Unfortunately not. The Shiatsu Society negotiated block insurance on behalf of its members to provide them with the best possible cover at the best price. 

Students who have completed their School’s Year 1 Acupressure/Bodywork for Wellbeing Certificate (different Schools have different certificate titles) must apply to Balens directly to arrange professional level insurance cover for Acupressure/Bodywork for Wellbeing under Balens’ Multi Therapy policy. 

Their student insurance for Shiatsu under the block policy does not cover them for the professional practice of Acupressure. This cover is available at a discounted rate (currently £17). Balens will require to see a certificate as proof of their qualification. 

Members should follow this link https://secure.balens.co.uk/schemenewbusiness/SHS0125/S199/default.aspx?h=0x228df5e2 to arrange cover.

Don’t worry, these documents are available to view and download from your dashboard when you first login (just scroll down the page), but if you have any problems accessing them, just drop us an email at [email protected]
and we’ll arrange a copy to be sent to you.

As long as the practitioner is only working in the UK and is considered to be currently residing in the UK (paying taxes, UK address, has the appropriate visa etc.) and meets the Shiatsu Society’s membership requirements the Balen's Master policy stands.

1. You shall adequately record each and every treatment given to each and every client.
2. The record is to include full details of the consultation process, the treatment, the result of the treatment and any aftercare instructions given where appropriate.
3. The record shall be kept for at least 7 years following the last occasion on which treatment was given. In the case of treatment to minors, it is advisable that records should be kept for at least 7 years after they reach the age of majority (18).

The Master policy that is included in your membership is designed to cover members to practise Shiatsu. You are covered to practise all the techniques included in your training; this includes Shiatsu during pregnancy. If as a member you then go on to take up further training in a different therapy i.e. Acupressure, Massage etc. you will need to take out a separate multi-therapy cover for an extra £17.    

The policy covers practitioners to practise Shiatsu, with teaching cover as standard – i.e. workshops and CPD. The policy does not cover training and certifying a member of the general public as competent in the practice of Shiatsu. For this cover you will need to contact Balens  for a quote.   

Your insurance is covered by a block insurance scheme. This runs annually from January to January each year but you are covered at all times providing you ensure your membership renewals are kept up to date. You’ll find a copy of the Insurance Schedule and your Certificate of Recognition in your Members' profile when you login.    

How to harness the “Find a Practitioner” section of the website

Caveat: This is only for professional practitioners,

i.e. if you have MrSS, SrSS, or FwSS status you should follow the steps below.

Students and Associates are not searchable.

To ensure you are gaining the most from the new powerful and detailed search this is the bare minimum you need to do to:

1. To be searchable on “Find a Practitioner” you must have a Practice name

• Log in
• Click on the ‘My Practice’ tab
• Click on the 1st sub-section 'Practice name, include in search' to expand it
   
• Read the help text and enter your information
   
• Click the blue ‘Save’ button
• You will be returned to the landing page on your dashboard with a green notification saying

“This profile has been saved"

2. To be visible & searchable on the ‘Venue Map’ & ‘Map Search’ you must assign a venue 

• Log in
• Click on the ‘My Practice’ tab
• Click on the 4th sub-section 'Venue Information' to expand it
   
• Read the help text and enter your information
   
• Click the blue ‘Save’ button
• You will be returned to the landing page on your dashboard with a green notification saying

“This profile has been saved"

3. If you have a venue with no sessions assigned, you will have a simple link to the venue on your profile. However, the venue will link to your profile - the venue is searchable

• When you are creating a venue, ensure you place a pin on the map for that venue - this makes it visible on the map
   

4. If you have a session with a venue assigned you will have a link and a summary of that venue on your profile, the venue will link to your profile
   - the venue is searchable.
   
    

5. If you have a session with no venue assigned you will have a session on your profile, but it will not be searchable in the ‘Venue Map’ & ‘Map Search’
    

• If you have given yourself a practice name, as described in step 1, you will be searchable within the ‘Registry’ & ‘Summary Search’

1. Go to this URL: https://www.shiatsusociety.org/user/password

• Either by click the above link or typing it into your address bar in the browser
• It will take you to a webpage titled “Reset your password”
   

2. Insert your email address; for example: [email protected]

• It is important you use the email address you have registered with us, this will be the email we communicate with you.

3. Click the ‘Submit’ button, below where you entered your email

• You will receive a green notification: “Further instructions have been sent to your email address. The email instructions contain a link that will allow you to create a new password”
   

4. Go to your email inbox, you will see a message with the subject line: “Replacement login information for [your name] at Shiatsu Society (UK)"

5. Click the link within that email, (or copy and paste the URL into your browser)

• Please note this will only be usable for 24 hours, and it can only be used once
• Clicking the link will be take you to a webpage titled ‘Reset password

6. Enter a new password, confirm it and then click the 'Login'

You should be redirected to your dashboard

The 2014 AGM agreed to create a Register for members who have completed a 1-year qualification. The Core Curriculum for this was established by the Education Committee in 2017 and was modified in 2021 following the placing of the L4 Diploma in Shiatsu on the RQF. The Society has called this practice Bodywork for Wellbeing Based on Shiatsu principles. This denotes a form of body-based work that is based on the principles, philosophy and techniques of Shiatsu but is practised for wellbeing and is not aimed at treating problematic conditions.

Schools may offer a 1-year programme adhering to the One Year Core Curriculum and may choose how to call their certification, so long as it does not imply full Shiatsu qualification. Examples are “Certificate in Holistic Acupressure”, “Bodywork for Wellbeing Mentor”.

Graduates of such programmes will be placed on the Shiatsu Society Register of Wellbeing Practitioners. They are publicised on the Wellbeing Listing on the website, operate under the Shiatsu Society's Code of Ethics and are required to hold professional indemnity insurance. Professional level insurance for Acupressure / Bodywork for Wellbeing is not part of the Block Scheme and needs to be purchased from Balens through their Multi-therapy policy and is at a discounted rate (see document ‘Insurance matters for Students’).

At present we are only accepting Student Advanced members onto the Register of Wellbeing Practitioners. In future there will be a separate membership category (for those not continuing to full 3-year Shiatsu training) which includes professional level insurance for Acupressure/Bodywork for Wellbeing Practitioners not insurance for Shiatsu, this is currently being finalised.