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ATH JOURNAL
2015
Maureen Ripley
www.facebook.com/therapeutichealers
Are you a Healer? Do you also work with other therapies? then why not join ATH. ATH is a Professional Association and network for healers and also for healers who combine healing with other therapies. Check out our website www.healers-ath.org- or for membership contact - [email protected]
CONTENTS Cover painting by Maureen Ripley
from the Chair p3
Meta Analysis/Distant Healing Study p 4
The Mindful Therapist - Liz Hawkins p 5-8
We have to Talk about Dying -Jen Altman p 9-11
DATE info 2016 ATH AGM p11
Photo’s Maureen’s 90th Birthday celebration p12
Supervision for Professional Healers - Delcia McNeil p13-16
ATH Facebook - Sue Thomas p16
Reflective Practice - Liz Hawkins p 17-21
Re-treat Yourself - Sue Thomas p 22-23
Appreciations - Jo Green on Jen’s Farewll to London and Sue Thomas retreat p23
AGM 2015 Photos - p24
What Have ATH members Been reading?- p25
BREATH a poem by D Beaudry & Trees a painting by Jessica Morton age 8 p26
POEMS - Awakening by Jo Green and I SEND YOU MY LOVE by Gordon Green p27
CHO AGM report -Jo Green p28
New books by Members - p29
-Healing Thyself by Jackie Mannell,
You Can’t Cook a Poem Like an Egg - Louise Taylor - TWO Articles by Maggie La Tourelle
Courses/w/shops-London School of Therapeutic Healing, p30
-Chakra Psychology p31
-Intuitive Communication p32
-Exciting new courses with Jen Altman & Alison McCABE p33
Adverts - Accountant p33
-The BiG ART SALE p34
-Practice rooms for Hire & p35
- Jessica’s painting & final word- p35
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Editor - Jane Robertson
FROM THE CHAIR
I would just like to share with you that every 3me I a5end a Core Group mee3ng for me it is like going on a voyage of discovery. Each mee3ng is
met with such a spirit of commitment and enthusiasm by each and everyone involved. It has been a year of change for the Core Group, of new
beginnings and looking at ways we can streamline ATH. We have been mee3ng monthly with a very full agenda and laughter is also a definite pre-‐requisite. It feels such a privilege to be part of this dynamic group and to tell you about our news, our strategies, our plans we are
implemen3ng and above all to introduce you to the team of very suppor3ve and hard working Core Group members, Delcia McNeil, Jane
Robertson, Maureen Ripley, Sue Thomas, Gordon Green Treasurer, and Liz Hawkins our latest member who I am delighted to tell you is star3ng a
London based ATH Healer Training at Delcia's in the new year assisted by Mari Trini Ochando who also ran a Healer Training. It is wonderful news especially with Liz's breadth of experience having run a university based training for many years and Mari Trini's professional skills. We all wish
the 'London School of Therapeu3c Healing' every success.
Our Agenda It has been a very full year for the Core Group, mee3ng once a month with considerable 3me discussing the Complaints and Disciplinary Procedures, and we will be star3ng on the Code of Ethics -‐ full details of both these documents will be circulated once they have been finalised. Delcia has been masterminding the procedure and we are reviewing many organisa3ons complaints procedures, bearing in mind both the uniqueness of our mul3-‐faceted organisa3on, and the importance of media3on for expediency and to bring about a fair outcome.
Publicity Sue has designed colorful postcards to promote ATH, available on request. We now have a public and a member’s only Facebook page. My thanks go to Sue for all her hard work. Jane does sterling work in all she does both as Secretary and Core Group Member. She is con3nually upda3ng our website and edi3ng our e-‐journal with her usual panache! She has asked for members details for the website and there is now a page for members' events. We need your presence on the Web.
Our Thanks Our Core Group mee3ng in December was a tea party to celebrate Maureen's Ripley’s 90th birthday. It was a lovely aYernoon and so good to acknowledge Maureen's long-‐standing commitment and all the hospitality she has extended to our Organisa3on over the years of hos3ng Explore Healing and Core Group Mee3ngs. My thanks go to Gordon who is always so suppor3ve, and an amazing tower of strength. He is definitely an honorary member of ATH in my unbiased opinion !
Our Congratula3ons go to: Delcia on the ar3cle she wrote on Chakra Psychology which was published this August in Kindred Spirits Magazine. Having a5ended both her Chakra Psychology Course and many of the workshops, I found it has added so much to my understanding both personally and professionally.
