"....I like the family atmosphere. I especially appreciated the way I could develop my own way, of finding out for myself, of developing my creativity, in fact of finding my own power rather than being made to imitate someone else’s way."
Mr AW shiatsu therapist

QUESTIONS ARE LISTED AS THEY COME IN, THE MOST RECENT FIRST.
If when you have read through this page you still cannot find that answer, then please do click the email link. We will answer you personally and then publish it right here, so you will have helped everyone who might have a similar question.

Are shiatsu qualifications internationally recognized?...
We have graduates practising overseas in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and USA.At present each nation (and in USA and EU each state) has its own criteria. Efforts are in process to harmonise accreditation throughout Europe where, in certain states, complementary therapists are still required to work under supervision of a medical practitioner. (more info click)

Can I change my learning-days? and when can I enrol?
Enrol 20 minutes before the start of any class. And yes, you can switch days and times. click to see the options We are here for your convenience, not the other way round.

I have completed a year or more at another school and would like to transfer. Do I have to start again from scratch with you?
No. Here at the Zen School we accredit your prior learning. You can join direct on our Shiatsu Practitioner (Advanced) Professional Licence Course. With the Continuous Enrolment system you can join at any time of the year. The Advanced Course is unique among Shiatsu Schools: you can review, refresh and reinforce any subject you like at Intermediate Level, by attending the Intermediate Tutorials, doing the Intermediate Assignments and joing in with the Intermediate Practice sessions, and none of this costs you a single penny extra. Its all included in the Shiatsu Practitioner (Advanced) Professional Licence Course fee (see below).

The one thing we do ask of 'transfer students' is to complete our Practical Certificate Course.

Why? - For three very good reasons:

1. For you to be sure you can get along with us and our very different way of providing your learning-and-teaching experience,
2. For us to be sure that you are not carrying so much conditioning from the more mechanical styles that it gets in the way of your learning by intuition,
3. To refresh the concept of Mu-Shin, "Beginners Mind".

When you make the move to transfer, you pay only the Practical Certificate Course fee. Then, when we have found that we can get along just fine - which is nearly always the case - you pay the balance of the Shiatsu Practitioner (Advanced) Professional Licence Course fee, less what you paid for the Practical Certificate Course.

And even before making that first move you are most welcome to come along and check us out. We offer Open Evenings several times a year, Supervised Practice evenings almost every month, and you can even sit in on one of our Intermediate or Advanced learning-sessions and pay only for that. This applies to everyone thinking of joining our school, both absoluite beginners and transfer students alike.

I am from a country outside the EU. Can I get a student visa to study shiatsu?
Yes, but since the rules change in January 2005 the school has to be a recognised learning-provider. Overseas students from outside the EU planning to apply for a student visa to study at the Zen School of Shiatsu (we are a registered learning provider) should check out the latest student visa requirements click. We look forward to welcoming you to our school and joining our tradition of offering flexible training to students from across the globe.

What sort of living could I expect to make doing Shiatsu?
Many of our students, by the time they reach the final year of training, have already begun to make their living from Shiatsu.

Our School Administrator shares his thirty years experience of business development and management education in public and private sector schools and colleges.

Throughout your training at the Zen School we help you meet and treat potential clients, on school clinic days, at Exhibitions and Festivals, at your Out-Clinics and your Work-placements

As soon as you have the basic qualification of CPS (Certificate in Practical Shiatsu) and are continuing in training, we include you in our internet listings of teachers, practitioners and students and circulate job opportunities to you.

Practice Development is part of the training. The Professional Licence course includes specialist expert advice and training in Practice Development - how to find and make contacts, how to build you client-base, how to keep clients, how to find new ones...what business records and accounts to keep, and how to maintain them.

By applying all this learning to developing your own practice you can make a good living. Our Zen School accountant advises us that if you take even a small amount within three years then you can offset the whole cost of your training against tax liability. There is a seminar covering such mundane but important matters on the professional Licence training, but the principle applies at all levels.

How much time/ study commitment does it take to qualify?
For the Practical Certificate - you come in to School for 3 hours once a week for 12 weeks, or one Saturday a month for 6 months, (or you can do the 5-day Special Intensive). You also need to do 20 practice-treatments and write them up.

