Have you ever given a massage to a client that was the absolute best session ever? And afterwards you\u2019ve reviewed the session, taking note of all the things you did well, so you could replicate your behaviour in future sessions with clients.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you ever given a treatment session where you basically \u2018winged it\u2019? Where you played it safe because you didn\u2019t know exactly what you were dealing with? And later, you had a long conversation with Dr Google, or sought advice from an experienced colleague, all in an effort to enhance your knowledge and skills.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you answered yes to any of the above, I salute you. You have engaged in reflection on your professional practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that all of our AMT members have fully transitioned from the previous (100 points per year) model of continuous professional development (CPD) to the new (20 hours per year) reflective learning<\/em> approach to CPD, I feel it is an opportune time to have a chat about how things are going, or maybe should be<\/em> going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also need to put it out there that, as I am one of the major instigators of the new approach to CPD, I have a vested interest in seeing that it is consciously and meaningfully adopted by the membership. Not everybody is naturally good at reflection. Consequently, I fully appreciate that it is going to take some time for everyone to get up to speed with the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So far this year the CPD reflections have been a story of thirds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have mixed emotions about that Head Office feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the one hand, I am elated that many therapists are taking to the new CPD model so enthusiastically. At the same time, I am a little disheartened that a good proportion of therapists are pretty much paying lip service to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the last decade or two, a wide range of professions have taken up reflective practice<\/em> in their approach to professional development. In the healthcare professions especially, it is now seen as an integral part of CPD. And that applies to massage therapy too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more about AMT’s reflection-based professional development scheme<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Case in point: All the recent graduates of the current Diploma of Remedial Massage course will remember a course unit titled Reflect on and improve own professional practice. <\/em>It\u2019s a core unit \u2013 an essential unit. It\u2019s not there as an elective that you can take or leave if you are not particularly interested. And the essential outcomes of the unit are that you will now have the skills to reflect on your own massage practice, thereby enhancing that practice and facilitating your ongoing professional development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even more interestingly, the upcoming\/next version of the Diploma of Remedial Massage (to be released in the next year or two) does away with the standalone reflection unit and has instead incorporated reflection across several of the core units \u2013 to emphasise its accepted value to ongoing professional development, I\u2019m sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, when the Board went down the path of setting up the reflective learning approach to CPD, we weren\u2019t looking around for a new, fun way to piss you all off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are all members of the premier, the absolute best, massage association in Australia. And as you all will be aware, AMT\u2019s core values are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In keeping with that agenda, it became a \u2018no-brainer\u2019 and best practice to bring the reflection training of the Diploma into the real world via the new CPD program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many good approaches to reflective practice and even more models to explain theoretical principles. Approaches include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The model of reflective practice that AMT has adopted represents just one possible way of formulating this activity. The model was preferred because it encourages a more interactive approach (activities largely involve others, and you are not simply a passive absorber of information). It encourages deeper learning through a mix of activities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And importantly, it also encourages AMT members to analyse their own unique learning needs and to identify or create suitable learning opportunities. As such, this is an ideal model to assist with self-directed learning. Members are free to follow their individual interests, specialisations and\/or areas of practice that they have identified as needing improvement\/development. I really like that!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Members are now in the driver\u2019s seat, mapping their professional development instead of being required to jump through a series of prescribed hoops.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n With that freedom comes responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To reiterate what is stated in the AMT Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Guide<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>the new reflective learning approach to CPD aims to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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