My name is Laurence Schmid, I was born in Paris, France and moved in 2004 near Basel, in the Alsatian border area.
I particularly appreciate the trinationality of this three border region.
At a young age I was particularly interested in foreign languages and cultures and studied foreign languages - German, English and Spanish - and foreign trade: in this way I was able to obtain a double diploma, a master’s degree as part of the cooperation between the Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences, Germany, and the Université de Savoie, Chambery, France.
For 23 years I worked in various export departments in the industry, initially in Germany and for the last 17 years also in the pharmaceutical industry in Basel.
As a counterbalance to this very busy working life, I have developed an interest in Far Eastern philosophy and corresponding healing methods: i started doing more to read about the course of the QI or life energy and the course of the meridians or energy paths in the body and practiced Tai Qi and Qi Kong.
I had the chance to receive a Shiatsu massage through a friend and was very impressed by this special form of contact. This is how I started the Zen Shiatsu path.
Main Training on the Zen Shiatsu path
I completed my Shiatsu main training within the Shiatsu School Freiburg in Germany and received my certificate as a Shiatsu practitioner on October 2nd, 2012.
Advanced Shiatsu related trainings
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Shiatsu related physiology and pathology
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Shiatsu related anatomy
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Shiatsu used on a chair
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Shiatsu training "Diagnosis means understanding" with Wilfried Rappenecker
Further advanced trainings in Western medicine and anatomy and receipt of the EMR quality label certification
After a year of courses and further training in Western medicine and anatomy, I was able to receive the Swiss EMR quality label as a Shiatsu therapist on June 11, 2025, which certifies therapists in experiential medicine.
With the EMR quality label, the costs for shiatsu massages can be covered by the insurers, as a large majority of Swiss insurers use the EMR quality label as a basis for decision-making for the reimbursement of services in the field of experiential medicine.
