Spiritual Healing - what to expect and how to get the most benefit.
Firstly, it should be emphasised that Spiritual Healing is not an exact science and seldom do Healers adopt an identical approach during a healing session. Such variations are usually based on their understanding of the source of the healing 'energy' and how it can be most effectively channelled. The following information describes my approach to giving Spiritual Healing (hereafter simply referred to as 'Healing'). Whether or not you have experienced Healing before, please read this information before attending a healing session. This will ensure that there will be no misunderstanding as to what is entailed and is given, in part, to comply with the Healing Trust's Code of Conduct (revised 2024) which requires under section 26 for a description of the procedure involved to be given before healing commences.
I attach great emphasis on the recipient of Healing recognising their responsibility in the process and the important role that they must play if such Healing is to be fully effective. Therefore, unlike most other types of complementary health treatments, your role is not simply passive. It is not the case that I am doing something
to you, or
on you, but
with you. It is a partnership, and Healing will be less effective if either party fails to carry out their role in the Healing process.
The following guidelines are presented in a question and answer format to facilitate easier understanding and so that you can quickly determine those aspects which are the most relevant to you.
Can children receive Healing?
Yes, children of any age including young babies may benefit from Healing. Indeed, the younger they are, the
more receptive they can be to the Healing energies. Perhaps in part, this is due to them not having yet built up
any barriers created by the society in which we live and which can prevent us from being totally open to the full
effect of Healing.
Persons under the age of 18 years* cannot be given Healing without the express permission of a parent or guardian. If the child has a known medical condition, they should have been first referred to a doctor registered with the General Medical Council. If such a referral has not taken place, the person with parental responsibility for that child is respectfully reminded of their responsibilities under the Children Act 1989 and before Healing can be given, will be required to sign a statement that they have been advised to seek medical attention for their child. It is my rule, not to give Healing to any young person under the age of 18 years unless in the presence of an adult.
*16 years old in Scotland or, if married between 16 and 18, is also considered an adult in the rest of the UK.
Are there any formalities which need to be carried out at the time of my first visit?
As a Registered Healer, I am required by The Healing Trust to maintain a record card of your visit(s) describing
any effects or changes in your condition. I will therefore, ask you for your full name, address and telephone
number by which you can be contacted. If you can have this information already printed out for me on a piece
of paper, this will save time and ensure the accuracy of my records.
I will then ask you if you have come for Healing to help you deal with any specific medical condition. It is entirely
up to you how much personal information you are prepared to divulge concerning any such adverse condition.
You may be assured that all such details are treated in the strictest confidence. Please do feel free to ask me any
questions concerning your treatment. It is vitally important that you are made to feel totally at ease before you
receive Healing, so please do use this opportunity to express any anxiety or reservations you may have.
What is your normal procedure when giving Healing?
I normally ask patients to sit on a stool at their first session. If you suffer from back trouble or any condition which may make you feel uncomfortable at not having a back support, please do say so and you will be provided with a chair. At subsequent sessions, if it seems more appropriate, you may be invited to have Healing on a couch.
There is no need to remove any clothing other than perhaps a coat or jacket. You may also remove your shoes if it makes you feel more comfortable. This will be necessary if you subsequently have Healing on the couch. I normally play soothing music in the background to help you to relax and have a large library of such music from which you may, if you like, make your own selection. You can also bring along, on either cassette or CD, your own piece of music or 'natures sounds' which you find particularly relaxing. If however, you would prefer healing to be conducted in silence, please say so.
It is also my normal practice to conduct healing sessions with adequate lighting. Only occasionally, when it has been mutually agreed and deemed suitable, will Healing be carried out in semi darkness with the aid of oil burning or candle light.
Most of the time during a Healing session, I will either stand behind you or at one side. I usually start by giving you just a minute or so of light massage to your neck and shoulders, to help to relax you and to relieve any tension. I commence the actual healing session by putting my hands stationary on your shoulders. This is how I make the 'connection', not just in a physical sense but how I 'tune in' to receive the healing energies. Sometimes it may be more appropriate to hold hands to make this initial 'contact'.
You will then feel my hands gently working slowly down your back on either side of your spine. This connects me to all your vital organs and I may be guided to stop or return to a particular area. My hands will then work at both ends of your spine, from just below your skull and extending all the way down to the lower lumbar region of your back. There is a very strong energy flow down your spinal column which also connects me to your central nervous system.
I will then normally work on or around your head. Often one hand will be felt cupping the back of your neck where the spine joins with the skull (the Occipital Bone). Sometimes, particularly with headaches, I will lightly stimulate the forehead and temples. Up to this stage there will have been light physical contact but only in the areas already described. If I then feel it necessary to touch you anywhere else, I will ask your permission. You may be assured that I will never touch you in what could be regarded as more 'sensitive' areas and which could cause offence or embarrassment.
There will normally be part of the Healing session when no physical contact will be made. You may however, become aware of my hands working a few inches away from you, particularly when this is around your head. I will also be working on different energy centres located down the main torso of your body, but always keeping my hands at a respectful distance. If at subsequent sessions, you are invited to receive Healing on the couch, this will necessitate less physical contact. Any touch will be mainly restricted to the head, arms and shoulders. Connection is also sometimes made between shoulders, hips and lower legs or feet. More pronounced hand movements at an appropriate distance above your body, should normally be expected when a healing session is conducted on the couch.
