CHOOSING THE PERSON WHO WILL TEACH YOU
Choosing your colonic hydrotherapy trainer is a big decision.
You are choosing more than a course. You are choosing the person who will help you develop the knowledge, practical skills, confidence and professional judgement needed to work safely with clients.
I believe you should know who will be teaching you, whether they still work with clients, where your practical training will take place, how they respond when a student needs support and what happens after you qualify.
Here are the things I believe really matter when choosing your trainer.
1. IS YOUR TRAINER QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED?
Ask about your trainer’s qualifications, experience and current role within the profession.
I am an Advanced RICTAT Colonic Practitioner, RICTAT Trainer and RICTAT Board Member. I also hold a Level 3 Award in Education and Training.
I continue to run my own clinic and work with clients, so my teaching remains connected to the realities of clinical practice.
2. DOES YOUR TRAINER STILL WORK WITH CLIENTS?
Colonic hydrotherapy is a practical profession. I believe your trainer should understand what it is like to work with clients now, including consultations, treatment planning, client dignity, professional boundaries and knowing when it may not be appropriate to treat.
I work from The Treatment Rooms in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, where I continue to practise alongside teaching.
This allows me to bring current clinical situations, questions and experience into the training.
3. WHERE WILL YOUR PRACTICAL TRAINING TAKE PLACE?
Ask whether the practical training takes place in a dedicated working clinic.
My students train at The Treatment Rooms, an established clinic and professional training premises in Skelmersdale. This is premises-based training rather than training within someone’s home.
Students learn in the type of clinical environment they may eventually want to create for themselves. They experience the importance of hygiene, preparation, privacy, client care and professional standards from the beginning.
4. HOW MUCH SUPERVISED PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WILL YOU RECEIVE?
My Foundation programme includes seven in-person practical training days and a minimum of 15 supervised client sessions, including observation.
Students have opportunities to watch, practise, ask questions and receive feedback. They develop their skills gradually rather than being expected to know everything immediately.
Practical training should help you understand the whole client experience, from consultation and preparation through to treatment, aftercare and professional record keeping.
5. WILL THE TEACHING BE ADAPTED TO YOU?
Every student arrives with a different background, level of confidence and way of learning.
Some are nurses or healthcare professionals. Some come from beauty, massage or complementary therapy. Others are beginning an entirely new career.
The professional standard remains the same for everyone, but the way I help each student reach that standard may be different.
WHEN A STUDENT NEEDS TO FIND THEIR CONFIDENCE
One of my students travelled from Sweden to train with me. Her English was good, but she felt self-conscious when explaining digestive health to clients in English. I invited her to carry out one session in Swedish, and everything flowed like a songbird.
It reminded me that a student can understand the subject and still need a little space to find their confidence. Good teaching means recognising that and helping each person learn in a way that works for them.
WHEN A STUDENT NEEDS PRACTICAL SUPPORT
Another student arrived with an injured wrist in a cast. She was determined to continue, but towards the end of the training I could see she was in pain. I sat beside her and told the client, “I’m going to be my student’s left hand.”
I securely held the speculum while my student used her good right hand to perform the techniques. She was still leading the session, thinking, observing, communicating and making decisions. I was simply there to support her through the practical challenge.
The standard does not change. Sometimes the route we take to help a student reach it does.
6. DOES YOUR TRAINER RECOGNISE THE EXPERIENCE YOU ALREADY HAVE?
Previous professional experience is valuable, but every student will still have something new to learn.
I have taught nurses who have told me that colonic hydrotherapy was a specialist subject they knew very little about. Some have also needed to refresh their knowledge of digestive-system anatomy and physiology.
That is why I never assume that someone’s previous profession means they already know everything they need for this work. We build the knowledge and practical understanding required for safe, professional colonic hydrotherapy.
You do not have to be a nurse to begin this pathway. You need appropriate training, a willingness to learn and an understanding of the responsibility involved in working with clients.
7. HOW DOES YOUR TRAINER HANDLE MISTAKES DURING LEARNING?
Students need space to learn while client safety remains the priority.
If something needs to be stopped for safety, I step in immediately. Where it is safe to do so, I may give a student the opportunity to recognise what has happened before we talk it through together: what happened, why it happened and what they could do differently next time.
When a student understands the reason behind a correction, they are far less likely to repeat the same mistake. My aim is to help students learn in a safe, supportive environment where they can develop both competence and confidence.
8. HOW WILL YOU BE PREPARED FOR THE FINAL ASSESSMENT?
I know students can feel anxious about the assessment at the end of the course, so I explain from day one how the week will work. Throughout the training, you will hear me repeating and recapping key information. That is deliberate. I am drip-feeding the learning so you have time to absorb it.
The repetition is not because I doubt your ability. It gives you the opportunity to take in the information, connect the theory with the practical work and build your confidence as you go.
“It’s not exam day. It’s your proof of knowledge day.”
The final day is your opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and practical skills you have developed throughout the training.
9. WHAT SUPPORT WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER YOU QUALIFY?
The support does not have to end when the training finishes. Students can continue to ask questions, access RICTAT mentorship and use the Learning Hub for further CPD and Clinic Companion Guides.
I want every student to know that they can continue to talk to me as they develop their skills, grow in confidence and establish themselves as practitioners.
10. CAN YOU SPEAK TO YOUR TRAINER BEFORE MAKING A DECISION?
You should feel comfortable asking questions before committing to a training programme.
I am happy to talk about your previous experience, the course structure, the practical training and what you hope to do after qualifying.
My job is not simply to teach the course. It is to help you learn it.
TALK TO ME, THAT’S WHAT I’M HERE FOR
VIEW THE FOUNDATION TRAINING PROGRAMME
ABOUT TRACY JOHNSON
Tracy Johnson is an Advanced RICTAT Colonic Practitioner, RICTAT Trainer and RICTAT Board Member. She teaches RICTAT-accredited Foundation training at The Treatment Rooms, her dedicated working clinic and training premises in Skelmersdale, Lancashire.