207 - Equitable Education and Credentialing for the Next Generation of Therapists
“Our society is not set up for us to be well.” - Anne Remy
Well, hello there! Just me, your Wounded Healer, firing up the guest audio tracks after a month of solo shorties. It’s good to rest and revamp (more on that soon!). But as much as I loved the respite, I adore hosting conversations with folks in healing practices even more. My chat with Anne Remy is no exception. Anne and I spin in a pretty tight orbit to each other, lives intersecting at various points right up to both of us becoming therapists (albeit years apart).
Anne’s career, however, has taken on an international flair (her passport boasts stamps from 70+ countries). She’s spent years living, working, and traveling all over the world but recently settled in the seaside city of Brighton, England, where she works as a humanist therapist, a TCTSY trauma-sensitive yoga facilitator, a breathwork facilitator, and a yoga teacher. Globe-trotting has gifted Anne with a unique perspective on how the US and the UK train and certify therapists, manage their healthcare systems (ah, socialized medicine!), and value the pursuit of mental wellness.
Oh goodness, so much to unpack. “The reason we have so much trauma is because we're not a well society,” says Anne. I mean, for real! The UK is the OG colonizer, while the US basically perfected capitalism. No wonder healing self and community often feels like an uphill slog through quicksand. And the obstacles to becoming a facilitator of that healing? Well… Whereas the US saddles its potential therapists with school debt and upholds other barriers to access, the UK requires fewer prerequisites but minimal credentialing. Weighing the pros and cons of each system is sticky business. “You can go through 10 years of school and still not be a great therapist,” Anne acknowledges. I agree. I’ve witnessed the aftermath of ill-prepared practitioners time and again. “But,” she adds, “there's a lot of people who don't have access to the “right” education. That doesn't mean that they can’t be the type of support that other people need.” Here, too, I agree.
Is there an avenue for creating a degree program that recognizes experiential training and evaluates individual acumen without standardized testing while also providing a governing apparatus that protects folks on both sides of the therapeutic relationship? I dunno. Anne and I had a fabulous time playing with the possibilities, though.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
TCTSY - Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga
The Myth Of Normal - Gabor Maté
GUEST CONTACT INFO & BIO
Anne Remy is a humanistic therapist, a TCTSY trauma-sensitive yoga facilitator, a breathwork facilitator, and a yoga teacher. Originally from the US, Anne has lived and traveled in over 70 countries before moving to the UK. She uses her international experience to inform her practices and to support the decolonization of the health and wellness industry.
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