In 1962, The Beatles released their first single (Love Me Do), Ford launched the new Cortina from its factories in Dagenham, Lawrence of Arabia and To Kill a Mockingbird became box office hits, and screen icon Marilyn Monroe died at the age of 36. A number of Big Name companies were also founded in the same year, including Safeway, Yves Saint Laurent, Phonogram Records and the Advertising Stand
ards Authority. Another company founded in 1962 was the Society of Beauticians, the first professional membership organisation for beauty therapists, all trained to an exceptionally high standard. As more holistic therapies were introduced and developed in the UK in the years to follow – from sports massage, to aromatherapy and reflexology - the organisation was later renamed the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT), to better reflect its diverse members and to emphasise their ‘whole person’ approach to health and well-being. Since its inception, the FHT has been the leading and largest professional association for therapists in the UK and Ireland, and now represents 17,000 complementary, holistic beauty and sports therapy practitioners, who offer more than 300 different types of therapies and treatments. As FHT members hold therapy qualifications that meet or exceed UK national occupational standards, the general public and employers can rest assured that FHT members are suitably qualified, experienced and professional.
