ISTA's Training Recommendations

ISTA is working with a number of international trainers and senior SCENAR Trainers, from Russia and elsewhere, towards developing training models that reflect different cultural and national practices, while retaining the depth and proficiencies expected of a Registered Scenar Therapist.  The recommendations outlined here are for discussion and will be amended from time to time.  The exchanges of ideas are taking place on the private pages of this Website; the results will in due course be published here.

These discussions are running in parallel with those over the definition of which devices can legitimately be considered to Scenar-Technology based, and which not.  The proposal on the table, placed there by Russia, is that only those devices that were developed with one of the original patent holders (of which there were 5) should be considered genuine Scenar-Technology devices.  The overwhelming view within ISTA's membership is that this is too narrow a definition for Scenar-Technology and that something broader needs to be developed. This is particularly relevent in the light of the emergence, actual and planned, of home and self-treatment devices.  This proliferation of makes accords very much with the dream of the inventor of SCENAR that one day every home will have a basic Scenar-Technology device in its medicine cabinet.  Please make you views known - the debate will be held in private, the results will be shown here in due course.

The multiplication of Scenar devices, and Scenar-Technology based devices, with differing levels of training required and offered, confirms ISTA's view that differing levels of Scenar-operatives are emerging - the Technicians, trained to treat most common pains; the Scenar Therapists / Practitioners who bring additional skills to their practice and are thus able to deal with more complex pain-generating situations; and, finally, the Senior Scenar Therapists, who have a thorough grounding in energy medicine and have undergone a thorough SCENAR training in Russia and other accredited places.  The full details of the training requirements at each of these levels are still being worked on, the following parameters are however beginning to emerge -

Differentiation between Students According to Professional Background

ISTA suggests that by background there are 4 types of student -

A. PAMs - Professions Aligned to Medicine - doctors of orthodox medicine,

                  nurses, physiotherapists, etc. The goal of training for this group is

                  to give health professionals, who are already fully trained and are

                  experienced in interacting with patients, the S.C.E.N.A.R. Therapy skills necessary to be able to

                  offer an additional healing tool to their patients.  ISTA recommends that the training for this

                  group, particulary at advanced levels, be conducted by peers.

B. CAMs - Complementary and Alternative Medical Practitioners. The goal of training is to give this
                   group not only the S.C.E.N.A.R. skills necessary to add S.C.E.N.A.R. Therapy to the range of

                   treatments they are able to offer their clients and to provide them with an understanding of the

                   issues which would normally only be encountered by PAMs, so as to ensure an

                   understanding of when to involve a client's PAM.

C. NOMs - NO Medical backgrounds - this group comprises students who have no healthcare

                   experience at all, they may well be changing careers, possibly wishing to become S.C.E.N.A.R.

                   Practitioners after personally experiencing the benefits of this Therapy. The goal of training for

                   this group is not only to take the student to S.C.E.N.A.R. Practitioner level, but also to

                   provide a solid understanding of professionalism in healthcare, including knowing when to

                   refer to either a PAM or a more experienced CAM.

D. HOMs - Home Users - this group consists of people who wish to use S.C.E.N.A.R. for either self-

                   treatment or a clearly defined situation only; the latter usually within the family. The goal of

                   training is thoroughly to familiarise the Home User with the application of S.C.E.N.A.R.; with the

                   nature of disease and the healing process in general, and specifical to any intended home

                   application.

It is recognised and accepted that in some countries and jurisdictions some of above student categories are disallowed.  ISTA respects each nation's conventions and does not seek to counter them in any way.

Variations in Training Schedules

Again, these are general suggestions designed to provide guidelines for trainers and students alike.

The proposed periods and stages of training to S.C.E.N.A.R. Practitioner level, for each of above groups, is suggested to be as follows -

Group A    6 - 8 months
(PAMs)      Foundation Course - 2 months to
                   Intermediate Course - 1 month to
                   Revision - 3 months to
                   Advanced Course - 1 month to
                   Final Exam

Group B    8 - 12 months
(CAMs)      Foundation Course - 2 months to
                   Intermediate Course - 1 month to
                   Revision - 5 months to

                   Advanced Courses - 2 months to

                   Final Exam

Group C   16 - 18 months
(NOMs)     Anatomy & Physiology completed before Advanced Course (12 months)
                   Foundation Course - 4 months to

                   Intermediate Course - 3 months to

                   Revision1 - 3 months to

                   Revision2 - 2 months to

                   Advanced Course - 2 months to

                   Revision3 - 2 months to
                   Final Exam

Group D    4 /5 days
(HOMs)     Foundation Course

                   Optional Test

It is recommended that the same Foundation Course be taken by all groups, with no differentiation between attendees. It has been found that at Foundation Course level the interaction between represenatives of the different groups creates an enhanced learning environment for all.

Training levels beyond the Foundation Course are recommended to consist of segregated groups of PAMs, CAMs, NOMs and PUs; where this is not possible or practicable, only PAMs and CAMs might be combined, NOMs and PUs trained separately. This may result in smaller training groups, which is something ISTA believes ultimately to be beneficial in providing maximum opportunities for hands-on practice.