Maggie la Tourelle for being nominated by Kindred Spirits Spiritual Writer's 2015 award for her book 'The GiY of Alzheimers'. It is both an in3mate insight of the evolving rela3onship she had with her mother and a guidance to help people understand the effects of this frightening illness. I gained so much insight about Altzheimers from reading the book. Also I would like to congratulate Maggie on the ar3cle she wrote for the Daily Telegraph which was featured in the edi3on on 21st September.
Louise Taylor, a long-‐standing member, who is a Crea3ve Business Coach and healer on her book 'You Can't Cook a Poem Like An Egg!' which should prove very interes3ng reading!
Our Projects We are hoping to build a new website as soon as our finances will allow, so some crea3ve fund raising is definitely required to finance this. As we have so many crea3ve talents in our membership, we are considering a CraY Fair as our first major fund-‐raising project. Any fund raising ideas would be most welcome. The next idea was conceived at our last AGM brainstorming of having a 'Meet Up' session, a 3me to connect with other members, meditate and do some peer supervision, to meet up once a month. This so embodies the ethos of ATH, it would be a 3me to relax,to network and at the same 3me consolidates the idea of supervision, see Delcia's ar3cle on Supervision. Please give this project your full support. The mee3ngs will be held at Maureen's home in Tufnell Park.
We are also star3ng an Absent Healing Group. ATH receives requests from members & non members for absent healing so please contact either Jane or myself if you are interested in being part of the ATH Distant Healing group.
Our AGM This year was held at The Mary Ward Centre -‐ a change of venue, a building facing the leafy Queens Square which we have booked for next year, to be held on 14th May, 2016. The ethos of the day was warm and dynamic and Liz's presenta3on on Reflec3on and Reflec3ve Prac3se was excellent and thought provoking. Liz has researched the topic thoroughly and with obvious experience and I really found working in pairs added depth and clarity to the subject. I also enjoyed exchanging thoughts and ideas with my partner. AYerwards some of us adjourned to a local restaurant to round off a memorable day of how we can network and exchange ideas. At next year’s AGM we shall be privileged to have Jen Altman presenta3on on Death and Dying, a subject so important to be addressed for healers and anyone involved in the end of life care. I am very much looking forward to her presenta3on and her words of wisdom.
Our Future How do we consolidate our Organisa3on? Your involvement is of utmost importance for the growth of ATH. My vision as Chair is that we think of how we can each help to strengthen our unique organisa3on, with various levels of commitment -‐ as Tesco's slogan goes 'Every li5le helps' your thoughts, and ideas are all important to us and especially thinking of what it is to be a Therapeu3c Healer -‐ the defini3on is sadly missing from Google and it would be so good to put this to right! We do need hands on help in the form of helping with the website and publicity. The Core Group is really stretched and needs your help! Jo Green Chair of ATH
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Two Meta-Analyses of Non-contact Healing Studies - Chris A.Roe,PhD,Charmaine Sonnex,BsC,MsC & Elizabeth C Roxburgh,BsC,PhD Research to carry out an updated review of published trials of healing, and to examine critically whether this literature showed evidence of an effect of healing intention funded by the CHO
Scientific evidence for the effects of non-contact healing- The value of unconventional health interventions, such as healing, is disputed. Surveys have shown that many members of the general public believe in the power of healing, and there are a large number of healers practising in the UK. However, medical science has been sceptical, citing a lack of robust evidence as a rationale for this scepticism.......
Objective: Reviews of empirical work on the ef4icacy of non-‐ contact healing have found that adopting various practices that incorporate an intention to heal can have some positive effect upon the recipient’s wellbeing. However, such reviews focus on ‘whole’ human participants who might be susceptible to expect-‐ ancy effects or bene4it from the healing intentions of friends, family or their own religious groups. We proposed to address this by reviewing healing studies that involved biological systems other than ‘whole’ humans (e.g., studies of plants or cell cultures) that were less susceptible to placebo-‐like effects. Secondly, doubts have been cast concerning the legitimacy of some of the work included in previous reviews so we planned to conduct an updated review that excluded that work.