For the Intermediate Level Diploma -

You need to commit on average about 12 hours a week

• 3 hours for home-studying - maximum.
• 3 hours to do 2 or 3 learning-treatments in your own time
• 3 hours tutorial time at School
• 3 hours practical time at School

or for the Fast-track option you need to commit about 24 hours a week

• 6 hours for home-studying - maximum.
• 6 hours to do learning-treatments in your own time
• 6 hours tutorial time at School
• 6 hours practical time at School

For the Professional Licence you come into School one weekend a month for 12 months and as many afternoons, evenings or weekends as you need to refresh Intermediate Diploma material, attend Supervised Practice, repeat and assist on other courses, work in the Student Clinic, attend private tutorial and assessment.

If combining Professional with Intermediate Courses, your school-time would be either

• two weekends and one evening a month

Or

• one monthly Professional Course weekend, plus weekly Diploma Course attendance.

Exhibitions, Festivals, Outside Clinic-, Work- placement, and Case-study treatments and preparation are done in your own time with plenty of help and support.

Can you tell me what final qualification I will receive when I complete the full training?
Your qualification on completion of the full training is LicZS - Licence to practise Zen Shiatsu.

Is the qualification recognized by a shiatsu professional body?
LicZS admits you to the Practitioner Register of the Zen Shiatsu Society and enables you to register without further assessment with the British Register of Complementary Practitioners, part of the Institute for Complementary Medicine.

The Zen School is also represented on the Shiatsu Schools Forum which along with the Zen Shiatsu Society and other shiatsu organisations constitute the Shiatsu Regulatory Group (SRG), sponsored by the Prince of Wales Federation for Integrated Health, working towards compliance with and anticipation of government legislation to regulate complementary therapies. Our Zen School Director and co-founder Kris Deva North holds the position of Vice-Chair of the SRG with special responsibility for advice on shiatsu matters to the Lay Chair.

Is there a minimum qualification to practice shiatsu?
Under English Law at present there is no minimum legal requirement for any qualification to practise shiatsu (nor acupuncture, herbs, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy etc etc). The practical requirement is that to practise shiatsu in, say, a clinic,the clinic management will generally want to see evidence of insurance, and most insurers want to see evidence of a qualification.

How do I obtain insurance?
The Zen Shiatsu Society has negotiated competitive rates for our students, practitioners and teachers. You can apply for membership and insurance coverage as soon as you have passed your CPS... and its worth knowing that the insurance deal we have negotiated also covers you for all other massage therapies, plus aromatherapy, reflexology - even hypnotherapy. And of course the Taoist Healing practices of Cosmic healing and Chi Nei Tsang.

How long would it take to complete the full qualification training?
With serious application you can complete the training in just under two years.

However, the programme is flexible so, if life-events happen to interfere with your plans, you can take longer.

Our courses are not time-based but module-based - at each level you complete a number of modules, at your own pace.

How much do I need to invest to achieve the full qualification?
Your investment varies according to whether you want to:

• Pay for all three courses (Certificate, Intermediate Diploma, Professional Licence) in advance.
• Pay for each course individually in advance.
• Combine payment for all courses on a monthly bankers order.
• Pay for each course individually by bankers order.

Certificate Course £497 - on this course (except the special intensives) you can pay per session, £49 (remember if you choose the weekend option, Saturday has two sessions, so it would be £98). Its worth bearing in mind that the cost of the Certificate Course is included if you pay for the Diploma or Combined (Diploma+Professional) Course.

Intermediate Level Diploma Fee is £2987 in advance, or you can spread the payments: 12 monthly instalments of £197 by bankers order with an initial payment of £797.

Professional Licence Course Fee is £3357 in advance, or you can spread payments over 15 months by bankers order for £197 a month with an initial payment of £797.

The most cost-effective option is to combine payments for the three levels of training.

If you pay all in advance, the combined total comes to £4987.

If you spread the combined course payments by bankers order, the cost is £257 a month for 18 months with initial £797

How much do I actually save by combining course payments?
You can save over £1,500 if you pay all in advance.

Must I do all three courses together if I pay them all in advance?
No. The discount is for the payment - you can complete the courses in your own time, from Certificate to Intermediate Diploma to Professional Licence. You go at your own pace and decide what's right for you