New Reflexology School Offers Professional Training, Raises Industry Standards

When Jasmin Jahal sought training to become a professional certified reflexologist, there was a lack of options in the Chicago area that offered the caliber of instruction she was seeking. This dearth of professional reflexology training options inspired her to form the Professional Reflexology School, a hybrid of in-person and virtual lessons designed to offer students in-depth, professional reflexology training while raising industry standards.

Reflexology is a wellness protocol in complementary health care that stimulates the nervous system via the nerve endings in the hands and feet. “It promotes homeostasis in the body and may help relieve pain, anxiety, depression and brain fog while improving sleep and neuropathy,” Jahal explains.

While reflexology may be covered in massage therapy school curriculum, Jahal emphasizes that those courses tend to quickly gloss over the practice. “Professional reflexology requires its own training. How we work the feet and hands is very different from massage therapy,” she explains. “The techniques and focus are different; we’re not just working the muscles of the hands and feet. We apply pressure in relation to nerve endings at certain points in the hands or feet as they to relate to certain issues in the body.”

In addition, professional, certified reflexologists do a medical intake and keep a set of subjective, objective, assessment and plan notes (SOAP)—the same detailed notes kept at most clinics and hospitals—that can be submitted to hospitals, doctors or for insurance reimbursement.

The Professional Reflexology School program consists of a 300-hour reflexology certification course offered twice per year. The classwork includes lectures that cover reflexology fundamentals, anatomy and physiology, pathology and assessment, and business management skills and practices.

The supervised hands-on clinical training consists of students performing reflexology techniques. All students need 100 documented hours of performing reflexology sessions. In-person classes take place at the Cancer Survivorship Center at Lutheran General Hospital, in Park Ridge.

Upon successful completion of the 300-hour program, students will receive certification and become eligible to take the national board certification through the American Reflexology Certification Board.

Becoming a certified professional through the Professional Reflexology School program offers students the opportunity to start their own full-time or part-time business. “This is a professional vocation within the holistic healthcare arena,” Jahal says. “It is more affordable and faster than training for many other holistic modalities.”

By offering a professional certified reflexology training school in the Chicago area, Jahal strives to raise industry standards for practitioners, as well as build awareness among the public as to how reflexology—when performed by a certified professional—goes beyond relaxation and can be beneficial for health and wellness.

“It’s important to qualify who you’re working with, whether you’re receiving a reflexology session or training to be a reflexologist,” Jahal emphasizes. “Professional training and certification are extremely important, otherwise you’re just wasting your time and money.”