Osteopathy is a science and an art based on accurate knowledge of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and human relations especially between the different concepts, but also an high palpatory, openness, listening, and an intuitive ability.

The Sutherland Academy's teaching respects the principles of paradigm complexity or systematic approach. We therefore avoid linear or sequential education. Subjects are studied and seen again in a different way and at different levels so that they can be understood and assimilated. Subjects are treated on the whole and not science by science (ex.: anatomy, physiology and biomechanics of the rachis). Taught concepts are then replaced in other contexts in order to facilitate their understanding.

Self-education is an essential tool at the Academy, that is, that every training is preceded by a knowledge regulation, so that during training a common basic language for all can be used. In that way, a large part of basic theory is already acquired by students and so the teacher can go forward with more complex concepts, a large chunk of the training time can thus be recovered for practice.