What is Healing Touch?

Healing Touch is a biofield therapy that is an energy-based approach to health and healing. It is a modern technique for healing based in ancient wisdom. In Healing Touch , the hands are used both on and off the body, including some light massage, to clear, energize, and balance the human energy flow. The goal of Healing Touch is to restore harmony and balance in the energy system placing the client in a position to self heal. Body, mind, emotion, and spirit are touched through this therapeutic process, and each individual is empowered to participate fully in his or her healing journey.   Healing Touch complements conventional health care and is used in collaboration with other approaches to health and healing.

What is the human energy system? The human energy system is comprised of three major parts: The energy field (referred to as aura or biofield), the energy centers (chakras), and the energy tracts (meridians). The energy system is the essence of life and is often referred to as prana, soul, chi, ki, qi, life energy, universal force, or life force; most cultures around the world have a name for this energy.  Common experiences of human energy include sensing a person's presence when he can't yet be seen, feelings of invaded personal space, knowing when a room or group of people feels good and uplifting or feels heavy and draining.

How does healing occur?

All healing is self healing. For example, a physician can set two bone fragments in place, but the body itself finally heals the split. The physician simply facilitates and directs the process. In the same way, Healing Touch facilitates the healing process as well, but from an energy perspective rather than just a physical perspective. It is a complementary mode of health care which, when used in conjunction with traditional medicine, enhances its overall effectiveness. Healing Touch practitioners use touch and intentionality to realign the energy flow, reactivating the mind/body/spirit connection to eliminate blockages to self-healing.

What is a typical Healing Touch session like?. A first session is an hour and 15 minutes, as it includes an intake interview and initial assessment. The client is asked the common questions (age, medical history, medications, etc.) and some not so common questions (What do you do to relieve stress? What do you do to relax? Do you meditate? What are your religious or spiritual beliefs / practices? What do you hope to get out of the session?, etc.) A treatment is usually given on a massage table or in a chair, though Healing Touch can be adapted to any setting (hospital bed, wheel chair, accident scene, etc.) The client is fully clothed for the treatment. The practitioner begins by assessing the energy field, feeling for variances in temperature, vibration, etc. Any one of a number of energy balancing techniques may be used, depending on the individual situation.  Every session after the first is one hour in length.

Who benefits from Healing Touch?

Because Healing Touch influences the whole person on all levels, people have used it as an effective treatment for: