Wellbeing and Holistic Therapist Level 3

This occupation is found in wellbeing environments such as spas, leisure centres, holistic or wellness therapy centres, medi-spas, and beauty salons. These environments are continually expanding due to the increasing demand for lifestyle wellness, including in para-medical and healthcare settings, and through businesses implementing wellbeing-focused corporate responsibility initiatives.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to create, implement, and adapt tailored holistic and wellbeing experiences in a variety of environments — meeting and managing treatment outcomes in private, secure, and safe settings. Wellbeing and Holistic Therapists deliver treatments and experiences using holistic therapy principles, theories, and applications to calm or stimulate the sensory perceptions of the body and mind, promoting balance across the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of daily life.

During this apprenticeship, you will learn a range of holistic therapies, including massage techniques, thermal therapies, and acupressure.

Learning will be built around the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) set out in the apprenticeship standard. Examples include:

Knowledge

• How to complete an in-depth client lifestyle profile and body and skin analysis, including skin type, condition, Fitzpatrick scale and characteristics, postural analysis, identification of postural faults, body shapes and characteristics, and lifestyle factors that impact wellbeing.
• How to select the most suitable wellbeing and holistic principle to apply, being fully present to maximise the therapy outcome and benefit.
• The history, principles, theories, and applications of holistic, thermal, and wellbeing therapies (mind, body, and spirit). The origin and purpose of the seven major chakras and meridians, and their impact on overall mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing.
• The benefits and effects of using holistic and wellbeing therapies to maintain wellness compared to the allopathic approach of Western cultures.
• The importance of completing a client lifestyle profile to determine client suitability, treatment indicators, and protocols, including environmental and lifestyle factors that impact the human body.
• Legal, organisational, and health and safety requirements relevant to the occupation.
• Types of holistic therapy treatments and wellbeing experiences, including Indian head massage, lymphatic drainage massage, aromatherapy, fundamental energy-based therapies, and manual acupressure.

Skills

• Prepare the treatment environment to calm or stimulate the multi-sensory perceptions of the body and mind, such as sight, touch, sound, taste, and smell.
• Apply safe and effective working methods by maintaining:
  • Personal hygiene, protection, and presentation.
  • Client confidentiality and discretion before, during, and after treatments.
  • Correct client positioning according to treatment requirements.
  • Good posture and working methods to minimise fatigue and risk of injury to self and client.
  • Environmental conditions suitable for both client and treatment.
  • A clean and tidy work area.
  • Working practices that minimise the risk of cross-infection.
  • Environmentally friendly and sustainable working practices.
• Dispose of waste materials in line with legal requirements.
• Perform wellbeing and holistic therapy treatments, adapting these according to client needs.
• Manage ongoing professional development through research, reflection, and continual progression.

Behaviours

• Take ownership of their work, being proactive and responsible.
• Maintain professional ethics, integrity, respect, empathy, client confidence, confidentiality, and discretion.
• Contribute ideas, lead by example, and act as an ambassador for the organisation and the industry.
• Communicate appropriately, remaining helpful, courteous, and adaptive to each client and situation.
• Proactively manage and maintain their own wellbeing.

A blend of on-the-job and academic learning

Most learning is on-the-job, guided by your employer and Instructor-Mentor. You will attend Buxton Campus one day per week and receive regular workplace visits from your Instructor-Mentor for observations, professional discussions, and progress reviews.

How you are assessed

The Apprenticeship Assessment is the final stage of every apprenticeship. It checks overall competence, not just individual tasks, and gives apprentices the opportunity to demonstrate the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (KSBs) they have developed. For this apprenticeship, the apprentice will complete three assessment methods:

1. On-demand test: A two-hour multiple-choice test with scenario-based questions, covering both core and specialist knowledge. It’s externally set, marked automatically, and taken either on-site or off-site.

2. Practical observation: A four-hour observation in the workplace where the apprentice demonstrates a range of tasks in their specialist area, showing practical skills and behaviours.

3. Professional discussion: A 40 minute structured discussion between the apprentice and the independent assessor covering the KSB’s within the standard

• Specialise in Holistic Therapies
  Learn a range of treatments like aromatherapy, acupressure, Indian head massage, lymphatic drainage, and wellness therapies to support physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.

• Gain Experience in Diverse Environments
  Work in spas, wellness centres, medi-spas, beauty salons, and healthcare settings, adapting to different client needs and workplace cultures.

• Develop Client-Centric Skills
  Assess client needs, plan tailored treatments, and provide aftercare to ensure effective, personalised wellness experiences.

• Support Business Success
  Deliver high-quality treatments that enhance the client experience and contribute to the commercial success of the organisation.

• A minimum of five GCSEs at grade 4 or above (or equivalent), including Maths and English.
  • If you have not achieved these qualifications, it may be possible to complete functional skills as part of your apprenticeship, depending on personal circumstances.
• You must have the right to work in the UK and have lived in the UK for at least the past three years.
• As this is an apprenticeship, you will also require suitable employment to undertake the programme.

Apprenticeships are funded by either the employer or the government; apprentices do not pay for their training.

Contact us

FE & Skills Apprenticeship Team

• Email: feapprenticeships@derby.ac.uk
• Phone: 0800 074 0099