Advice on Hiring a Feng Shui Consultant for Your Home

With the increasing focus on the construction of environmentally-friendly homes, feng shui is most relevant today as it is based on harmonizing a space with nature and attracting positivity from this process.

The services of a feng shui consultant can bring the much-needed harmony your home needs, thereby, enhancing your health, wealth, and relationships. The practice of feng shui has gained a lot of momentum in the last decade, and with it, so has the rise of 'professionals' who claim to be 'experts' in it.

Masters of this art say that anyone can call themselves an expert after reading a book or two on the subject; but that is certainly not enough.

Feng shui is not applicable in the same way to everyone. It makes a connection between the space one resides in, their date of birth, and their personality characteristics, and offers solutions based on the combination of these.

These solutions may include changing the furniture placement of a room, placement of certain items in particular directions, changing the aesthetics of a room, or placing a certain kind of spiritual element in the same. Hence, while the basics may be the same, the application of these basics differs from person to person and residence to residence.

So, if you think that you are one of those people who can apply the principles of this practice on your own merely by reading up on the subject, be careful, because wrong feng shui can be more harmful than no feng shui at all. In such a case, hiring a consultant would be wiser. Here's a process you can follow to zero in on someone who can genuinely help you.

It is always good to have basic knowledge of the field you are going to hire a consultant for. This enables you to ask questions that go beyond charges and other criteria. So, read up a little about it, such as the fact that there are different schools of feng shui; for example, the traditional school and the modern western school.

You can then ask your consultant which school does he/she follow, and how and why it is beneficial.

Though it may be unlikely that people know someone who is a good feng shui consultant, there is no harm in asking around for the same. You never know how contacts work. A lot of experts advertise themselves, and you could go through their websites to check for their work and the testimonials they have received.

However, if you're having a hard time trusting them, use the International Feng Shui Guild™, a global organization that can help you find a professional, or look for someone who belongs to an organization of accredited consultants.

Ask for references
The decision to hire a feng shui consultant is an expensive one, but if you're going to spend money, you definitely have the liberty to ask him/her for a few authentic references who can tell you exactly how helpful the consultants have been.

Sense their vibe
If you believe in feng shui, you must believe in the fact that every individual emits a certain type of vibe. What kind of vibe do you get from this person? Is it positive?

Check their credentials
While there is no world-class feng shui training school and people can very well print their 'certificate' at home, there are ways to verify their credentials. Usually, individuals who belong to accredited organizations have their credentials verified before they are accepted as members.

The learning of feng shui is a lifelong process, and professionals are trained by masters to implement its practices. Professionals are also expected to follow the lifestyle that feng shui propagates.

Ask about their solutions
Genuine consultants will always have alternative solutions for your problem. They're not the 'my way or the highway' kind of consultants. So, if you are not comfortable with a type of solution or are unable to implement it for a particular reason, they will help you do the best you can with all these limitations.

Here's a checklist you can refer to when talking to them, before you hire them.

● Where and from whom have you received training?

● How many years have you practiced as a consultant?

● Which school of thought do you follow? Do you use a combination of different schools of thought to offer solutions?

● How will your process benefit me? (Try to obtain as much clarity with this question as you can. If the consultant can crisply explain the power of feng shui and its benefit for you, (s)he's definitely one to trust.)

● What is your consultation process? (Will they directly come home or will they meet in a neutral place first?)

● What does the consultation include?

● What is the duration of consultation? (Certain number of meetings, visits to site, etc.)

● How much time will the process take? How extensive is it? (The application of feng shui is evolutionary in nature, changing with the requirements of the individual and the situation. So, find out whether it will be ongoing or will stop after a certain amount of results have been achieved.)

● Can you provide consultation just by reading floor plans? (Some consultants are unable to offer solutions without visiting a ready space/structure.)

● Is it imperative for my entire family to be present during consultation?

● What are your charges? Are they negotiable?

● Can I have references of your previous clients?

Do keep in mind that the success of feng shui largely depends on your own beliefs as much as it does on the efficiency of your consultant. Even then, in some cases, it cannot guarantee 100% success as there are several other aspects of life that are beyond human control. It can only improve conditions to a certain extent.

Always be open to this thought, and do not believe anyone who 'guarantees' 100% results with the application of feng shui. Also, remember that every consultant's working style is different, so nothing is black and white.

They may follow a multitude of methods and still be able to help you successfully. Bearing all these in mind, approach a consultant with a positive attitude, and allow him to help you overcome your doubts and fears about this practice.