Introduction:The supposed linkage between religious beliefs and practices and health has long been of interest to psychologists since it provides suggestive evidence for a connection between psycho-‐spiritual factors and physical well-‐being.1,2 This research is an extension of conventional accounts of the health bene4its of religiosity and/or spirituality that supposes that they are mediated by cognitive and behavioral differ-‐ences, with those expressing a religious faith tending to be more optimistic and resilient, to believe that the physical world is essentially orderly and meaningful, to engage in healthy behaviors such as regular exercise or meditation, and to avoid unhealthy behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse and promiscuous or risky sex (for reviews see Fontana3 and Koenig et al.4). More intriguingly, a number of reviews of the ef4icacy of healing5–8 have found that interceding on behalf of patients through prayer or by adopting various practices that incorporate an intention to heal can have some positive effect upon their well-‐being. However, these reviewers also raised concerns about study quality and the diversity of healing approaches adopted in the studies under review— ranging from techniques that usually involve close physical proximity between the practitioner and the patient, such as therapeutic touch and Reiki healing, through to techniques that work at a distance, such as psychic healing or interces-‐ sionary prayer to a higher being—and this makes the 4indings dif4icult to interpret, since in some cases, the bene4icial effects could be attributable to placebo effects or to the consequen-‐ ces of general lifestyle changes that are involved in holistic approaches to medicine. The diversity of approaches included under the rubric of healing also presents problems in explain-‐ ing the observed effects, since there is so little common ground that it is dif4icult to conceive of a mechanism that they might all share.
Download the full article click here: Download file
The London School of Therapeutic Healing starting in March 2016 for course details go to www.healing-ath.org then go to ‘Training’ then click on ‘Therapeutic Healing Course’ at bottom of course outline to download the PDF.
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The Mindful Therapist. by Liz Hawkins
As therapists should we be embracing the current trend towards mindfulness meditation to improve our therapeutic relationships with clients?
This article will explore the therapeutic relationship and consider how mindfulness could enhance the core attributes of the therapist which in turn could enhance the therapeutic relationship. (The use of therapist in this article also refers to healers)
The therapeutic relationship is fundamental to our work. A professional therapeutic relationship exists whenever two people meet; one has skills and expertise which the other wants to alleviate suffering or maintain levels of health and well being. The relationship is contractual, governed by legal, professional and ethical guidelines and the practitioner is remunerated for their services. The Professional Therapeutic Relationship takes place in a particular setting such as a treatment room, clinic, hospital, health centre or the client’s own home. The Professional Therapeutic Relationship ends when the services are no longer required by the client1.
Fundamental to this relationship are the therapists ability to hold the core attributes such as listening, attending, empathy, that enable us to offer a caring approach to clients. These attributes are more than just a set of skills to be acquired and practiced, they can be considered as being a felt bodily sense. This felt bodily sense is a useful barometer in working with clients, it enables us to check in and maintain those core attributes.
Mindfulness is the English equivalent of the Pali words sati and sampajana -‐ awareness, circumspection, discernment and retention. Mindfulness is remembering to pay attention to what is happening in our immediate experience with care and discernment. Mindfulness has been described as paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-‐judgmentally2. Another view considers mindfulness as intentionally attending with openness and nonjudgment that leads to a significant shift in perspective, this shift enables one to stand back and simply witness rather than being immersed in an experience. Mindfulness is both a process (mindful practice) and an outcome (mindful awareness). With the practice of mindfulness meditation we become more aware and attuned to what is happening in our mind and body, so be in touch with our felt sense3.
Therefore mindfulness could potentially enable us to be more aware and attuned to both ourselves and the client.
Research from the field of psychotherapy suggests that the therapeutic relationship can account for 60% of any intervention outcome4. If we think about this in terms of Complementary Therapies, then the effectiveness of our therapies may well depend significantly on the quality of our therapeutic relationships with clients, regardless of the actual therapy. How many times do we hear clients say statements such as ‘I didn’t feel listened to’, ‘the appointment was very rushed’, ‘he/she didn’t seem to understand me’ or ‘there was a lack of care’? As professionals forming, maintaining and ending therapeutic relationships, it is paramount that we continue to develop the attributes that form part of the special role of the relationship. This will enable us to improve the experience and outcomes for clients and manage the complexities of the therapeutic relationship in a professional manner.
The therapist/client relationship was first noted by Freud and he termed this an alliance5. Later theorists suggest that the alliance includes up to three aspects namely, the bond between patient and therapist, an agreement on goals and an agreement on tasks6. This also includes a range of aspects of the relationship such as the patient’s affective relationship with the therapist, the patient’s ability to work constructively with the therapist, the therapist’s understanding and use of empathy with the patient and finally the patient and therapist’s agreement on the goals and tasks to be undertaken7.
