Are there as many types of Therapy as there are Therapists?
I’ve taken my body to over 35 different osteopaths, 3 chiropractors, 4 physiotherapists, 3 acupuncturists, and I’ve lost count of how many massage therapists. The one thing I’ve learned is that everyone works differently. I’ve found osteopathy to be the most effective with the issues my body has, but not all osteopaths. Every osteopath I’ve seen has been well trained, well qualified, is busy being an osteopath (therefore the therapy they are providing is helping their clients, otherwise clients wouldn’t come back) but for me and my body there’s only one person in the UK (and 2 in Europe) that can deal the issues my body needs addressing. That doesn’t mean the other therapists aren’t good, they’re just not what “my” body needs.
Being a verbal communicator with independent thought, I’m able to acknowledge and express this. But as an equine therapist, this has prompted a thought worm. If this is the case in human therapy, is it also the case in animal therapy? And what does it mean?
What does being a ‘good’ animal therapist mean? It would be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that to be the best animal therapist you can be, would mean to be able to ‘fix’ as many cases as possible that come to you and your clinic. I beg to differ… being a great animal therapist should be to focus on helping each case as much as you can… and if that means acknowledging what this animal needs isn’t your area of greatness or that the rate or consistency of improvement isn’t optimal then the thought of introducing an alternative opinion can take a lot of courage. We all suffer imposter syndrome at times and feeling like what we are doing isn’t enough can be terrifying, but there is immense strength and professionalism shown in seeking assistance from another practitioner.
A hurdle to this can come in the form of communication. How many times have we seen an animal for the first time, and when asking the owner what the previous therapist found, has been told some eyebrow raising stories?
‘She said he’s growing another bone in his leg.’
‘She said there’s a problem with the celeriac!’
‘He said his hip was out’.
The gulf between what we say and what is heard is often huge. If you’re not already leaving client reports after your appointments I URGE you to start doing so. This is incredibly helpful for any practitioners who then work on that animal going forward. It’s helpful for stressed owners to follow any recommendations you have, and the absolute best step you can take to safeguard you and your business. Working in a multidisciplinary team of local practitioners is not only a super way to best help your clients’ animals but also wonderfully empowering in an incredibly solitary industry. Other than in-person CPD days, when was the last time you spent time with another practitioner? We are all on the same team, working towards the same goal. The more we can work together the better the outcome for all concerned.
Utilising software to make record keeping and report sending quick, easy, clear and concise could be the best thing you choose to do. I know a lot about bending horses and very little about tech - I struggle to know which buttons to press to copy and paste on a keyboard but tech isn’t intimidating nowadays. Since switching to digital record keeping with Equigate I’m saving around 10 minutes on every appointment. Every client gets a clear report, and inter-practitioner communication has never been as easy. Not to mention regaining some much coveted work-life balance.
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Ultimately no one does what you do, the way you do it. And there is brilliance in that. Specialisation isn’t a weakness it’s a strength. As a small business owner you’re trying to be everything to everyone already - marketing, social media manager, scheduler, customer services, accounting, credit control, service provider and more. If you find a niche within your industry there is immense strength to be found in becoming an expert there. Other practitioners will refer to you, and you’ll refer to others. But let’s all keep everyone on the same page, or screen.