Whilst Healing is taking place I will rarely speak to you. Any distraction could interfere with the 'link' through which the Healing is being carried out. If you have any comments to make, or questions to ask, please leave these to after the Healing session UNLESS you become uncomfortable or in any distress which you should advise me of IMMEDIATELY. When the healing session has come to an end, I will normally place one of my hands on your left upper arm and the other hand on your upper back and quietly whisper to you to "start to come back slowly, but to take as long as you need" (before returning to a normal state of consciousness). A typical Healing session lasts about 20 minutes, but may take longer. It should be emphasised that at no time is any form of hypnosis used.
Healers are often classified as being either 'Hands-On' or 'Hands-off', when conducting a healing session. From the foregoing, it should be apparent that I normally combine both approaches. Although in some quarters there does exist controversy as to which is the better method, it is my opinion that either or both may be more appropriate when dealing with a specific medical condition or individual. In consequence, sometimes no physical contact will be made during a healing session.
Will I experience any sensations or effects during a healing session?
The most common for the recipient is one of heat being transferred through my hands. Sometimes this may be quite intense and is more than just a simple transference of body heat. On other occasions the reverse effect of coldness may be experienced. A tingling sensation can also occur and you may also be aware at various times of a tremor or vibration being transmitted through my hands. If you do not experience any of these effects, you must not think that Healing has not worked for you. Often the healing energy will work at a subtle level and no physical sensations will be experienced. Sometimes any effect may not be felt for several hours or even days, afterwards. It is also not uncommon to visualise beautiful or vivid colours. These are more often within the blue part of the spectrum, but may be of any colour. Why any of these effects should be experienced and what they mean is a matter of conjecture, but should always be taken as an encouraging sign that Healing is having a beneficial effect.
Changes in your physical or mental well-being whilst you are actually receiving Healing will much depend on your state of mind and the particular physical ailment. Even with the same recipient, each session may have a completely different effect. Some conditions can respond quickly to Healing whereas others may take a lot longer. Do not expect any dramatic changes in your condition after just one or two healing sessions. You will need to become accustomed to the Healing process and be totally relaxed before the healing energy will have maximum effect.
I strongly believe that we must first heal the mind before we can expect any change in our physical well-being. New recipients of Healing are often surprised when they find that they begin to feel emotional as barriers are broken down, allowing all those pent up feelings to be released. So, do allow all that emotion to just pour out be it sorrow, anger, frustration or whatever. Have a good cry if you want to and get it out of your system. Healing is not just about making people 'well' in the physical sense - that is not always possible; Healing is also about helping people to come to terms with a particular situation. To help them find the strength and resolve to 'go on' and to make the most of their life. Indeed, to turn adversity to their advantage and to find that 'inner peace'. Please therefore, do not feel embarrassed if you find you cannot control your emotions - I can provide plenty of paper handkerchiefs.
Often recipients of Healing become so relaxed that they will drift off into a sleep like state or feel a floating sensation. They can become so contented in their 'own private world', often completely free from any pain or anxiety, that they are reluctant to return to 'reality'. You may find that you feel a little 'spaced out' or light headed after an intense healing session and you would be advised to sit down in the reception area for a few minutes before you leave, particularly if you then intend to drive a car.
It can also happen, either during or after a healing session, that the symptoms of your medical condition may appear to become more acute, or pain will be felt coming to the surface and dispersing. Please do not be discouraged by this and be put off from having further sessions. In point of fact, this is usually an encouraging sign that your body is beginning to fight back and is for example, discharging an accumulation of harmful toxins. Any such adverse reaction usually soon passes although some long-standing conditions may take longer, but should progressively diminish.
What can I do to augment the healing process?
As already stated, your role is crucial for healing to be effective. Please do not think that you can put the onus on me to make you well. Ultimately, you must accept responsibility for your own well-being - NOBODY can take this away from you. You must do everything within your physical and mental capacity to create the optimum conditions whereby Healing is given the very best chance to succeed. Our body has a marvellous ability to heal itself if we are prepared to do everything we can to help it. This means, eating a healthy and balanced diet and ensuring that you get sufficient exercise whereby your body is getting an adequate supply of oxygen. This will help keep the body working efficiently at a cellular level and prevent a build up of impurities or toxins in the blood stream. Many medical conditions are often aggravated or even caused by our lifestyle. Unless the underlying reason for our ailment is addressed, then it is likely to persist, even with the intervention of Healing, or any other form of medical treatment.
Trying to cut down the stress factor can make a huge difference to our overall feeling of well-being. Meditation and visualisation techniques should form part of your daily routine. I will be able to give you further advice in this respect, when I see you.
It is important that you try to feel as relaxed as possible during a healing session and 'switch off' from your surroundings. Try not to be too analytical, thinking about what is going on around you or if you are feeling any effect or sensations. Close your eyes and listen to the background music and allow your mind to drift off into an environment which you find relaxing and pleasurable. This might be walking along a secluded beach or being in the country surrounded by the wonders of 'Mother Nature'. It does not matter what images you create provided that they make you feel 'at peace with the World', free from your everyday worries and anxieties. This will allow your whole being to open up to the full effect of the power of Healing.
It should be made clear, that it is not my function to offer a medical diagnosis or to recommend any other course of treatment. Healing is very much about stimulating your own body's capacity to heal itself in collaboration with any remedy you may be receiving through mainstream medicine, or perhaps some other form of alternative or complementary treatment. I will however, during our sessions together, recommend to you, as appropriate, different self-help techniques to augment the healing process. These should be carried out between visits so that the healing process may continue and not be allowed to simply wear off.