Unfortunately we have found it necessary to write this entry because it has come to our attention, via a number of sources, that those interested in misrepresentation and defamation – for reasons best known to themselves – have been spreading lies and rumours and calling into question the integrity, motivation and efficacy of Reach and its work. There has been a dripping tap over the last 20 years of these kinds of comments and we’ve generally chosen to ignore them. But sadly, more and more individuals are seeking clarification and reassurance that we are what we say we are and so we’ve decided that we alone are best qualified to say what we do and why we do it. So we hope this section will remove, for genuinely interested parties, any doubt or ambiguity where any might exist.
We find it interesting that those who are spreading these defamations and rumours claim to be interested in ‘the truth’ and yet we see no evidence of this in their cowardly and anonymous slander…. at no point have we been approached to offer our perspective. It seems they have hung, drawn and quartered us without due process. A lot of the comments are actually quite personal and vindictive and show no interest in truth at all. There is clearly another agenda.
The following points reflect the truth of our position:
1. The Reach Approach is not affiliated to ANY spiritual organisation or group. Those who are truly students of our approach will find evidence of many spiritual/philosophical traditions underpinning our model drawn from a variety of belief systems, such as: Shintoism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Taoism, Sikhism, Existentialism, etc. This is because again and again we repeat the message that ‘synergy is the answer’. We are not encouraging individuals to find their answers in any one place (which includes us); we are inviting clients and users of our site/services to look at the information presented and then make their own minds up.
2. Reach is not a cult! We do not have a guru nor are we interested in encouraging blind faith. We are a psychotherapeutic practice, championing an holistic and integrative approach. Reflected repeatedly in our work is the theme ‘remember the message not the messenger’ which is at the forefront of everything we do. We have no interest in creating a following; we are encouraging individuals to find their way home (back to themselves). That is our clear, honest and unambiguous message. Gurus and cults are by their very nature largely destructive and we have a clear track record of making a positive difference in all that we do.
3. All of our practitioners are qualified to at least diploma and post graduate diploma level. In addition the majority are accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) as well as the National Council of Psychotherapists (NCP). The core members of our practice, in addition to their counselling and psychotherapy qualifications, have qualifications in nutrition, clinical supervision, hypnotherapy, group work, management and other related fields and in all instances we are accredited members of the relevant governing bodies. And so clients and users of our services can be assured that they are dealing with professionals who’ve undertaken the necessary study and qualifications… and continue ongoing CPD (continuing professional development). We are part of the most regulated and audited profession and we know we are acting within the various codes of conduct we are bound by, and do not fear any scrutiny of, or question about our professionalism.
4. Our approach does not apologise for presenting itself as unique because many of the concepts we have developed are just that. For those who are interested in fact not fiction, please take a look at The Reach Approach in a Nutshell. There you will find what we specialise in, namely putting the jigsaw puzzle of the human condition together. We do not believe the answers can exclusively be found in: biology, psychology, medicine, philosophy, spirituality, religion etc…. As far as we are concerned ‘synergy is the answer.’
5. Reach is a private practice with a very strong charitable arm. For those who seem insistent on misrepresenting our motives and intentions we are sure you will continue to find fault in our actions, however, we would ask the open-minded amongst you to consider the following:
We have produced over 400 handouts on every subject imaginable pertaining to the human condition. A significant percentage of them are presented on this site. These handouts are part of the spine of what we do. They help ensure that our message is clear and consistent. They help users of our services and those in need of our help to understand what they can expect, should they choose to take a journey with us. So we are clear and honest in all our dealings. Furthermore these handouts are given freely. In fact 80% of what we produce is given freely. In other words, Reach chooses to subsidise those resources and activities. Where we do charge for products such as CDs, MP3s, DVDs, calendars etc. they are all modestly priced and most of them are in fact only at cost price. So the idea that this is some money-grabbing institution, deceiving and brain-washing individuals, couldn’t be further from the truth. Our resources have spread to more than 150 countries across the world and in the vast majority of those cases we’ve received no remuneration. This is a very conscious practice on our part and in our ever-increasingly selfish, individualistic world we can understand why some people might be cynical about something that does so much for very little. However, this is a philosophy that has served us well and we will continue to work this way because we passionately believe that one of the quickest ways to grow and reach your potential is to ‘give without counting’.
6. It seems for some that our lack of self-publicity is a problem and in some instances ‘proof’ of some hidden agenda. Let us be absolutely clear, our lack of self-promotion is a deliberate act, which refers back to the earlier point that we believe history has taught us that when the messenger becomes more important than the message we actually lose our way. We believe it is egos and personalities that have spoiled the personal development/spiritual landscape. It seems to us that the new ‘Gods of our time’ are celebrities and experts. The decisions and choices people make are often influenced by those who fall into one of these categories. We have no interest in becoming celebrities or presenting ourselves as experts. We are offering a service to help feed the mind. We want individuals to remain independent, free thinking and ultimately to decide their own destinies.
We hope this brief synopsis of our position will be enough for those really interested in the facts to make up their minds as to whether we are some clandestine organisation, busily seducing individuals down a path where they, through our indoctrination, eventually lose their minds! This is not a topic we intend to give any significant energy or time to beyond this extract because we believe it detracts from the truth of our real agenda and intentions. We think our actions speak for themselves and we have a record that we are proud of. We’ve always worked in a conscience driven way and will continue to do so.
Unfortunately most of the slander and defamation is done anonymously but wherever we find evidence of those soiling our good name and positive tradition we will unquestionably take legal action.
We have taken the trouble to write this document, not so much to silence our detractors, but for those who are actively looking for positive solutions; so we hope in light of what has been said here they will go on to use our resources, reassured that we are indeed a ‘safe pair of hands’.
Also see: Remember The Message Not The Messenger.