Healing Work

When working with clients in healing, I use a combination of energy work, somatics and subconscious modalities, as needed.

Energy Work

What is energy work, also known as subtle bodywork or energy medicine?  Conceptually, this is an approach to assisting a client through desired changes by working with his/her underlying electromagnetic field.  For those who practice this type of work, it is understood that energy work restores your natural energy flow, enabling you to heal, create and progress at your fullest potential.

There are many frameworks in which people train to do this kind of deep work:  Reiki, Barbara Brennan (Hands of Light) healing, Healing Touch, Donna Eden’s technique, Polarity Therapy, Theta Healing, etc.  I have trained and practiced in most of these frameworks, and my conclusion is that they are all useful and none are necessary:  the framework is a way to focus the attention of the healing educator…in a sense, a metaphorical tool which allows me to harness something very real for your use and application.

Somatics

Somatic approaches to healing are based on the premise that trauma and high-impact memory get lodged in the tissues and chemical pathways of our physical bodies and therefore need to be addressed in a way which transcends “talk therapy”, working directly with the body to release these imprints.  This is often a non-verbal or incomplete verbal process, in that the client may express words and partial concepts, but the real occurrence is often happening on an emotional level – words are just secondary byproducts, rather than the focus.

Many somatic approaches are movement oriented, because the theory is that by engaging the body in movement, the practitioner and client are able to visually see where the client is “holding” the trauma, and a more complete release can be achieved.  EMDR and rapid eye movement therapy, for example, use eye movement with the premise that the eye movement triggers the memory everywhere it is stored in the brain – not just in the verbal centers – ensuring that it is rooted out thoroughly.

Somatics involve the physical body, but they should be understood in the same way as “psychosomatic”; that is, the approaches call into force the connection among mind, body and spirit, and so often we access the mind through the body, or the mind through the spirit, or some other combination.  Many somatics, for example, are based in the idea of working with meridians, which are both physical and energetic.  EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is a technique which works with meridians, movement and cognition/talking for release.

I have trained and practiced in a number of somatic therapies and continue to expand my applied knowledge in this area.  I use the technique which seems most appropriate to the circumstances.  Many of these approaches are taught freely online and some are very well suited for self-practice; however, some clients prefer to have the support and experience of a practitioner with whom they can work.

Subconscious Modalities

It is a rule of thumb in healing circles that only 5-10% of behavior, thought and emotion are coming from the conscious mind:  the overwhelming majority of reactions stem from subconscious programming acquired in our earliest years, before we were able to engage in critical thinking.  No matter how much we may use tools such as affirmations, trying to conquer 90% of a subconscious pattern with 10% of the conscious mind’s willpower normally doesn’t result in great success.

Therefore, working directly with the subconscious will often have a greater effect in changing behavior, response patterns, thought processes or emotional states.  Somatics also work at this level of causality, however, there are additional methods which are not technically somatic.  These methods include techniques such as neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), hypnotherapy and guided visualization.  These approaches can be used both to eliminate a maladaptive pattern and also to foster a new, healthy alternative pattern.

Caveats and Costs

I will do long-distance work by phone or Skype, but I prefer local sessions.  A typical session takes however long it takes, but a cycle tends to run 45-90 minutes; sessions often have a clear stopping point, where my assistance has been overtaken by the client’s own inner healing ability and momentum.

The cost is $60 by the hour, with a minimum of $60.  This minimum needs to be paid at the beginning of the session, because the money part is typically awkward and it’s better if it’s dispatched right away.  I accept checks on a discerning basis, and I can also take credit cards through PayPal, especially for distance clients.

For more information and other perspectives, I recommend these excellent summaries: