Therapeutic touch (TT) provides natural healing through the use of universal healing energy. You can help yourself heal and you can help others with TT.
Nursing educator Delores Krieger, PhD, RN, and healer, Dora Kunz developed therapeutic touch from their study of healers throughout the world. Their study found that most people could learn how to help another heal given a sincere willingness to:
- Adopt certain assumptions
- Learn and follow a disciplined process
Here are the assumptions that form its basis.
Assumptions
- Human beings are complex fields of energy in constant interaction with the energy field of their environment and others.
- When people are sick, injured or emotionally upset their energy field becomes unbalanced and/or depleted.
- An open, balanced energy flow enhances healing.
- A universal healing energy field exists from which both healers and patients can draw fresh, potent healing energies.
- Anyone with a sincere interest in helping others has the potential to be a healer.
Process
Although both are holistic energy healing therapies, TT differs from Reiki in that its practitioners are more active in assessing the client’s energy field and working with the energy based on their assessment.
Certain phases define the therapeutic touch process: preparation, assessment, treatment, and integration. These phases often overlap. For example, healers continually assess the energy field while doing the treatment and adjust the treatment based on findings.
Although most often TT does not require touching the receiver, healers may touch or massage during the process based on the person’s unique needs.
Preparation
Healers prepare through the following these steps:
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- Silently affirm their intention to help the healing of the receiver.
- Maintain an attitude of non-attachment to the outcome.This attitude accepts that healing is unique to each person and may manifest differently or at a different time than expected. It also allows them to be present for the receiver versus worrying about how well they are performing.
- Perform a centering exercise.
It’s important that healers are calm and totally focused on helping the receiver. Their energy field affects the receiver and both healers and the receiver are more open to the therapy when relaxed and centered.
Here is an example of a brief centering exercise:
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- Focus on the breath by breathing in and out deeply.
- Focus the mind on an image that is peaceful and relaxing like a tree.
- Imagine that you are the tree with healing energy (it can be light, a color, or a sensation) flowing in through the top of the tree and flowing down into the earth through its roots.
- If the mind wanders, gently bring it back to the visualization.
- Have the receiver assume a comfortable position, sitting on a stool or chair or lying down with shoes off and tight clothing loosened.
Assessment
Healers assess the receiver’s energy field by moving their hands (holding them a few inches above the body) over the entire body.
As the hands move, they note the quality of the energy, searching for areas of congestion, disorder, or depletion.
They use their intuition and note physical feelings of variations in the field such as temperature changes, blockages, tingling, or drawing (pulling) sensations.
Treatment
Treatment often begins by massaging the shoulders to help calm the receiver.
Healers draw on information from the assessment to correct areas of imbalance. As they feel the nature and quality of the receiver’s energy field, they clear areas of imbalance or congestion using calm, rhythmic hand movements.
They may also visualize directing the universal healing energy to areas of depletion. On ending the treatment, they smooth the energy field and touch the receiver lightly to indicate that the treatment is finished.
Integration
Healers help the receiver rest comfortably for about 15 minutes to allow for maximum benefit from the treatment.
Benefits
Therapeutic touch is proven to have the following benefits:
- Reduces pain
- Improves wound healing
- Promotes relaxation
- Helps people through the dying process
- And… many anecdotal reports of personal healing
Therapeutic Touch becomes a life style for those who provide it.
Healers must attend to their own health: body, mind and spirit so that they can be present for others. They must have a sincere desire to help others. And… they must reflect on the nature and meaning of healing.
As a TT practitioner, I find that the inquiry into and practice of healing is a rich and meaningful journey.
The word “heal” is derived from the old Anglo Saxon word “Haelen” meaning to restore to spiritual wholeness or health.
I visualize the person I am working with as whole and well. I do not believe I am doing the “healing.” I am helping healing by directing the universal healing energy and facilitating optimal energy balance and flow.
In facilitating the healing of others, I am healed. Over time, I have become more relaxed and more attentive to my own health and healing.
Therapeutic Touch is offered by universities around the world in their nursing and other health programs. You can learn more about it including training programs at the Therapeutic Touch website. Visit the Nurse Healers-Professional Associates International, for additional training programs, resources, and to locate qualified practitioners.
I invite you to experience therapeutic touch or perhaps to become a practitioner yourself. Join me in its healing journey!