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Within the concept of therapeutic relationships five different types have been identified:
The Working Alliance relationship -‐ from Behavioural Psychology and is about achieving tasks. It is predominantly about a contract of understanding which checks the expectations and assumptions you carry about each other and your work.
The Person-‐to-‐person relationship – from Humanistic Psychology and requires truthfulness and authenticity. The relationship is built in the ‘here and now’ and is one of more or less equal standing between client and therapist.
The Transferential/countertransferential relationship – from Freudian Psychology and occurs when unresolved feelings are transferred onto the client or therapist. It is an unconscious process and requires us checking if the feelings are ours or the clients
The Developmental Relationship-‐ from Adult Learning & Developmental Models. In this relationship the therapist is the parent and the client the child with he therapist providing a reparative experience.
The Transpersonal Relationship -‐ from Jungian psychology and occurs when there is an instinctive, unspoken possibly spiritual connection between the therapist & the client.8
As therapists we may find ourselves using predominantly one type of relationship or combining a number of them, depending upon the stage of the relationship and the needs of the client. However what is of particular interest in terms of core attributes and mindfulness is the person-‐to-‐ person relationship originating from the work of Dr Carl Rogers, who through his experiences working with clients developed Person Centred Theory. Complementary Therapists tend to view ourselves and our work as ‘holistic’ and person centred theory gives us a clear base from which to consider our core attributes and approach our work. Person centred theory is holistic and organismic, that is it takes the organism as an integrated whole, and this pulls against the idea of dividing the organism into body and mind and into further elements of mind such as personality and self 9. Interestingly Rogers believed that the person is actualizing, that is we are all inherently able to move towards growth given the right conditions. Again this seems to resonate with complementary therapists’ view of their work in that we aim to provide the conditions, often through listening, empathy, rebalancing and harmonising mind, body and spirit that support healing.
The ability to listen is one of the most important attributes that a therapist needs. How well you listen will have a major impact on your relationship with clients and the quality of care that you give. Most of us will have had some training in listening during our complementary therapy courses and are aware of the factors involved in listening such as linguistics -‐ the actual spoken word, paralinguistics -‐ the tone, timing, pace etc and the non-‐verbal that all give us clues as to how a person is feeling.
However active listening is something more than this and Burnard proposes three levels that have significance for us as therapists:
1. The client talks, the therapist merely notes what is being said. The client and therapist are not psychologically close and the relationship may not develop very far.
2. The therapist develops free-‐floating attention-‐ not every word is heard but the therapist is trying to listen overall to what is being said. The therapist is also listening to the client’s non-‐verbal language.
3. Free floating is maintained but the therapist is also noticing his/her thoughts, feelings and body sensations. The therapist is aware of what he/she notices and checks this with the client. Here the therapist is using him/herself as a sounding board for how the relationship is progressing. This does not mean theorising or interpreting the client but it offers the client the feeling that she/he is being closely listened to.10
In addition we can also consider those core conditions that Rogers identifies: congruence, unconditional positive regard, empathy. In Person Centred Theory, core conditions are those attitudes that a healthcare professional displays that shows acceptance of the client. valuing them as a human being of worth.11
Congruence implies that the therapist should have a genuine interest in the client and is used interchangeably with other terms such as real, genuine or transparent. Congruence in the therapeutic relationship means that the therapist’s awareness of her/his own experience in the relationship must be accurate. We need to listen to what a client is saying both verbally and through observing body language and simultaneously listen to our own responses. For example; if a client doesn’t make eye contact as usual I might feel a chill inside me, some apprehension and I wonder what this means. If I am aware of apprehension and have an openness to what might unfold – I am in a state of congruence. However if I make sense of this from my past experiences of feeling a failure when people withdraw from me I could think that the client is cross with me, thinks I am no good or have similar thoughts
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that have a tendency to run away and escalate, then I would be incongruent. In this case I may appear cold, defensive and lose interest in the client whereas if I am congruent then I would be aware of the apprehension, wonder what was going on and behave warmly and openly.
