through deepening their knowledge and understanding of current thinking, practice, theory and methodology in somatic therapy. The Somatic Therapist will be expected to promote health and wellness through complementary approaches that complement conventional medical care. This qualification is suitable for continuous professional development through encouraging learners to deal with, formulate and resolve more complex theoretical and practice-related tasks through the selection and use of appropriate methods and techniques. This qualification will enable qualifying learners to further their professional/specialised qualification in somatic therapy. The qualification is in line with government policies to provide necessary professional career paths for learners to get access to higher education qualifications in health professions and related clinical sciences. This qualification will cater for learners with diploma qualification in Somatic Therapy or Somatology who want a qualification of a professional nature and who want to further their discipline-specific and practical knowledge. The base qualification, somatic therapy, will enable learners to find employment in any health care setting where integrative and complementary therapies are employed. Through Advisory Committee meetings, industry engagement, evolved employment opportunities and Work Integrated Learning (WIL), the qualification will have a curriculum with a deeper health and wellness focus.
The final integrated assessment aims to measure applied competence in assessing clients, designing treatment plans, performing treatment procedures, advising clients, understanding theoretical basis, and reflecting on practices.
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