Therapeutic Touch
Background: Where does this technique come from?
Definition: Modern technique, working with hands just off the body. “Therapeutic Touch is a healing practice based on the conscious use of the hands to direct or modulate, for therapeutic purposes, selected non-physical human energies that activate the physical body.” (Krieger, 4)
Source: Primarily used “Therapeutic Touch” audio series by
Dolores Krieger, PhD, RN.
Origin of Method: Developed in the 70’s by Dolores Krieger, a nurse, and Dora Kunz, a healer, based somewhat upon ancient healing techniques, particularly the Indian chakra system.
Finding out more: Krieger has written multiple books on Therapeutic Touch, and numerous articles have appeared in journals and professional publications. There are also resources available on-line at: www.therapeutic-touch.org
Theory: What is energy? What is energy healing?
What energy is being worked with? Vital energies. The energies that make us physically active, emotionally active, and that let us think. Energy fields extend beyond the body, a few inches from the surface of the skin.
Energy centers/pathways: Chakras are transformers that convert universal energy to human energy we can use.
What is illness? An imbalance in a patient’s energy field.
What is the mechanism for healing? Practitioner engages universal healing energy. Creates a scaffolding / a support system which models healthy, balanced energy and gently guides the client’s energies back into balance.
“Human beings are open energy systems – transfer of energy between people is a natural, continuous event… [TT] is a nonstressful ‘effortless effort’ …guided by conscious, mindful action.” (Krieger, 12)
Role of practitioner: “Use the conscious full engagement of your energies in the interest of helping another.” (Krieger, 18)
Role of person receiving healing: To be open to being healed , willing to change.
Who can heal? Training? Health care professionals or interested, conscientious laypeople. Workshops are available, and count as CEU credits for health care professionals, and thousands of health professionals world wide are trained in TT.
Practice: How does a healing session work for this technique?
Practitioner preparation: Learn to center your consciousness. Take quiet, deep breaths. Be aware. “Become sensitive to your own more subtle energies… quietly begin… noticing how your breath fills your lungs. Then try to sense how your breath permeates the tissues of your body… Attempt to identify… with the facet of your consciousness that senses energies or creates visualizations or emotions.” (Krieger, 19)
Beginning a session: Begin with a centering phase to center your consciousness.
Assessment: TT operates on the idea that our bodies are symmetrical, so practitioner scans both sides of the body at once, looking for asymmetries, which indicate imbalance. Starting at the head, and going down the back first, then the front, with palms facing toward the client, a few inches above their body. Look for changes in sensation – may feel cold, heat, pressure, breaks in flow, intuitive flashes, cramping in your hand, different rhythms, magnetic pull, tingling, etc.
Process: Rebalancing. After assessing, then you rebalance energy. If a spot felt cool, you warm it. If there’s a blockage, work on re-establishing flow. Center first, then placing your hands 2-3” from the body at the spot where you felt the imbalance, then visualizing “cold” for example: bring the memory of being cold into your hand and project it to client. (This does not mean to force the energy out, merely to let it flow to them.) Direct and modulate the energy flow on exhalations. Always work from the top of the body to the bottom. (You can also use an understanding of chakras and their associated colors to visualize healing energies.)
Unruffling: Sometimes you sense congestion or scrambled energies. Face palm away from client, and brush energies down and outward, away from the body. (Almost as if you’re smoothing wrinkles out of clothing.) This can provide quick temporary relief for the client, which allows you to work more effectively with the underlying imbalance.
Reassessment: Reassess as needed during session.
Ending a session: Unruffle. Let client rest for 10-15 minutes after a session.
Uses: When is this Technique useful?
Duration of Treatment: It is possible to overdose a client on energy, so a session shouldn’t take more than 20-25 minutes. Signs of energy overload include “increasing restlessness, irritability, and anxiety that may be expressed as hostility or felt as pain by the healee.” (Krieger, 75)
What do practitioners say it is useful for: It is consistent and reliable in 1) Inducing relaxation response, often in 2-4 minutes. 2) Pain reduction. 3) Accelerating healing process. 4) Alleviation of psychosomatic illness. It affects the autonomic nervous system, relaxes smooth muscles, decreases heart rate, increases gastrointestinal functioning, reduces edema. Useful for arthritis, accelerating healing of bone fractures, manic depression, stroke, some aspects of Alzheimer’s and AIDS. Not very useful with disorders of the pancreas and pituitary gland, or schizophrenia.
Contraindications: Possible overdose (see above).
Studies done: Has been the subject of 27 doctoral theses and 18 post-doc research projects, many of which show significant positive effect.
Other uses: Can heal plants and animals.
Spiritual Component: Introduction to book, written by Stanley Krippner states “she also attempts to learn about a client’s spiritual problems, concerns, and beliefs, and how they may impact treatment.” (Krieger, xvi)
Emotional Component: Practitioner can sense emotional
imbalances and work to rebalance them along with the physical imbalances.
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