In the early days of psychoanalysis the value of empathy was recognized as the only way of knowing the existence of the unconscious life of another. In other words, therapist empathy would enable the client to access and explore deeper thoughts and feelings. Rogers defines empathy as ‘the state of perceiving the internal frame of reference with another with accuracy, and with the emotional components and meanings which pertain thereto, as if one were the other person, and without losing the “as if” condition’11. Internal frame of reference can be seen as the clients understanding of the world. Therefore, in order for us as therapists to understand a client, we must do so from their internal frame of reference. If we attempt to understand the client on the basis of our own personal experience this would be an external frame of reference. Remaining with the clients own understanding of the world is considered necessary to enhance empathy and promote unconditional positive regard. The challenge is ‘without losing the as if condition’ and this is where we often confuse empathy with sympathy. Put simply: sympathy is when you have a reaction to another’s state whereas with empathy you understand the other’s reaction.
The ‘body’ plays a large part in empathy and often we ‘feel’ or experience with the felt sense therefore the aim of the therapist is to be in ‘empathic attunement’ with the client. As far back as 1923 Freud was writing about the role of the body in the unconscious. Current thinking sees empathic attunement involves right-‐brain to right-‐brain unconscious communication between therapist and client. This does not mean that we can ‘read the clients mind’. On the contrary, it means that we can be open to understanding the other’s reaction without judgement. Neuroscience has caught up with the early psychoanalytic theorists and identified mirror neurons within the brain. Mirror neurons ensure that the moment someone sees an emotion expressed on your face, they will at once sense that same feeling within themselves3. So it seems that the ability to have empathy/ be in empathic attunement is part of our ‘wiring’.
Another fundamental attribute of person centred theory is unconditional positive regard and Rogers argues that positive regard is essential for growth/ actualisation. Acceptance and respect are at the heart of unconditional positive regard and Rogers defined this as ‘a warm acceptance of each aspect of the client’s experience’11 .This may sound easy however it does mean that we need to accept all aspects of the client, not just the those bits we like, with warmth, respect and non-‐judgement. We must be able to accept the other as a human being without having pre-‐conceived ideas about the other. This can, in some situations, be challenging but it is the congruent therapist’s experiencing of unconditional positive regard together with empathy that facilitates growth. The challenge is how do we continue to develop these attributes within ourselves?
Mindfulness may well be one the most important ways in which we can further develop our ability to listen, be congruent, be empathic and have unconditional positive regard for our clients. Developments in neuroscience support the importance of developing and maintaining a therapeutic relationship through activation of areas of the brain related to the attachment system12. In other words those parts and systems within the brain, that influence the core attributes that enable us to feel ‘connected’ to other humans. Our earliest relationships actually build the brain structures we use for relating however when those experiences have been less than optimal we can change the structure and wiring. Neural plasticity means that the human brain has the capacity to grow new neurons and to create new synaptic connections. Studies suggest that mindfulness can create new neural circuitry, pathways and networks this in turn allows us to relate and connect with others13. How we respond to our emotions and experiences involves activation of the sympathetic nervous system and endocrine system via the hypothalamic–pituitary-‐adrenal-‐axis (HPAA) which arouses the amygdala. If these emotions or experiences are negative or remind us of earlier negative experiences this acts as a stressor and our thoughts can spiral out of control. This means that we lose empathic attunement, the ability to hold the core attributes and are not in the present moment. Mindfulness or the practice of meditation enables us to maintain a state of balance through parasympathetic arousal14.
Through maintaining this state of balance and being mindful we can be fully present with our clients and be fully connected. Because of the familiarity with our own mind and body developed through meditation practice, we are able to see our own response to a client’s behaviour and regulate this emotion3. Being mindful enables us to actively listen so ensure we are in third level of listening where we can hold free-‐floating attention and be aware of our own thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. Through congruence as we are more secure in ourselves as a person and are able to be with the process of a therapeutic relationship that, inevitably, throws up our own vulnerability. Mindfulness enables us to maintain a state of balance within the nervous system so we can hold empathic attunement. Finally, through mindfulness we develop unconditional positive regard for ourselves so are then open to being this way with clients.
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Mindfulness of breath exercise
Start with five minutes and gradually build up. Sit on a chair or cross-‐legged on a cushion on the floor:
1. Allow your posture to be relaxed, with a tall spine and your hands resting on your thighs. Eyes can be closed or in a downward gaze.
2. Feel the weight of your body as you sit and notice where your body connects to the chair, cushion or floor. Spend a few moments exploring these sensations.
3. Bring your attention to the movement of your breath. There is no special way to breathe, just let it be and notice where you feel it.
4. Notice the physical sensations of breathing, try not to think about it but be with it, allowing the breath to flow all the way in and all the way out.
