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TRAINING SUCCESSFUL PRACTITIONERS

Interview with Jo Rowkins of The Dolphin House Shop / Children’s Clinic

Often we are aware of clinics that treat adults with complementary therapies, but CNM student Jo Rowkins is the web manager for The Dolphin House Shop, which supports the work of The Childrens Clinic in Brighton the only natural therapy clinic for babies and children in the country.

Where did you first hear about the CNM?
I came across the CNM a few years ago when I was researching nutrition and naturopathy colleges on the internet. After I found out about the CNM I discovered that a friend of mind had also just enrolled on to the naturopathy course. She spoke highly of her experiences as a new student at the college.

What first attracted you to training with the CNM over its competitors?
I liked the fact that the CNM nutrition course came from a naturopathic view point and included teachings from Chinese and ayurvedic wisdoms, as well as including a detailed scientific starting point and lots of clinical practice. For me it ticked all the boxes.

What was your profession before you enrolled with the CNM?
I enrolled with the CNM last summer and at that stage I had already quit my previous profession in the fashion industry in London. After I left I spent lots of time travelling the world. I fell in love with India and decided to train as a yoga teacher at the Sivananda ashram in southern India. I arrived in Brighton three and a half years ago and spent a couple of years helping my twin sister run her beautiful lifestyle boutique, The Lavender Room (www.lavenderroom.co.uk), before deciding to enrol with the CNM to retrain as a nutritionist.

Tell me about The Childrens Clinic in Brighton
The Childrens Clinic is a unique natural therapy clinic for babies and children the only one of its kind in the country. It provides a wide range of complementary therapies as a safe and effective alternative to the use of drugs. Therapies include acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy, nutritional therapy, herbal medicine, creative arts counselling, healing and baby massage. The Childrens Clinic is a charity providing treatments on a sliding scale of fees according to parental income. The Childrens Clinic also offers training facilities and runs an outreach service in the community, offering homeopathy, play therapy and osteopathy in several of Brightons more deprived living areas.

The Dolphin House is also a clinic of natural therapies for adults. However, adults pay normal rates, since their treatments are not supported by the charity. It is situated next door and sells lots of organic and natural skin care products as well as stocking quality supplements, herbal remedies, books, essential oils and natural remedies such as eczema creams. The knowledgeable staff, some of which are also practitioners, are on hand to provide advice on a wide range of health issues.

All profits from the shop go back into the charity, The Childrens Clinic.

What is your role within The Childrens Clinic?
I work part-time in The Dolphin House Shop and am also the web manager. I am writing the content for the web shop as well as trying to increase awareness of the work of the organisation by conventional PR activities as well as online coverage such as getting links with like-minded businesses and organisations. The web shop will be a great opportunity to bring more money into the charity. You can buy all your favourite natural products online knowing that your money is supporting The Childrens Clinic – it doesn’t get better than that!

What are you hoping to achieve by gaining a diploma with the CNM?
At this stage I dont know what I will be doing when I finish my course. I am simply following my passion. As a Naturopathic Nutritionist I hope to diversify in my work as much as possible clinic, writing, researching, and by the end of my three year course Im hoping to have a specialist area of interest to focus on.

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To find out more about The Childrens Clinic and The Dolphin Shop please visit www.thechildrensclinic.org.uk and www.thedolphinhouseshop.org.uk.

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