Being Naturally Therapeutic

Clair is a frail, fiercely independent 93 year old who, despite being crippled, continues to live on her own.

Over the past couple of years Clair has had to accept more help from others. Her meals are delivered to her. Her son brings her fresh food from the grocery store once a week. Her daughter does the laundry and housekeeping. A friend takes out the garbage. And community health care does home visits periodically.

Clair has a large blister on her right foot so a nurse comes by to clean the wound and change the bandage. But Clair worries. She worries that she isn’t healing. 

So she asked me if I would do some energy work on her.

Clair loves energy work. When I work on her she can feel sensations of warmth and tingling. This thrills and amazes Clair.

What’s more, it takes her pain away.

I am trained in various types of energy work, but I prefer Pranic and Reconnective Healing because they give rapid results. These approaches, however, do not involve touching the body. And I recognize that Clair’s body needs touch. So I begin each session by applying moisturizing cream to her legs.

Clair’s legs are very scrawny. No bigger than my wrist. And the skin is very dry. And even though I use a very light touch as I ever-so-gently massage the cream in, Clair winces in pain. The muscles in her legs are very tight but soon begin to relax.

I then examine the nurse’s work. Clair insists. She needs reassurance.

While I work on the body I enlist my skill as a hypnotist. I use my words to minimize Clair’s worry. I tell her what I’m going to do. Why I’m doing it. And how well her body is responding. How the body is healing.

While I massage her legs I let her know that this is helping by increasing circulation. Increased blood flow will allow better healing. This gives her hope.

As Clair relaxes, her body opens to allow healing. And she feels better.

As I send energy into her feet I teach her how to work with the energy in her own hands. This is empowering for Clair who complains that she can’t do it right, can’t do anything right. Let’s face it - at her age, it’s mostly true!

Still, there’s one thing I know – everyone has access to this energy. We’re born with it. So I assure Clair that if she can feel it (which she can) she’s doing it exactly right.

As I send energy into her feet I notice visible changes in the color of her toes. I report every sign of improvement.

Why?

Because I believe all the power lies within Clair. And Clair’s faith in The Energy is all she needs. Which brings me to ‘being naturally therapeutic.’

To be naturally therapeutic means to work with this power. How?

By encourage Clair’s faith. I bolster her belief. I encourage, accept, approve.

The nurse focuses on the body; I focus on the underlying perceptions.

The real “owie” is Clair’s fear. Fear, anxiety and worry cause physical tension. Tension inhibits circulation and the flow of energy through the body. This blocks healing.

Fear is always a block to healing.

So being naturally therapeutic means giving attention to how the client feels. Behind every emotion is a thought. And behind every though is a perception generating sensations in the body.

“Every emotion is preceded by a perception and a thought or chain of thoughts. Thoughts trigger emotions and other energy body changes which, in turn, trigger change in the physical body.” – neuraltherapy.com

By the end of a 20 minute session, Clair is relaxed, smiling, and free of pain.

And what have I done?

• Minimized worry, fear, anxiety
• Reduced resistance to healing (tension)
• Helped the body to relax (opening it to healing)
• Empowered the client with do-it-yourself technique
• Touched the physical “owie” (the part of the body that is holding the pain)
•  Touched the real “owie” (the part of the mind that is holding pain)

What did you discover that can help you be a better hypnotherapist?

Want to learn more? Read The Devil’s Therapy: from Hypnosis to Healing. Available at www.devilstherapy.om