5. Your mind will wander as this is what minds naturally do; you may find yourself daydreaming, replaying conversations, mentally writing the shopping list, worrying. Whenever you notice your mind has wandered, gently and kindly bring your attention to the breath.
6. Spend a few minutes practising this and gradually build the time up to 15 mins.
7. When you are ready to stop, bring your attention back to your body, notice what is happening,
slowly open your eyes allowing yourself time to be in the present.
References1. Fox, S., (2008). Relating to Clients. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.2. Kabat-‐Zinn, J., (1994).Wherever you go there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. New York: Hyperion.3.Shapiro, S.L & Carlson, L.E., (2009). The Art & Science of Mindfulness: Integrating Mindfulness Into Psychotherapy & the Helping Professions. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.4. American Psychological Association., (2004). Task Force on Empirically Supported Psychotherapy Relationships. Available from: http://www.divisionofpsychotherapy.org.5. Freud, S., (1913). On the beginning of treatment: Further recommendations on the technique of psychoanalysis. In: Strachey, J., (ed.) The Standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud. X11, 1958, London: Hogarth Press.6.Bordin, E.S., (1979). The generalizability of the psychoanalytic concept of the working alliance, Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. 16, p. 252-‐260. Available from: http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pst/16/3/252/7. Gaston, L., (1990).The Concept of the Alliance and its role in Psychotherapy: Theoretical and Empirical Considerations. Psychotherapy. Vol 27, Number 2 pp. 143-‐153.8. Clarkson, P., (2003). The Therapeutic Relationship. 2nd ed. London: Whurr Publishers. 9. Saunders, P., (2007). Introduc3on to the Theory of Person-‐Centred Therapy. In Cooper, O’Hara, Schmid, Wya5 Handbook of Person-‐Centred Psychotherapy & Counselling. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
10. Burnard, P., (2005). Effective Communication Skills for Health Professionals. Cheltenham: Stanley Thomas Ltd.11. Rogers, C.R., (1959). A theory of therapy, personality and interpersonal rela3onships, as developed in the client-‐centered framework. In S. Koch (ed.). Psychology: A study of science. (pp. 184-‐256). New York: McGraw Hill.12. Fonagy, P., (2006). Mechanisms of change in the mentaliza3on-‐based treatment of BPD. Bri3sh Journal of Clinical Psychology. 62 411-‐430.13. Siegel, D., (2007). The Mindful Brain: Reflec3on and A5unement in the Cul3va3on of Well-‐Being. New York: W.W. Norton14. Hanson, R., (2009).Buddha’s Brain: the pracNcal neuroscience of happiness, love & wisdom. Oakland: New Harbinger Publica3ons Ltd.
Tibet’s Secret Temple: Body,mind & mediation in Tantric Buddhism 19 November -28 February 2016 Ann Veronica Jannsen’s - States of Mind (Jansenn’s piece returns us to the sheer wonder of being conscious.) 15 October - 3rd January 2016 both FREE and drop in to the Wellcome Collection 183 Euston Road, London NW1 T +44 (0)207611 2222 www.wellcomecollection.org/events
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We Have to Talk About DyingJen Altman
As Woody Allen once quipped “I’m not afraid of; dying; I just don’t want to be there when it happens”. Our current Western culture is pervaded by a terror of death; consequently denial that we will die and a taboo around talking about death is very common. We try to believe we are immortal, a belief fostered by the advances in modern medicine that can keep us alive into a very old age; and dying has become medicalised, making it a remote and oien frightening experience.
But we cannot live fully unjl we face our fears around death and, as healers, how can we accompany clients facing death if we are afraid to look at our own deaths? About ten years ago I decided it was jme to open up a conversajon about dying among healers and other therapists by offering a workshop that I called ‘Dying to Live’, in which we could explore our fear of death. A few years later, I began a follow-‐up session, ‘Conscious Dying’, to ask the quesjon: “What do we need to do to die with awareness, to die as we have tried to live?”. I now offer the two workshops under the jtle ‘We Have to Talk About Dying’ and a third, more pracjcal session, ‘Make Your Own Coffin’, is on the drawing board.
