Shiatsu – Carol Dean

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What is Shiatsu? 

Shiatsu is a form of therapy of Japanese origin based on the same principles as acupuncture.  It’s given through clothes, either on a futon on the floor, on a table or in a chair. It is very versatile and many practitioners offer on-site chair shiatsu in offices and businesses. It uses a selective application of gentle pressure and stretching to restore the natural flow of energy within the body. Aside from helping with specific symptoms, shiatsu has the overall effect of leaving the body feeling totally relaxed, which can lead to a continuing feeling of wellbeing.

How did you come across Shiatsu? 

A very good question and one I am often asked. When I enrolled on the six month course, initially to support a friend who wanted someone to go with, I never realised that 27 years later I would still be practicing and also running a school! Since then I have done a range of courses and post-grad work with teachers including Pauline Sasaki, Clifford Andrews and Elaine Liechti.

When I started on the course it just ‘felt right’, which may seem a flimsy reason to base a further two years of study on. In particular as this involved commuting to London once a month as there were so few schools offering the diploma course at that time. However, having spent many years working with people, I found that trusting my instinct works well for me. I felt it was something I needed to follow and see where it took me. Once I qualified I started a small practice.   I have also a wide range of experience working with shiatsu in other fields.

Shiatsu was not your first career, but was there anything from your first career that has carried over into your therapy practice?

I was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and went to Hallam University in Sheffield to do a degree in history and politics. I then spent my early career in social care working in residential and day services with adults with learning disabilities and also in the field of mental ill-health. At the time, there was still something of a stigma around mental health and society’s attitude towards people with mental health difficulties. A lot of my work involved talking and listening to people and helping them to develop strategies to move forward with their lives. For me, it was always about empowering people to help themselves and to recognise their innate abilities to take some control of their life. I have worked with adults with physical disabilities for Sheffield City Council. I have also worked in substance misuse services. For the last two years of my time in Sheffield I worked at the Cavendish Cancer Centre and Weston Park Hospital, offering Shiatsu to cancer patients and their families.

Can you explain some of the philosophy behind Shiatsu?

I have always had an interest in holistic therapies and an innate belief in the ability of the body to ‘heal’ itself. As Shiatsu practitioners we don’t ‘cure’ or ‘heal’ our clients. Our aim is to act as facilitators, working with the energy (or Qi) of the individual to harmonise and balance their energy so they become more aware of their body and how it feels to be in a natural state of relaxation. It’s an odd thing, but I’m sure many of us have had the feeling that we are reasonably relaxed, until we receive some body work and truly relax and only then do we realise how actually how far away from that natural state of being we had got. Shiatsu is said to support the autonomic nervous system so helps the body experience a deep state of natural relaxation

What would you recommend Shiatsu for?

I would say that shiatsu is very good for physical symptoms such as back and joint problems, migraine, pregnancy and menstrual problems for example, particularly where they might be associated with stress. However, I personally feel one of the main strengths of shiatsu is how it can support people on an emotional and psychological level. It is gentle and ‘nurturing’ and clients often say they feel ‘cared for’. I think most of us are aware of just how many concerns in life, whether physical, emotional or psychological are rooted in stress. We know how that state of being depletes the body’s resources over a period of time, often leaving the individual constantly tired, low in spirits and less able to ’bounce back’ from issues they have to cope with on a daily basis.

What does it like to give or receive Shiatsu? 

One of the beauties of shiatsu is that it is beneficial to give as well as to receive. Shiatsu can have the effect of helping booth the giver and receiver to relax as they tune into the treatment. When I have had shiatsu myself, I have found it particularly beneficial to help me relax and release tensions. You do not have to feel ‘ill’ in the medical sense of the word to have shiatsu.

On a general level one of the main pluses is that clients do not have to undress to receive a treatment. It’s ideal for people who might have mobility difficulties or who feel uncomfortable with undressing. I do feel there are few barriers to shiatsu and I have observed over years that it also works well alongside other therapies.

Shiatsu still seems to be relatively unknown in the UK to the person in the street or in medical facilities. Why do you think this may be?

I would say that more people are aware of shiatsu, than when I began all those years ago. When I first started learning shiatsu people would invariably respond by saying ‘is that a martial art?’ or a ‘Japanese dog?’

One of the main barriers is the perceived lack of research into the benefits of shiatsu. For shiatsu to be recognised or considered by the NHS it would be helpful to have some in-depth research. There is much research done by therapists into the benefits of shiatsu in certain fields, such as MS, but it is difficult for this research to be recognised by the NHS as it is qualitative and not quantitative. It is difficult to interpret the benefits of shiatsu on the human body in a statistical format. However, despite this issue, there are pockets within the NHS where complementary therapies, including shiatsu, are recognised, respected and utilized. One such are is with cancer patients, particularly those receiving chemotherapy or radiation. Shiatsu is especially beneficial as it promotes that feeling of general well-being and being cared for. 

Thanks Carol!

The Northern School of Shiatsu was set up in 1998 and runs introductory days, short foundation courses and a one year certificate in Well Being course. For students who want to deepen their understanding of shiatsu they can go on to take year 2 certificate and year 3, which leads to a Diploma in Shiatsu and Traditional Chinese Medicine. From April of this year, the Shiatsu Diploma offered through the Shiatsu Society has been recognised for external accreditation through the awarding body, Laser Learning. This qualification is recognised at Level 4.