The Association of Registered Complementary Health Therapists of Ireland (ARCHTI)was established in 1999 and is a leading multi-therapy Association for Complementary Health Therapists and represents many therapies in Ireland today.

ARCHTI is a non-profit making organisation working on behalf of our Members to provide them with support from their fellow therapists; to protect their need to practice with autonomy and promote the desire for voluntary self-regulation in Ireland.

It is necessary that the Medical and Health Professionals feel confident that when they recommend a Therapist in the Complementary Health area that their patient will receive the best possible care and attention by fully qualified ethical registered Therapists.

It is equally necessary that every Member of the Public consulting a Complementary Health Therapist directly be assured they are receiving the best possible attention and treatment.

Membership of the Association is very strict and it is only after scrutiny of an applicant’s qualifications from an accredited Institute/Association/School/Training Course will membership be considered. Current Insurance Cover is required by each Member.

Back in 1998 there were quite a number of Therapists scattered around the country each doing their own thing. Many of these Therapists did not know each other and neither did they know or understand many of the other therapies apart from their own. Often, they did not know to whom they could refer a client if their own form of therapy was not suitable. Our Chairman, John Kelly, of Appleby Hypnotherapy Clinic had met many of these Therapists and they had often said to him that it would be lovely to have an opportunity to meet other Therapists and exchange views in a social environment. John organised informal get-togethers which were extremely popular but it soon became apparent that therapies needed regulation and should be put on a professional footing.

There was a core group of Therapists committed to forming the Association and in 1999 at one of these meetings a motion was adopted that a fully recognised Association should be formed and that strict rules for membership should be enforced and these should include qualifications from a recognised training source as well as producing a certificate of current insurance…..and so the Association was founded.

The following are our Founder Members:-

JOHN J. KELLY, (Hypnotherapist/Psychotherapist) First Chairman

NIKK GEORGE, (Aromatherapist/Massage/Sports Therapist) First Vice-Chairman

ENA DUNNE, (Registered Nurse/Aromatherapist/Reflexologist) First Treasurer

PHILIP JEFFARES (Osteopath) First Membership Committee Chairman

JOSEPHINE FITZHENRY (Counselling)

MARK PORTER (Registered Nurse/Osteopath)

NELLIE FOLEY (Bio-Energy/Primary Movement)

• To act as an umbrella association representing our Registered Members and their Therapies in order to promote better awareness of Complementary Health Medicine among the general public as well as the medical profession and other health care professionals.



• To help maintain a Register of suitably qualified practitioners of Complementary Health Medicine.



• To help promote the self-regulation and improvement of standards of practice and ethics in Complementary Health Medicine in Ireland.



• To create an awareness among our Members of each other’s Therapy and realise that there are many forms of help available to their clients apart from their own chosen field.



• To liase with other Associations and Organisations who have similar aims and objectives as our own in order to learn and develop our own Association.



• To keep abreast of legislation governing Complementary Health Medicine in Ireland, theUnited Kingdom, Europe and worldwide.



• To watch closely the Irish and European Governmental legislation in relation to Complementary Health Medicine paying particular attention to the areas of regulation and/or control of this area of medicine.



• To ensure our Registered Members can avail of reasonably priced insurance cover for their practice to ensure that their clients are adequately protected against accident, injury and malpractice.



• To promote that “people helping people” is what Complementary Health Medicine in Ireland is all about and that this Association and its Officers and Members will work with each other and with like-minded Therapists in order to achieve these Aims and Objectives.