President ’ s Report
Peter Berryman | ATMS President
I am led to believe , every year , from Melbourne Cup Day ( the first Tuesday in November ) until the 26th of January in the New Year ( the annual anniversary of Australia Day ), that it ’ s the “ Silly Season ” in Australia . I ’ ve been told not to have high expectations of any professional services I may require during this time because workers are too occupied in enjoying their well-deserved leisure .
So , if indeed you are out there having fun right now , reading this while you are meant to be working on winding up your end-of-calendar year financial spreadsheets , please indulge me and actively imagine this : could we collectively combine our Santa Claus wish list with our New Year ’ s Eve resolutions on behalf of our profession as practitioners of Natural Medicine ? What might that look like ? Of course , this imagining will appear very diverse , depending on what modalities you practise . So , please take a moment and focus your conscious mind on its subconscious content ( your wish list , New Year ’ s resolutions , dreams , fantasies , etc .) that are not routinely seen , heard , or voiced , and give this imaginative process a moment of uncensored creative licence to bring something to life at this point in the process .
Then pause . Your next step is to find the hidden message within the act of creation you just carried out and integrate this lesson . Making the unconscious conscious we can purposely shape the destiny of our own profession , without letting it just go the way of fate . There are so many different future paths that we could engage with , even though our profession is divided over several critical forks in the road ahead .
Strategic Planning by the ATMS Board examines all these possible future scenarios and actively imagines what we might do if any one ( or all ) of them ever eventuated . The most recent ATMS three-year Strategic Plan began in 2021 . In brief , here are our three Strategic Goals : 1 . Member Support and Success 2 . Growth Strategy 3 . Advocacy with Key Stakeholders
I can confidently inform you that the ATMS Board are active in the project of realising the future chosen by the members , informed by the member survey we conducted , for the benefit of the health of the Australian public .
You may be wondering what my ambitions for our profession are . Simply , I want equal access for all Australians to affordable natural therapies , readily available to anyone who has chosen them for their health care . Next , I want equal educational opportunities in natural therapies to be readily available to anyone genuinely interested in this profession , ranging from those who would like to just dip their toes into training with a Vocational Education and Training Certificate IV , at the Australian Qualifications Framework ( AQF ) Level 4 , all the way through to a Higher Education Post-Graduate Doctoral program , at AQF Level 10 . And , while I ’ ve got your attention , I would also like peace on earth ( and resolving climate change would be an awesome bonus too , please ). I could write another thousand words on what else I would like for our profession , but I ’ ll save these for another President ’ s Report .
Sadly , our natural therapies profession has been suffering a decline of practitioners for some years , caused by the ageing demographic of practitioners , and the increased rate of professional resignations , mainly due to the recent trials of trying to work during a pandemic . Some modalities are booming with hopeful numbers , while others are in teach-out and “ withering on the vine ”. Meanwhile , the Australian public have never been so supportive – they love our work and are prepared to spend over $ 5.6B per year of their after-tax earnings on our goods and services .
What do you want your professional future to hold for you as a natural medicine practitioner ? I don ’ t have a crystal ball through which to see into the future , so please join with me and contribute to our collective vision and buy into our three-year Strategic Plan , so together we can create an exhilarating profession that we continue to love to work in , serving the Australian public . That is what all the Directors on the ATMS Board are directing their energy toward on our members ’ behalf . And as the Chair of the ATMS Board , that is what I would really like for Christmas and New Year .
Always in your service …
Peter Berryman President
JATMS | Summer 2022 | 185