Health and Beauty

The advertising on the advertisers’ website referred to the following:

 “Oisin Bioenergy Therapy is a simple, effective and unique healing modality. It is safe, non-invasive and pain free.
 Oisin Bioenergy Therapy helps to balance the client’s energy field, improve the body’s circulation and boosts the immune system allowing the body to begin its own natural self-healing
 Oisin Bioenergy Therapy applies a combination of techniques which research has shown to be effective and beneficial for many ailments and illnesses.
 Bioenergy healing therapy is now practiced all over the world and has helped thousands of people with spectacular results.

Physical Problems – The Physical body
The Oisin BioEnergy Healing Method has proven to be beneficial when applied for a wide variety of symptoms. There are particular techniques which have proven successful for health problems such as headaches, migraine, lung problems, asthma, bronchitis, or problems related to ears, eyes, sinusitis, or health issues related to digestive problems, skeletal misalignments, cardiovascular problems”.

The principal of this work is to bring about a state of health and vitality, returning the body to a state of balance and homeostasis…”

The advertisement also referred to courses which the advertisers offered in Bioenergy Healing, the Courses ranged in levels from 1 to 3. They said that Level 1 could be used for self-healing and for use with family and friends. After completing Level 1 students had the option to complete levels two and three to train to be a professional therapist with a diploma in Oisin Bio-energy Therapy.

Further Levels:
“Learn how to use powerful additional healing techniques for Cancers, Tumours and growths, and all the necessary protocols for many other diseases including ADD, Alzheimer’s, Angina, Autism, Crohn’s, IBS, Dementia, Diabetes, Arthritis, Parkinson’s, Fibromyalgia, Gangrene etc. Also many emotional issues such as fear, panic attacks, insomnia, shock, stress, anxiety, depression etc.”

Oisin BioEnergy Therapy has also had some success with children who may suffer with:
 ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) the three primary characteristics of ADD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The signs and symptoms for a child with attention deficit disorder depends on which characteristics predominate.


Children with ADD may be:
 Inattentive, but not hyperactive or impulsive.
 Hyperactive and impulsive, but able to pay attention.
 Inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive (the most common form of ADD).

AUTISM: is a disorder of neural development which affects certain areas of the brain. Symptoms:
 Difficulty with socially interacting and communicating, difficulty remaining still or staying focused for any amount of time.

 Problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive behavior, learning difficulties and unusual behavior patterns…

ASPERGERS SYNDROME; difficulties in social interaction.

(The protocols and applications for treating babies, young children, or children with ADD, Autism, or Aspergers Syndrome are all covered in Oisin BioEnergy Training Course Level Two)”.

The complainant said he considered the advertising to be misleading and queried the evidence available to substantiate the claims referenced by the advertisers for the “particular techniques which had proven successful for health problems such as headaches, migraine, lung problems, asthma, bronchitis, or problems related to ears, eyes, sinusitis, or health issues related to digestive problems, skeletal misalignments, cardiovascular problems”.

The complainant also queried whether there was evidence available to support the fact that Bio-Energy training courses were able to teach “powerful additional healing techniques for Cancers, Tumours and growths, and all the necessary protocols for many other diseases including ADD, Alzheimer’s, Angina, Autism, Crohn’s, IBS, Dementia, Diabetes, Arthritis, Parkinson’s, Fibromyalgia, Gangrene etc. Also many emotional issues such as fear, panic attacks, insomnia, shock, stress, anxiety, depression etc.”

The complainant also queried whether there was any evidence accessible which supported, as claimed by the advertisers, that bio-energy healing had achieved success in helping children with ADD, Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

The complainant said that he considered the conditions which the advertisers listed in their advertising to be serious conditions. He said it was irresponsible of them to claim that their therapies were effective in the treatment of any of the disorders listed as this could give rise to long lasting effects on anyone seeking treatment for such illnesses.

The advertisers said they had never mentioned the word ‘treatment’ in their advertising and would not make claims to treat illnesses or ailments.

They said on each page of their site they had printed the following information:

“Important: These bio-energy alternative healing techniques have been specifically researched and designed to enhance and activate the client’s own natural ability to heal his or her self. It is not a substitute for any prescribed medical treatments or medication or other medical or scientific diagnosis by health care professionals. It is important that
therapists/practitioners advise their clients to seek consultation with a medical or healthcare professional prior to any therapy.”

The advertisers also drew attention to the disclaimer on their website which was available at the following link:
http://www.heal.ie/disclaimer.html

The advertisers said they had, however, since receiving the complaint re-edited their website and removed the information referenced by the complainant.

Complaint Upheld.

The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint and the advertisers’ response including the Disclaimer on their website. They noted that while the advertisers said they had never used the word ‘treatment’ in their advertising that this was not the case. They drew the advertisers’ attention to the following information on their website; “The protocol and application for treating babies, young children, or children with ADD, Autism, or Asperger’s Syndrome are all covered in Oisin Bioenergy Training course Level 2.” The Committee also considered that most consumers would consider the word ‘healing’ to be one and the same as ‘treating’.

The Committee noted that while the advertisers had printed what they considered to be an important message on the web pages for Levels 2 and 3 of their course, this information was not printed on the web pages for Level 1 of the course. In any event they did not consider that the Disclaimer was sufficient to contradict the effect of the message given elsewhere, that the process was a healing process relevant to serious and prolonged ailments.


The Committee also noted that the advertisers had not submitted any scientific evidence to substantiate the claims made in their advertising. They reminded the advertisers that they should not offer advice on, diagnosis of or treatment for the serious conditions
mentioned in their advertising unless that advice, diagnosis or treatment was conducted under the supervision of a suitably qualified health professional.


As the advertising had been removed no further action was required in this case.