21 Points when Selecting a Feng Shui Consultant
Dr. Michael Oon
What is the purpose of the Feng Shui consultation?
This post is for interested readers who want to get the results of the proper application of feng shui.
1. Types of clients that I am not considering:
The client wants the consultant to help place Chinese symbols in Feng Shui consultation.
The client considers Feng Shui a style of interior design.
The client considers how good a Feng Shui consultant is by the number of recommendations made. The score is at least 100 recommendations in a property.
The client is looking for a feng shui consultant who does clutter clearings. The previous consultant worked in this manner.
2. How does the feng shui consultant present themselves on their website?
Is it just a four-page website – home, about services and contact pages?
Is the website with the logos or images of their past work?
Is the website full of helpful valuable information for the potential client?
3. What is the Practise Method of the Feng Shui Consultant?
Modern Western Feng Shui – this is based on the teaching of Lin Yun. A historically new method (the 1990s) and the new age movement.
Classical Feng Shui – this is based around two formulae – Eight Mansions and Flying Star Feng Shui Formulae and ancient Chinese Text. These are only writings and not backed by real-life work.
Other types of Feng Shui – This is a random collection of methods. Some are new and taken from other books and other sources. It includes “Intuitive Feng Shui”.
Traditional Feng Shui – This is the method that has been used for centuries by the Feng Shui Masters of Ancient China, where the practice knowledge is passed down from generation to the next in the oral tradition. As it is not written down, this knowledge is not available to outsiders.
4. Type of Teaching or Programme Training?
Teaching – the teacher’s skill is passing information to the students. The teacher does not practise feng shui consultant and would not appreciate the vital nuances of the practice of feng shui. There are no practicals to re-enforce the teachings as it is class-room based. Assessments would be written tests.
Training Programme – An outstanding and practising feng shui consultant teaches, supervises the practical sessions, trains with real-life cases, allows qualifying students to be apprentices to current projects. This programme can take more than ten years.
5. What is the source of the teacher or trainer’s information? Have they validated the information as to whether it works in a real-life situation?
Just ask the prospective consultant who was taught this manner this question.
6. What is better – to learn from multiple teachers or have one training programme with one trainer?
With multiple teachers, you get multiple views of Feng Shui. Would there be contradictions, and how do you integrate the different perspectives into your practice?
An experienced feng shui consultant providing training programme hands down established practise knowledge to the students and includes work experience. The practice knowledge that has proven to work.
7. How did the consultant gain practical feng shui consulting experience (work experience)?
Ask the prospective consultant this question.
In a lineage society training programme, work experience is incorporated into the training programme.
8. Is the consultant practice (ethics and practise) accountable?
In the UK, consultants on the Feng Shui Society consultants list have a code of conduct
For me, I am accountable in my practice and ethics to my Master and Alliance Feng Shui.
9. Do the consultants show the names of clients of previous past work?
There are some consultant’s websites that are full of logos or examples of their work.
There are other consultants like me, in line with Alliance Feng Shui ethics, who do not mention client names. There are, however, exceptions when they disclose it themselves – my google reviews
10. Remedies in the consultations?
There are a variety of remedies from the consultant. Here are some examples;
Knocking down wall
Building extensions
Planting conifer plants which grow to trees
Changing the colour of walls
Moving of furniture
Some not at all – just making the most of the situation.
11. Is there a follow-up
It depends on the pre-consultation agreement.
12. Fees – all in or additional charges
It depends on the pre-consultation agreement.
13. Testimonials – Independent reviews or comments on the web site?
It is more credible to have testimonials on an independent platform – for example, Google Reviews or Trustpilot Reviews.
14. The area of coverage?
There are some consultants who just cover their local area, some the whole of the UK and other covers the rest of the world. I have team members in North America and South-East Asia who were trained with me and practise the same methods and belong to Alliance Feng Shui ( http://AllianceFengShui.com)
15. What is Chinese Lineage? How do you qualify?
The definition of lineage: “A group of individuals tracing descent from a common ancestor.” (Merriam-Webster)
In the modern context in feng shui, it is with whom you have learnt feng shui.
It could be a list of the teachers you have attended classes
It could be the list of teachers that your teacher learnt from
It could be the lineage society that you belong to. The lineage society has a list of the generations with the names of the principals. You have to be invited to join the lineage society, and your behaviour and ethics are evaluated regularly.
16. Specialist or generalist? Other services offered by the Feng Shui consultant? – Astrology, QM, DLQ; architect, backup?
There are a variety of Feng Shui consultants in the UK
Some treat Feng Shui as one of their business – they could practise Homeopathy, psychotherapy etc
Some deal with Chinese Metaphysics and Feng Shui is one of these – acupuncture, acupressure, traditional Chinese medicine, Chi Kung and Taichi and Chinese martial arts – WuShu
Some work with the Feng Shui and astrology – Bazi, QiMen DunJia etc
There are those that work with Feng Shui and another profession – Architect, motivational speaker
Then there could be a feng shui consultant who also does some teaching and writing.
The Feng Shui specialist – who does nothing but feng shui – experience and skills necessary to work on residential, commercial to infrastructure., This includes consultation, assisting in the designs of new builds and solving problems.
17. Is there a discovery session to discover the aims and purpose of the consultation?
This depends on the feng shui consultant. The purpose of the discovery session is to find out the client’s issues and whether they can be solved by feng shui.
18. Does the prospective have professional insurance?
This is a standard for Complementary Therapists in the UK
19. Does the consultant work with detail (by examining the floor plans of each room) or look at the big picture?
The formulae – 8 Mansions and Flying Star work on floor plans of the various rooms.
The big picture approach analyses the flow of energies in both the outside environment and within the property. It is about the property in the whole environment. Chinese Metaphysics is about treatment in a holistic manner.
This approach considers the property in different settings: urban, suburb or countryside. There are so many different types of property - like an apartment or office in a high rise tower, townhouse, mansion, country cottage or seaside bungalow.
20. Does being an ethnic Chinese help in the practice of Feng Shui?
It depends.
You could be ethnic Chinese and brought up in the UK in the British manner. You would have minimal contact with Chinese traditions other than food. You will not know much about Chinese Traditions, including feng shui.
However, suppose you have a Traditional Chinese upbringing, the various Chinese practises are observed and discussed. In that case, you will pick up many insights into the tradition – like how the practise knowledge is kept within, the real history of the knowledge, the understanding, the effects and visualisation of Energy. This will be more prevalent in Asian countries, but it depends very much on the family, its friends, interest and the person.
21. Amateur and Professional Feng Shui Consultation.
Amateur: The relies on information on Feng Shui books which are usually based on formulae and floor plans. When using this reference material, you would not know what to incorporate or leave out as the text in the book cannot cover all types of properties. Each property, like their resident, is unique.
Professional: They have carried out these consultations for many properties, thousands for some. They have encountered various types of properties and types of people. They have a reputation to keep.
Comparison: An amateur and professional – the nearest comparison is a home cook and a high-end restaurant. For the home cook, it would be like trying a new dish for the 1st time.
