How to Hire a Feng Shui Consultant
Resources and Questions to Ask When Redesigning Your Space
Aug 3, 2008
Feng Shui is growing in prominence along with the increased interest in environmentally-friendly living and building. As an ancient Chinese philosophy of living in balance with Nature, Feng Shui is more about a spiritual connection to Heaven and Earth than energy efficiency.
Feng Shui consultants should be involved in some kind of regular spiritual practice, such as meditation and yoga, to provide the most beneficial guidance for their clients. Hiring a Feng Shui consultant should be done with care.
Finding a Consultant
Here are several sources for finding the best professional for you:
- Consultant Listings– Visit the International Feng Shui Guild or the Feng Shui Society for consultant listings. As non-profit professional organizations, both sites provide information on training programs, lectures, and resources for the public as well as the Feng Shui community. You can be assured that their members have completed formal training. You can also search for local internet directories.
- Lectures – Look for a Feng Shui lecture in your local library or wellness center. This is an excellent venue to meet the professional first-hand and learn their approach to Feng Shui. Often you will know immediately if this is the consultant for you.
- Referrals – Ask those in your network if they have someone that they can recommend.
- Published Material – Browse through the Feng Shui section of your local or online bookstore, or articles on Feng Shui. Although this can provide a more in-depth understanding on how the practitioner approaches Feng Shui, it will also be more difficult to determine how is in your local area.
- Advertising – Some Feng Shui consultants advertise in local newspapers and internet sites.
QuestionsOnce you find a few names in your area, here's some guidance on what you should ask:
- Are You Certified? – Ask if they have a certification. There are many “consultants” that have not received formal training, but have read a few books on the subject. As with other esoteric studies, Feng Shui is best communicated orally through a teacher. Feng Shui books, although very helpful to the public, cannot possibly provide the information necessary to understand the depth of this ancient practice, nor the ability to do ethics of the practice.
- What Feng Shui Perspective Do You Practice? – There are several schools of thought within Feng Shui. Some practitioners use the traditional methods of using a compass along with birth data to determine the most auspicious directions their clients. Others have learned from non-traditional schools which have a Westernized approach. All perspectives are valid and beneficial, however, if you have a predisposition to one over the other, you might want to know that before they arrive at your home.
- What Do You Charge? – An established Feng Shui consultant can charge per hour, per square foot or have a set flat fee. Expect to spend anywhere from $500+ as a minimum for a two-hour consultation.
Feng Shui can provide invaluable results to create change in your home or workspace, in every area of your life including love, health, children, creativity, career, family, travel and aspirations. Contact a Feng Shui consultant today!
By Maureen K. Calamia, certified Feng Shui consultant and Board Member of the International Feng Shui Guild (ifsguild.org), co-chair of IFSG- Green Living & Design Committee, and member of U.S. Green Building Council.
