So-called alternative medicine (SCAM) in France: an amusing anecdote

I don’t normally report personal things but today I will make an exception. This story is simply too good to ignore.

A French friend of mine was recently looking to employ a new secretary. She short-listed and interviewed 10 candidates. To her surprise (and amusement), 5 of the 10 had some sort of ‘medical’ diploma. Since she knows of my interest in so-called alternative medicine (SCAM), she emailed me their qualifications:

An energy therapist
A practitioner of Acess Bars
A practitioner of the Enelph method
A facial reflexologist
A practitioner of light therapy

In case you don’t know what these titles mean – I too did not know of some of them – here are the definitions I found after a few quick searches:

ENERGY THERAPY

Energy healing is a complementary approach based on the belief that our bodies have energy flowing through them, and that healing can come from helping to balance this flow

ACCESS BARS

Access Bars are 32 points on your head that, when gently touched, effortlessly and easily release the thoughts, ideas, beliefs, emotions, and considerations that stop you from creating a life you love. Access Bars are used as a potent and pragmatic tool by families, wellness practitioners, schools, businesses, mental health professionals, athletes, prisons, veterans, artists, and many more. Access Bars can feel like hitting the delete button on your computer’s cluttered hard drive – only this time, you’re creating space in your brain. Things like negative thought patterns, or that endless mental chatter keeping you awake at night, can be released and make space for the calm you’ve been seeking.

ENELPH METHOD

The Enelph Method is a holistic healing method, using an energy rebalancing technique. Its ultimate goal is to help establish inner peace and harmony within individuals, which can then manifest externally to gradually facilitate awakening both individually and collectively. It is part of an immense aid package offered to us by guides from other dimensions in order to awaken consciousness on the planet .

FACIAL REFLEXOLOGY

Facial Reflexology works on the same principle as the feet. It focuses on the reflex points on the face to stimulate the body’s healing mechanisms which improve circulation and encourage the release and removal of toxins from the body via the lymphatic system. Reflex points in the face connect to and help balance the whole body.

LIGHT THERAPY

Light therapy, also known as phototherapy and bright light therapy, is a therapy used to treat a variety of mental health conditions. Primarily, it’s used to treat a common type of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is also known as the winter blues or seasonal depression. Light therapy may also be helpful as a therapy for sleep disorders, other forms of depression, and more.

Except for light therapy, I am unable to find any reliable evidence that these treatments do more good than harm.

Why do I find this amusing?

It suggests, I think, that France is awash with SCAM (this is also my impression whenever I spend some time in France). Not only that, it also implies that many women get lured into obtaining (frequently expensive) diplomas for profoundly useless therapies, only to find later that they are unable to earn a living with them. Thus they eventually find themselves applying for a secretarial post.

I therefore feel that my little anecdote is both amusing and sad. My hope is that my friend’s little story might deter people from paying good money for phoney SCAM diplomas!

PS

I was told that the above-mentioned secretarial post was given to a person without a pseudo-medical diploma.