If you haven't read Part 1 yet, I highly recommend you do. You can find it here:
Types of Therapies available.
Therapies that work with your mind
There are so many types of therapies to choose from it can be very confusing. I’ve listed and categorized some of the therapies here to make it a bit easier. I have not included all the different types of therapies that exist, just the more common ones. My descriptions are not definitive; they are brief, to give you a taste of what the therapy is about. If something appeals to you, I do urge you to look further into it to help you make up your mind.
Counselling: talking with someone to help you gain perspective on your life situation, this is non-directive, no advice is given and it is driven by the client i.e. the client chooses what to talk about. Counselling usually takes about four to six sessions to work through an issue.
Psychotherapy: this can be more directive, in that once it is clear what the client is looking to do, the therapist takes a more active role; they can suggest techniques and a direction to work in, using different processes to help create transformation. There may be homework in the form of tasks to do (such as keeping a journal), so for this reason several sessions may be required.
Psychoanalysis: very intensive, where the psychoanalyst studies your thought patterns and history and makes a diagnosis over many sessions. You do most of the talking, the therapist asks questions and traditionally sits behind you, out of eye contact. This may involve going back to trauma and childhood events, talking about dreams, etc.
Bereavement Counselling: a specialized form of counselling that helps you move on from a loss in your life – any kind of loss, not just the loss of a loved one.
Cognitive Behavioural therapy: this psychotherapeutic process concentrates on looking at your thought patterns and teaching you ways to change them to healthier ones.
Gestalt: a process that uses talking and feeling to work through problems. This type of therapy works on a holistic approach, working with the emotional body; it can be very powerful and at times it may feel like the mindfulness Energy Healing exercises.
Human Givens: a type of psychotherapy that works on a framework based on the idea that people have a set of needs that have to be met.
Transpersonal Therapy: psychotherapy that works with a belief in God or something greater than us to help manage life situations.
Other forms of therapy may include: positive psychology, art therapy, brief therapy, family therapy, group therapy, play therapy, transactional therapy. You can see there are many different forms!
Therapy is really more about the relationship you create with the therapist than the type of therapy they are offering. So you do need to make an emotional connection with your therapist. Many psychotherapists use an integrative approach, which means that they are versed in several different modes of therapy and they blend them together as needed in a session.
The number of sessions that are required for psychotherapy/counselling are set between you and the therapist, and it can be decided up-front or on a session-by- session basis. However, if you feel you are not enjoying the process, are not connecting with, or not comfortable with the therapist, you can end the sessions at any time.
It’s very useful to talk about the therapy process with the therapist i.e. check in and tell the therapist you’re really benefitting from the sessions, or let them know if you’re not happy. Talking about the therapy process with the therapist can dramatically improve the results as both of you are more aware of what is going on.
Remember, sometimes it can be your resistance to the work making you unhappy with therapy, rather than anything the therapist is doing. Keep in mind that a one-to-one session may be what you need if you’re feeling fragile.
Group therapy is when a group of people go into process together, and not always at the same time. This means that you will become exposed to other people’s processes. If you pick up on their energies as well as the ones you are already trying to work with, it can really make things more difficult for you if you’re not ready for it.
Questions to ask a psychotherapist/counsellor:
1. How long have you been in practice?
2. Are you a member of an accrediting body? / Do you have a license?
3. Where did you get your degree?
4. How much do you charge for your sessions?
5. Do I need to sign up for a certain number of sessions?
6. Do you have a cancellation policy?
7. Do you accept personal health insurance?
Therapies that work with your energy
When receiving Energy Healing there is no need for you to remove your clothing. You will typically lie down and the therapist will place their hands on or over your body, drawing down the Universal Life Force Energy into your biofield. These therapies can work over plaster casts if you have a broken limb, they can also work over distance if you cannot make it into the therapist’s office for a treatment.
Types of energy therapies include (but are not exclusive to):
• Bioenergy healing • Crystal healing • EmoTrance • Hands of light holistic healing • Integrated energy therapy (IET) • Johrei • Life alignment therapy • Past life regression • Pranic healing • Quantum touch • Rahinni • Reconnection healing • Reiki (there are many forms – Usui, Karuna, Tibetan, Angelic, Tera Mai, Rainbow, Dragon, Kundalini – all of which have different methods to access the Universal Life Force Energy) • Restorative touch • Sakara • Seichem • ThetaHealing® PLUS MANY, MANY MORE!!
You can research each type of healing if you wish to know more about it. I would also suggest that you look for a recommendation from someone who has been to the healer before. Remember, this is more about the healer than about the modality of healing; some people are born to be healers and may not even have trained formally, so they may simply offer you ‘spiritual healing’. Others who have trained for years may not be natural healers but may do a great job helping you release energies and acting as a witness for you. You will only know if you try it.
Many therapists tend to mix several therapies together and don’t usually tell the client in advance, so ask when booking if it’s pure Reiki, for example, or if they combine it with something else. Remember everyone is different, and the training is different too. Each Reiki Master Teacher will teach in their own way, so Reiki students will all receive a different training. When looking for a therapist do your homework rst – look at their website, read their blog, get a feel for their energy.
Nowadays, there is online training available for Energy Healers, and you can complete the masters’ programme over a very short period of time. This does not make you a master therapist. However, some people call themselves that, regardless.
You need to be sure that you are going to a well-practiced professional. It’s useful to ask some, or all, of the following questions.
