HISTORY OF FLORIDA CHAPTERS

 

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It seems logical that Florida should have a reflexology association. 

 

After all, the ‘Mother of Reflexology’, Eunice Ingham spent a good amount of her reflexology years operating from the west coast of our state, and without her tireless efforts reflexology in the western world likely would not exist. If Ingham had not offered reflexology to unlicensed practitioners (chiropractors, naturopaths, chiropodists, massage and physical therapists) following the medical profession’s decision not to use, the art might very well have died.

 

In 2008, five passionate reflexologists stepped forward to establish the Florida Association of Independent Reflexologists (FAIR). FAIR was registered as a non-profit corporation with the state of Florida, and it’s founding directors, Dayl Kumpa, Nachi Sanchez, Judith Leavitt, Sandra Sigur and Jennifer Bachman set out to build an organization that would support its members in their efforts to deliver skilled reflexology to the public and to protect the right of its members to practice in Florida.

 

FAIR affiliated with the national Reflexology Association of America (RAA) the following year and in 2012 hosted the very successful biennual RAA conference in Orlando. 

 

With the demise of FAIR the following year, reflexologists in the state no longer had a structured network of support or a voice in state and national matters.

 

A conversation to resurrect the state association occurred between Julia Dollinger, American Reflexology Certification Board member, and Karen Ball, immediate Past President of RAA, in the fall of 2017, but it was at the 2018 April RAA conference in Chicago that the idea was solidified into action. 

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Five Professional Florida members of RAA – Karen Ball, Lorna Eaton, Gail Lanning, diane Wedge and Julie Wesling – got to talking and all agreed to commit to establishing a viable chapter once again.

 

In the fall of 2018, the Florida Association of Reflexologists (FAR) was registered as a non-profit corporation with the state of Florida. Bylaws were updated to reflect the Association’s goals of:

* growing a strong family of Florida reflexologists 

* providing opportunities to increase members’ clinical education and  promoting each practitioner’s business success 

* ultimately working toward separate licensure for reflexologists in Florida.