Terry Rogers was in town today to give a talk about Reiki and healthcare. What he had to say was quite interesting.
Terry represents the Florida Health Freedom Coalition. This is a group that is trying to get some legislation introduced to separate out alternative therapies so they do not fall under the practice of medicine. You see, in Florida, the practice of medicine is defined as “anything that affects health”. This is a very broad statement. Anything that affects health. Everything affects health. Sunshine affects health. Rain affects health. Of course, they are only concerned with something someone is charging money for.
But if I told someone “Gee you look nice today” and they paid me a quarter for the compliment, I could be arrested for practicing medicine without a license. Simply giving the compliment can change someone’s attitude which can affect their health. Scary huh? The way this is written, practicing Reiki for money is the same thing. Of course, it is not limited to just Reiki. This includes all energy modalities, aroma therapy, color therapy, and any other type of alternative method even though they can not harm the subject (which is what the law was created to prevent).
Part of the problem is that the people in the legislature don’t see that the bill being offered is necessary. They don’t understand what types of alternatives there are and what they can do. It takes a lot of lobbying and education which in turn takes a lot of, yes, money. It’s scary that our form of government is dependent on having enough money to convince (or grease the pockets of) the lawmakers that what you have is necessary.
The other thing is that these lawmakers need to see that a large number of people will be affected. If it is just small groups of practitioners, they won’t see this necessary. But part of the education is to show that by limiting the people that can practice, they are limiting what services are available to the general public, which in turn does affect a lot of people.
What the Coalition is trying to pass is a law that would allow people that perform complimentary and alternative services, to practice openly without fear of prosecution as long as they stayed within certain guidelines. One of the key guidelines is that what they do can not harm their subject. They would also like practitioners to register so that the government feels comfortable knowing who is doing what.
Right now, the Coalition is looking for two things, donations and names. If you go to their website, http://www.floridahealthfreedom.org, you can give your name and address in complete confidentiality to show that you would be affected by the new ruling. They will not send you requests for money. They are simply looking to show the lawmakers that this bill will have a huge sweeping effect on people. If you live in Florida, and practice or use alternative services, then it is in your best interest to do so. You can also make a donation, but the important thing is to add names to the list.
Not too long ago, some patients of a chiropractor had found a Reiki practitioner and gotten treatment. The treatment did wonders. When they went back to the chiropractor and told him how wonderful this was, he made a complaint to the Florida Board of Health that this person was practicing medicine without a license. The joke is that this person is a licensed massage therapist (LMT). (The Board of Massage has been claiming for years not that Reiki is massage and falls under their domain. None of their laws mention it. They just state that as their opinion. In the long run, the Board of Massage has no domain over anyone that is not an LMT. It is the Board of Health that handles all the complaints and takes people to court.)
What finally happened was that when it got to court, and the judge saw that this Reiki practitioner did have a license in the healthcare field (specifically a massage license), he threw the case out of court. The problem is that the practitioner went through three months worrying about whether they would go to jail or not (as the penalties for practicing medicine without a license have been increased). I believe that Terry said that it cost this person $50,000. Ouch! I don’t see how anyone could afford that to fight a complaint made by someone whose main concern is reducing the competition and getting more money for themselves, as opposed to the well being of the people, which should be their primary concern.
So, if you live in Florida, please check out the Coalition’s web site, and register your name. They are fighting for your right to receive or practice complimentary and alternative therapies.
Take care. May light be with you all.