A word on Exams - they exist not to deter students, but to help them, their trainers and ISTA determine what additional training may help achieve highest pratitioner standards.

The nature of the exams, as well as any aspect of training listed here, remains under active international discussion, which has not yet been finalised.

Individualy countries, even trainers, will have their own training variations; the exams however are intended to be internationally uniform.

Practitioners will generally be encouraged, ISTA Members required, to engage in Continuing Professional Development (CPD), programmes for which are currently being developed and researched.

Content of Training Modules

ISTA does not intend to prescribe the contents of individuals training modules; it does however outline the elements that it believes should be covered in sequence, so that all teachers and students following these general guidelines can be assured that they will be equipped to pass the final exams, should they opt to do so.

ISTA Registered Trainers (IRTs) give only Certficates of Completion for each stage of training; arbitrary levels of practitioner, such as "S.C.E.N.A.R. Specialist", are not recognised by ISTA.  Anybody aspiring to become a full professional member of ISTA, will be required to show the requisite number of Completion Certificates signed by IRTs and pass the Final Exam (currently under development).

ISTA's recommendations for the duration and contents of each group's training stages are as follows -

Stage-1.        Foundation Training

Duration       4 consecutive days, if residential

                       5 days in total, if non-residential

Attendees     all student categories

Outcome      all students should leave (a) feeling thoroughly familiar with the S.C.E.N.A.R.; (b) with

                       an sound understanding of its potential powers, and its contribution to the growing field of

                       medication-free healing; and (c)  with new perspectives on the nature of disease and the

                       healing process.

Notes            (1)  Home-users specific requirements could represent the focal point of greater in-depth

                       coverage of S.C.E.N.A.R. application

                       (2)  ISTA suggests that around 40% of class time be dedicated to hands-on, supervised,

                       teaching

                       (3)  ISTA suggests that emphasis be placed on the self-diagnostic nature of S.C.E.N.A.R.

                       therapy

                       (4) students should complete this training comfortable in the use of the device and in which

                       situations to apply it; they should however remain aware of the considerable body of

                       knowledge that lies ahead if they wish to become maximally effective S.C.E.N.A.R.

                       Practitioners

Stage-2        Intermediate Training

Duration      A.  PAMs   -  3 days if residential and consecutive (4 days if non-residential)

                     B.  CAMs   -  4 days if residential and consecutive (5 days if non-residential)

                     C. NOMS  -   6 days (2 x 3 residential) or 8 days if non-residential)

Attendees   Ideally segregated by each category / group separately in view of the difference of emphasis

                     provided for each of the three categories.

Outcomes  A.  PAMs   - comfortable with the application of S.C.E.N.A.R. in any number of situations, including

                                          acute and emergency situations; good awareness of theories underpinning

                                          complementary and alternative medicine

                     B.  CAMs  - a solid understanding of S.C.E.N.A.R. application in all typical CAM situations

                                          (acute and emergency situations being exceptions); encouragement towards

                                          experimentation and integration with prior professional skill; deepened under-

                                          standing of interaction with PAMs, with particular focus on how to present

                                          S.C.E.N.A.R.

                    C.  NOMs -  a good understanding of S.C.E.N.A.R. applications in most CAM-situations;

                                          clarity over when to defer to greater experience and expertise; an introduction

                                          to treatment modalities that are considered enhancing to the effectiveness of

                                          S.C.E.N.A.R. therapy; training in patient-interaction, patient record taking,

                                          practice administration; client confidentiality.

Notes          (1)  By eliciting detailed feed-back at all stages, which ISTA will collate, it is anticipated

                     that each category of professional will gradually self-define the detail of this level's content.

                     (2)  ISTA recommends that around 25% of in-class activity consist of hands-on training

                     (3)  Students should deliver an appropriate number of case histories and present a number

                     to their fellow-students

                     (4)  teachers are encouraged to give their students home work

Stage-3      Advanced Training

Duration     A.  PAMs  -  2 days, if residential and consecutive (3 days non-residential)

                     B. CAMs  -  3 days, if residential and consecutive (4 days non-residential)

                     C. NOMs -  5 days, if residential and consecutive (6 days non-residential)

Attendees   Ideally the same groupings as those who undertook the Intermediate Training together.

Outcomes  All Groups clear about the theoretical aspects of S.C.E.N.A.R; clear about all practical

                                         applications encountered to-date or anticipated within their relevants practices;                                           comfortable to act as mentor to students starting their training; NOMs and

                                         CAMs clear about when to defer to greater experience and higher medical

                                         training levels; ready to take a sample exam (could be home work) 

Stage-4       Final Exam

                      (1)  the nature of this exam is still under international discussion

                      (2)  it is currently envisaged that all 3-groups take the same supervised exam

                      (3)  a pass of the exam will automatically entitle the practitioner to become a full

                      ISTA member

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

                      Programmes are under preparation and will in due course be published here.