Eurythmy therapy sessions generally take place following a medical consultation and are offered as a discrete therapy. The Doctor may provide a specific “eurythmy therapy prescription” or the therapist may seek permission to ascertain medical details from the patient’s General Practitioner (GP) to draw up an appropriate programme. An individual therapy plan is agreed between the therapist and patient in each situation. A session generally lasts from 30-60 minutes (adults), 20-30 minutes (children) inclusive of a period of rest. The ideal is for sessions to take place weekly over a period of around 7 weeks.
During the therapy session, the patient learns the eurythmy exercise(s) and the sequence for each and can then practise them regularly on their own. As a rule, physical touch is not used except in specific cases to allow the patient to be supported or led in their movement with their consent. The exercises can be adapted to the patient’s condition and can also be carried out sitting or lying. The desired aim is for the patient to integrate the exercises into their everyday life and to practise them regularly.
Practice Locations
In the UK and Ireland, eurythmy therapy is currently offered by: individual therapists in private practice; a small number of NHS practices and clinics; a number of anthroposophically oriented communities for the care of the elderly, or people with special needs/learning disorders; schools and training colleges for children, young people and adults with complex learning and behavioural difficulties and also Steiner/Waldorf Schools and Kindergartens.
Training
A precondition for training as a eurythmy therapist is a successful award (Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree) in the four-year basic training in eurythmy. All therapists then undergo a further 18 month eurythmy therapy training, which, leads to the award of a MA in Eurythmy Therapy issued by Alanus University and a diploma issued by the Medical Section of the School of Spiritual Science: Dornach, Switzerland. This qualifies the holder to practice Eurythmy Therapy and in the UK and Ireland to apply for registration with the Council for Anthroposophic Health and Social Care (CAHSC), the voluntary register for all anthroposophically orientated therapies. In addition to their individual qualification, all CAHSC registered members agree to abide by recognised practice standards, undertake continuing professional development and carry professional insurance.
In case of a complaint directed at a CAHSC practitioner, the complainant should refer the CAHSC website https://cahsc.org/raise-concern. Further information about the Code of Practice is also found here.
AnthroMed®
AnthroMed® is a charitable limited company (registered in Berlin, Germany) with the aim of securing and further developing the quality of anthroposophic medicine by the use of this label. The use of the trademark is available to all eurythmy therapists worldwide with a recognised Diploma or MA degree and who are members of a national professional association of Eurythmy Therapists where the association has agreed a contract with AnthroMed® GmbH. The professional Eurythmy Therapy Associations in the following countries have so far agreed to the use of the trademark: Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland the AnthroMed® trademark is exclusively available to therapists registered with CAHSC.