ABOUT ANNE

Apart from being a Midwife, Childbirth Educator, Remedial Massage Therapist and a Certified Infant Massage Instructor, I am also a daughter, sister, wife and mother of 2 sons aged 24 and 21.  My personal and professional life, keep me very busy; something most people can relate to these days.  Life is a constant juggling act and often extremely challenging, but never boring.  I am fortunate to have a wonderfully supportive family and a great group of close friends and colleagues, who enable me to pursue my dreams.

As my business continues to grow and develop, so does my professional and personal development; through regular attendance at seminars and workshops, membership of professional organisations, subscribing to professional journals and liasing with fellow educators, massage therapists, other allied professionals and colleagues.

My workplace has been designed to best accommodate the various services I offer and in doing so I have created an inviting and comfortable environment.

The Teacher

I set the highest standard for myself both personally and professionally; approaching anything I do with enthusiasm and a desire to achieve excellence.  With over 20 years as a Midwife and 15 years of teaching, I have had many opportunities to develop excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and am a good listener. 

Most importantly, I love what I do.  The immense satisfaction and high I get from teaching has become almost addictive, and I 'm sure comes across in the way I teach.

My teaching philosophy -

People learn best if the teacher creates opportunities in which people can identify their own needs in their own ways. Parent-centred classes take account of what people already know, of individual needs and concerns, and encourage participants to learn from and to support each other. When teaching about choice, balanced information is crucial because what's right for one person will not be right for another. The end result will not be conformity, but will enable each to choose what seems best for them in the specific situation that they are facing.  Antenatal classes that are parent-centred can build self-confidence by encouraging people to build on their own knowledge. They can help people to be flexible and to work out their own solutions. They can enable prospective parents to see themselves as competent and able to make informed choices for themselves and for their baby.   (Priest & Schott, 1991.)

As an experienced and qualified Childbirth Educator I aim to -

• Examine and discuss choices and options, regarding maternity services.
• Select information that is research-based, up to date and unbiased.
• Use appropriate teaching aids and teaching strategies, and a variety of suitable presentation methods incorporating the principles of adult learning.
• Reinforce the premise that pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding are normal biological functions for women and babies, and that women have innate birthing abilities.
• Provide couples with the opportunity to practice self-help measures and develop skills to assist them during the pregnancy, birth, and with care of the newborn.
• Endeavour to create an open, supportive learning environment. 

The Masseuse

Despite having a great passion for my work as a Midwife and educator, my interest in complimentary therapies, particularly massage began to grow.  Having witnessed the amazing effects of massage and touch relaxation on women during childbirth, I was keen to discover and learn more about the art of massage. Personally and professionally, I was also looking for new challenges and learning opportunities, and so began my training in 2003. 
My curiosity and intrigue for the many benefits of massage were enhanced and developed as a result of my study and research during my training. So much so that I called my business 'Power of Touch', as I truly believe in the amazing power and potential of nurturing, therapeutic touch.

I thoroughly enjoy working as a massage therapist, and find it rewarding and gratifying.  Although I have many satisfied male clients, my background and experience enables me to focus and specialise on women's health issues. Over the last few years my massage skills have developed, with a keen interest naturally in pregnancy massage and infant massage and I am certified in both.  My pregnant clients feel confident and reassured by my experience and background and many women return for regular massages during their pregnancy.
I have also had great success treating women with lymphoedema, particularly following breast surgery.  The women I treat also appreciate my medical background and mature approach.  I am a registered therapist with the Lymphoedema Association of Queensland.  www.lymphqld.org

Having qualified as an Infant Massage Instructor, I am excited about seeing my infant massage classes grow and develop.  These classes cater for small groups or individual parents.  Infant massage has amazing benefits and is a great way to communicate with your baby and a great way to meet other new parents.

ANNE CIFUENTES - PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

• 1979: Graduated as a Registered Nurse, at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane.

• 1980: Midwife Training, Auburn District Hospital, Sydney, NSW.

• 1985: Family Planning Association course completed.

• 1992: Midwifery Education Committee formed. I was president of this organization, which conducted many successful workshops and seminars on the Gold Coast over a period of some 3 years. During this period, I was also a guest lecturer many times for the local branch of the Childbirth Education Association.

• 1993: The Gold Coast Branch of the ACMI (Australian College of Midwives Inc.) was formed and I was elected vice-president. 

• 1995: Appointed as the Coordinator of the Prenatal Class Program at Allamanda Private Hospital, Southport; a position held for 10 years. 

• April 2000: Graduate Diploma in Childbirth Education. Also Certified as an Advanced Childbirth Educator with NACE (National Association of Childbirth Educators).

• December 2003: Completed Diploma of Remedial Massage, at the Academy of Natural Therapies, GCIT (Gold Coast Institute of TAFE), Southport.                          
  Awarded   - High Achievement Award for the Diploma, 
                     - Most Outstanding Achievement Award - Humanities Faculty                      GCIT's highest honour - 2003 Outstanding Student of the Year.

• January 2004: Commenced employment as a massage therapist.
       'Power of Touch Massage and Prenatal Education' registered.

• March 2007: Certified as an Infant massage Instructor with IMIS (Infant Massage Information Service).

• 2010: Certified in Pregnancy Massage

   

• 2007: www.poweroftouch.com.au registered.    

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

• AHPRA - Nursing and Midwifery Board Of Australia

• QNU - Queensland Nurses Union

• NACE - National Association of Childbirth Educators

• AAMT - Australian Association of Massage Therapists

• IMIS - Infant Massage Information Service

• ABA - Australian Breastfeeding Association

•  AON - Indemnity Insurance for Massage Therapy

• CGU - Indemnity Insurance as an Independent Educator

• LYMPHOEDEMA ASS. OF QLD - Registered Therapist

• I have provider status as a Remedial Massage Therapist and a Childbirth Educator with all the major health funds, which rebate for these services.