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THIS ISSUE:
90th
Anniversary
Swedish Institute on-line newsletter for our students, faculty and community.
Joseph Horan, L.M.T.
Class of 1975
Joseph Horan was at the start of a movement in the 1970’s. It didn’t have the sound of the revolution
started by the Beatles, or the signage of anti-war protestors. It was a quiet, invisible movement that
began in the hearts and minds of individuals seeking ways to participate in their own sense of aliveness
and health.
Twenty-five years later, the medical establishment and the government would take notice, but never would
they take control. Today, the use of self-care and natural techniques is part of everyone’s awareness,
made popular in mainstream media under names such as “complementary and alternative medicine”,
“integrative health care” and “Era III Healing.” Medical schools are including it in their curriculum. And
the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C. has dedicated millions of dollars for research.
However, the movement has always been about individual participation in health, and the inclusion of the
body, mind and spirit. The cultural creatives who started unique professions in health, after studying
in unique places like the Swedish Institute, understand that sensibility.
The Path of the Foot
Back in 1971, Mr. Horan was a seeker of ways to be proactive in staying healthy, in both body and spirit.
He was going regularly for massage therapy when, one day, his regular therapist was not available.
Instead, he found himself with a therapist who specialized in foot reflexology, a session that changed
his life.
He started on the road to learning more, first as an interested client, then as a student at the
Swedish Institute. When Mr. Horan went to the Swedish Institute in 1974, the course was about 700
hours long. After graduating and getting his massage therapy license, Mr. Horan continued his studies in
reflexology, eventually becoming a certified practitioner and teacher.
Like most practitioners who specialize, Mr. Horan is passionate about the modality he practices.
“Though they have touch in common, massage and reflexology are not the same thing,” said Mr. Horan,
who still works part-time in his Manhattan office. “Each modality has its own history, techniques and
vocabulary. Massage works with the structure of the body through manipulation of soft tissue to improve
circulation and reduce muscle tension, while reflexology addresses the functions of the body based on
the foot’s connection to the organs and glands.”
Leaders in the Field
For Mr. Horan, working on the feet is the way of enhancing wellness that makes most sense for him.
“I am trained to do massage, cranial sacral work and Reiki, but reflexology works best for me because
the touch is more concentrated and the communication has more depth.” He points out that there is more
to a good massage or reflexology treatment than the intellectual knowledge of muscles, bones and
techniques. “Reflexology techniques are the basis of my work, but they are only a tool; the most
important thing a practitioner can do is show caring, acceptance and compassion to the client.
That’s the basis for everything else.” He has arrived at an eclectic approach that incorporates not
only what he has learned, but who he is.
In his book, Walk Away from Stress with Foot Reflexology Mr. Horan repeatedly underscores the importance
of client awareness and participation in restoring health. “Helping the person remember that the body
can heal itself is central to my work. Through reflexology and the relaxation it brings, the whole body
is encouraged to renew itself so that all functions are working optimally. When we are in a positive
frame of mind, our bodies are better able to cope with life’s challenges, be they mental, emotional or
physical.”
The introduction to his book is written by a former client, one who was present with him at the start
of a revolution that she eventually helped shape: Louise Hay. Ms. Hay writes, “When I was diagnosed
with cancer and decided to use a wholistic approach to my healing, I was informed that foot reflexology
would be a beneficial tool. …I went to a lecture on some totally unrelated subject and though I usually
sit in the front row, this evening I chose to sit in the back. Within five minutes a gentleman came and
sat beside me…I learned that he was a foot reflexologist, and his name was Joseph Horan.”
(1)
Ms. Hay immediately started having sessions three times a week. In the beginning, she said, “it felt as
though there were pieces of glass in my feet…eventually, as the treatments continued and toxins left my
body, the treatments became much easier and even a pleasure.” She credits Mr. Horan’s sessions as an
important part of her return to health.
Ms. Hay’s story became the basis for her 1984 book You Can Heal Your Life, which sold 30 million copies
worldwide and was on The New York Times bestseller list for 12 consecutive weeks. Mr. Horan went on to
create his own seminars, book and videos, which led to numerous appearances on radio and TV shows on
which he extolled the benefits of reflexology to those seeking their own path to health. He is in good
company on that path.
References
(1) Walk Away From Stress with Foot Reflexology, Joseph Horan.
Sacramento, CA: New Frontier Publishing, 2003. The book, as well as compact discs on hand and foot
reflexology are available from Reflexology Seminars of New York, 1173A Second Ave., Suite 264, New
York, NY 10021.
For more information
Find out more about national certification and professional development at the American Reflexology
Certification Board.
The Swedish Institute often offers courses in reflexology through Professional Continuing
Education.
Louise L. Hay is a noted author, speaker and teacher whose work is promoted through
Hay House.
Photos
Top: Reflexology chart for the foot. Used with permission of Joseph Horan.
Center: Joseph Horan relaxes at his office in Manhattan in 2006.
All photos in the newsletter not otherwise specified are by Barbara Goldschmidt and are the
property of the Swedish Institute ©2006.