M.Tech. / The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the experiences of the somatology therapist from which guidelines for the self-management of therapists within private somatology practices were described. The guidelines were derived from the two research questions: "How do therapists experience self-management during their daily practices?" and "What can be done to improve the self-management of therapists within private somatology practices?" A descriptive, exploratory and contextual qualitative design was used with the underlying philosophy of an Appreciative Inquiry. The accessible population consisted of therapists (N=15) practicing in six private somatology practices in the Pretoria-North region. Purposeful sampling was used in this study. The data collection was conducted by means of individual semi-structured interviews and field notes. The question was formulated by means of Appreciative Inquiry guidelines. A pilot interview was conducted with one participant that served as the preparation for the study. Tesch's Method of data analysis was used to identify themes and sub-themes. The Model of Lincoln and Guba was used to ensure that trustworthiness and ethical considerations were maintained throughout the process. Informed consent was given by the private somatology clinic and therapists.