Questions to ask an Energy Therapist:
1. How long have you been providing Energy Healing treatments?
2. How much do you charge for a session?
3. What level of training do you have?
4. Where did you train? / Was your training in person with a teacher in a hands-on setting, or online?
5. When did you complete your training?
6. How many client hours have you completed?
7. Have you got full public liability insurance?
8. Can I contact one of your clients for a reference?
9. What should I expect in a session?
10. Do you practice healing on yourself every day?
If the therapist gets worried or angry with you for asking these questions, they might not be the right person for you. The last question, about self-healing and self-care, is very important – as a therapist, they will be seeing many people, and if they do not look after themselves, clear and raise their own vibrations, they may be passing their clients’ energy over to you, and you don’t want that.
Psychic readings are not part of an Energy Healing session unless you have agreed to that up-front. If you deliberately choose to see a psychic it may be healing, but it is not a type of session designed specifically for healing. After an energy healing session, if the therapist has psychic information for you based on what they read in your energies, treat it as information that is true for that therapist, in that moment. Remember, nothing is set in stone and everything can change.
Sometimes additional information from a therapist is useful, such as ‘You are not really grounded in your body, perhaps you should spend some time doing that for yourself, and you’ll feel better.’ Do not deeply embrace everything you hear; only pay attention to it if it resonates with you. As you do your work, you get clearer on what your work is, and will be more empowered to decide yourself what you need to do.
Therapies that work with your Mind and with your Energy
You can use any of the questions I have already given you above when choosing a therapist that combines energy work with talk therapy. How they answer you can set you up for a wonderful therapeutic relationship where you can achieve some real transformational work. The following therapies combine talking with energetic healing:
Emotional Freedom technique (EFT): uses tapping on energy points and affirmations in a set framework to shift energy and work with thought patterns.
Shamanism: Shamanic methods vary dramatically depending on the training and background of the practitioner. You really need to investigate the therapist before you book a Shamanic healing session, find out where they trained and how long they have been in practice. Consider getting a recommendation before booking, as this therapy really does depend on the individual practitioner.
Hypnotherapy: the therapist goes into your subconscious mind and inserts a script or a programme to change a behaviour, or transform an irrational fear. It can involve energy work or not, depending on the therapist.
Energy Coaching: there are many coaches out there offering energy work; be clear, however, that coaching is not always therapeutic. (Imagine a coach on a running while shouting at an athlete!)
Therapies that Work with your Body
Even though they are focused directly on the physical body, bodywork therapies can really help release blocked emotions and are a great complement to any energy work or psychotherapeutic work you may be doing.
• Massage: there are many different types of massage depending on how deep and strong a treatment you wish to receive.
• Shiatsu: a type of massage where the therapist can release trapped energies from the muscles, as well as working with the physical muscles in the body.
• Refexology: using pressure points on the feet to heal the whole body energetically.
• Reiki massage: the therapist combines Reiki with physical massage.
• Rolfing: releasing energies within the connecting fibres and tissues in the body.
The questions to ask before booking a bodywork treatment are similar to the ones already listed above.
Combining Bodywork with Energy Healing
You can incorporate Energy Healing into body movements to create a strong, grounding practice that will keep you healthy. Healing may not always be the intention behind the class, but sometimes you will find it ‘sneaks’ its own way in. Make sure the facilitator is experienced, and you feel safe within the group.
Try a drop-in class before you sign up for a whole term. This type of practice would be more about maintenance of a good energetic state, rather than a portal into doing deep transformational work. However, people have been known to experience deep healing during this type of work, even though it’s not necessarily the intention behind the class.
• Biodanza • Chakra dancing • Qigong • Seven rhythms dancing • Tai chi • Yoga: there are many traditional forms of Yoga such as Hatha, Astanga, Kundalini, Raja, etc., and many new non-traditional forms such as Bikram, Iyengar, Anti- Gravity and Laughter, to name a few.
You might find after doing energy work that you want to change the energies in your house, or in your place of work.
Feng shui: the practitioner will come and survey your building and give recommendations around where to put particular types of furniture, what colours to use and how to position items for the optimum energy ow.
House/Land Clearing: there are land healers who are Shamans, they can come to your house/workplace and work directly with energy blocks in the land. If the energy is being disrupted by a power line, they can help you work around it to improve the general energy flow in the space.
A Final Note
You can ask any therapist any of the questions I have already offered you that you feel are appropriate. Please do not go to a therapist because they insist that you do, you must feel comfortable and confident in who you are choosing.
Remember, there is nothing wrong with you, and if your therapist starts to diagnose you, they are not acting out of their appropriate modality. Don’t hesitate to go back to your doctor with any issues that may arise out of a meeting with a therapist to confirm any doubt you may have about what they have said.
Therapists are not regulated and they can be working out of their own filter of the world, projecting their own issues onto you. That is why it is so important that you recognize in you the difference between feeling uncomfortable doing your own work, and feeling uncomfortable being with the therapist themselves. Do bring it up in session, you are allowed to say “I’d like to talk about our relationship, how the sessions are working out for me. I’m not happy/comfortable when you do/say….”
Telling the therapist how you feel can actually result in a deeper, more healing session for you. You are the captain of your ship. You are the one who knows you best. Stay centred in your healing process and it will be the most remarkable and wonderful experience for you. Hand your power completely over to the therapist and you may become lost at sea. I hope this document will help you as a guide to navigate your way through the storms so you can find the beauty that is here for you.
If you have any questions on this please email me abby@abby-wynne.com for clarification. I am available for one-to-one sessions, and my online programme and book, How to be Well, is an empowering start to a personal journey.
If you want to change the world, you need to start by changing your inner world, and that means doing your inner work. I salute you!