Shiatsu – Japanese Therapy

The Complementary Medical Association, The world’s biggest & leading association of research, academic training&recognition of colleges & therapists worldwide in the fields of complementary & integrative medicine.

Mission & Objectives
The Complementary Medical Association's (The CMA) primary aim is to promote ethical, responsible, professional complementary medicine to the public and the medical profession.
We believe that by promoting The CMA and its Registered Members & Colleges in all categories, though the media and online in a hugely high-profile manner, we are able to help the public and doctors to realize that complementary and integrative medicine is - when delivered safely and ethically - a viable and highly desirable form of healthcare. In addition, here at the CMA, we are totally dedicated to representing "the professional face of complementary medicine" and by promoting research, education and knowledge in the field, we will help to stimulate demand for the medicine of the 21st century and beyond.
The CMA is great news for professional practitioners, ethical colleges and patients who demand and expect excellence in every aspect of treatment.
What is the CMA?
The CMA is a not-for-profit organization which means that any funds we raise, through membership fees, book, training and product sales or donations are invested straight back into the organization.
A great part of our work consists of referring public and conventional medics alike to CMA registered practitioners so that they can be assured that treatment will be delivered
by a highly qualified, insured practitioner who adheres to a strict Code of Ethics and disciplinary procedure. We call this the "CMA Referrals Scheme".
In addition, we are able to help members of the public who wish to train in the complementary medical field to access our Registered Training Schools and Colleges. We provide assistance to Schools who wish to have their courses Registered and Accredited by the CMA.
We work closely with the conventional medical profession as we ultimately believe that the most important person after all, is the patient, and we believe that by presenting the patient with good, accurate information about complementary medical approaches they can make responsible informed decisions about their own health care. It is important to remember that both complementary and conventional medicine have a great deal to offer - when used appropriately, justifiably and responsibly. Ultimately, the freedom to choose one's own health care is a vital human right which should be protected.
Our History
The CMA was established in early 1993, by Jayney Goddard, in response to the overriding lack of public and medical knowledge about the complementary medical profession. During the initial two years we devoted our time to performing the market research that would indicate whether there could be a viable way of raising the profile of ethical, responsible complementary medicine. It was vital to establish and justify whether "yet another organization" needed to exist in the already saturated complementary medical organization field.
We spent a long time analyzing the entire arena and found that nothing was being done at that time by any membership body or organization to promote practitioners
or training schools in a high profile, professional manner.
Furthermore, at that time, complementary medicine had a very unprofessional profile; somewhat akin to a cottage industry. This was a sorry state of affairs and it became rapidly apparent that The CMA needed to exist if professional complementary medicine were to stand a chance.
Here at The CMA we are a dedicated team of committed professionals (we're all qualified healthcare practitioners) and we are absolutely serious about achieving our mission. We have always had a commitment to making sure that our Members can contact us easily and will always be able to get through to a real person at the end of the phone line. In addition, our e-communications are exceptionally effective and we are able to disseminate important information to our Members extremely rapidly and efficiently.
Where are we now?
The CMA opened its doors to members at the beginning of 1995 and to date, The CMA represents the interests of thousands of practitioners in various categories - including students and 180+ Training Schools/Colleges with additional organizations approaching us regularly. We also have another membership section, "Friends of the CMA" which comprises a variety of supporters, all of whom are keen to support the work of the CMA.
The CMA has a high media profile and we constantly work with major media organizations.
We are committed to cultivating a high media profile, through which we achieve in excess of ten individual media exposures per week including TV, radio, magazines, newspapers and the Internet. Our estimated monthly reach is circa 650,000 individuals.
We are committed to thinking creatively when it comes to promoting our members and we are dedicated to working creatively when promoting our Member's interests - just one example of this is that The CMA has - over the years - even undertaken extremely high-profile promotional campaigns utilizing advertising space on London Underground trains and Docklands Light Railway.
What We Do
q Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Hugely important for us all in this profession. We offer practitioners lots of opportunities to keep their professional skills up-to-date with courses, seminars, ongoing tutorials and more by the leading lectures of UK & Europe.
q Membership ID Card, Certificate
It is vital that practitioners display their CMA certificate within their office or practice rooms to confirm their
Membership of this esteemed organization. We also
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provide them with an ID card, which many of our Members find useful when on external site visits.
q LondonBoroughsSpecialTreatmentExemptedStatus Certain categories of practitioner are subject to requiring a “Special Treatment License” if they work in London and other cities. These licenses cost up to £1000+ and practicing without one leaves the practitioner open to a fine of up to £5000+. By registering with the CMA, after we approve their professional level and training, they are covered under our umbrella exemption – saving you thousands – and protecting them and their practice.
q CMA weekly e-Newsletter
This fantastically informative email brings practitioners the very latest news and research from around the world on all aspects of complementary medicine, natural health and wellness – and relevant conventional medical findings too.
q CMA Training / Courses
The CMA is dedicated to keeping our Members at the top of their profession, to this end we consistently offer ongoing training – with a particular emphasis on practice and training school development. CMA Members benefit from hugely discounted rates for these courses, compared to non- Members. CMA is an academic supporter of complementary medicine colleges, which meet the high criteria of the CMA, and after examining in-depth the curricula and study conditions that the college grants to students, the CMA grants a certificate of recognition to the college.
q Liaison at governmental level representing All CMA Members
The CMA is a Member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Complementary and Integrative Medicine in UK. This means that we are representing practitioners’ interests at Governmental level – and can shape policy within this field to support our Members. CMA Members are allowed to attend these meetings at the House of Commons by arrangement.
q Webinars, Seminars, CPD workshops and further qualifications
The CMA liaises with various respected organization who are offering further training to our Members. If we believe that these trainings are of value, we negotiate special rates for our Members as part of our Membership Benefits package.
In addition to each certificate that the graduates receive from AUEDI, each graduate also receives an international certificate from CMA.