My own engagement with death started young: born during WWII, several of my contemporaries had lost their fathers in the fighjng and subsequently one of these friends’ mother died when she was about 10. In my career as a biologist, I became aware that death is both a normal and essenjal part of life: in populajons, it drives renewal and vigour and without it, life as we know it would never have evolved. But death is also an essenjal, every day part of the life of all organisms, including us: during development, far more cells are produced than are needed, many of which die as the weaker cells are sculpted away to allow the final body form to emerge. This process of cell death conjnues throughout our lives as old cells wear out, die and are replaced by new. Cells contain a biochemical pathway that is triggered as they deteriorate, allowing them to die gracefully, and the health and integrity of our bodies depend on this conjnuous cycle of cell birth and death.
Dying to LiveIn most tradijonal cultures, death is a common part of community experience, with rituals familiar to all that support the dying person on their journey into the aierworld. Today, this cultural transmission has broken down as many of us have limle experience of being with the dying, so central to the Dying to Live workshop is a Pathworking, a guided visualisajon (or sensualisajon as I prefer to call it, for it is a mulj-‐sensory experience) that helps us to reconnect with these old rituals, for example, those set out in the Egypjan Book of the Dead. The Pathworking opens up a journey into the land between life and death for ourselves, so that we become familiar with the path, the landscape, the people, spirits, enjjes we might meet on the way, and what help we need. As we travel, we each lay a trail of golden thread behind us, so that we can easily find our way back to the land of the living. We may reach a river, lake or ocean, the boundary of the land of the dead, which we may not cross at this jme – if we do this Pathworking when the jme come to die, the thread will not be needed and the boundary will be open.
Once we have discovered this path, we can return to it at any jme, so that we become more and more at home in the landscape between the worlds.
We can also offer the Pathworking to family members, friends or clients who are facing death and even use it to prepare ourselves for the loss of someone close. I knew my parents would not be open to working in this way, so I prepared a path for each of them, along which I accompanied them. As it happened, they each died suddenly and on both occasions, when I received the news, I opened the path and saw their spirits leaving. I sensed they were relieved to be moving on, which was a solace to me in my shock and grief.
Building around the knowledge that death is a present and essenjal part of our lives, a personal encounter with our own deaths is the other main element in the workshop, Walking with Death. My inspirajon for this came from Systemic Constellajon Work, where Death is oien represented in constellajons. With the group forming a holding circle, each of the parjcipants in turn invites another to represent her/his own Death and spends about 10 minutes interacjng however she/he likes. Responses have varied from shunng Death out of the room to holding a conversajon, singing or dancing. I have been very moved to witness parjcipants’ fear, suspicion or anger transforming into trust and even joy. One parjcipant discovered that her Death is her guardian angel, another wrote, ”I that Death is a friend and a catalyst, helping me to value each day, each experience”.
Represenjng Death is also an opportunity to gain a sense for ourselves of what death is – someone described it as experiencing infinite compassion.
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Meditajon, discussion, sharing experiences and jme for reflecjon are woven around these main pieces of work. The day is deep and intense, sjrring a gamut of feelings and emojons, so I usually keep the group small, although I have done individual elements of the work as a taster for larger groups.
Conscious DyingI am convinced, both from my reading and from experience, that people are able to chose when they die, and that many do. There are accounts of Masters who have called their disciples together for a celebrajon and announced that they will lie down and die at a certain jme. I am convinced that both my parents took the opportunity presented by medical emergencies to make their exits – each at a jme when they faced loss of highly valued independence – and I have heard many similar stories. The Conscious Dying day provides a chance to look at the choices we may have. Where do we want to be when we die and how much medical intervenjon to prolong our lives do we want? How can we can prepare ourselves, emojonally and spiritually as well as pracjcally, so that our wishes are fulfilled, so that we die as we have tried to live? Many of us have a horror of dying in hospital, nursed by strangers, under sedajon: how can we plan so this does not happen?
Whereas Dying to Live is a fairly structured day, Conscious Dying is much more free-‐form: I offer a number of possibilijes and parjcipants agree on what they would like to do. Somejmes we revisit the Pathworking or the meditajon with which I open Dying to Live, in which we see our lives in the context of past and future generajons. Or we may meditate on the beauty of a winter sunset. Several jme we have undertaken an enquiry: working in pairs, one repeatedly asks the other a quesjon, such as “What do I need to do before I die?” or “How would I like to die?”, for about 10 minutes before swopping roles – it is amazing how the repejjon helps us to spiral down into the depths of a topic.
We also look at pracjcal issues, both legal (wills, Power of Amorney, Advanced Direcjves about medical intervenjons) and personal – provisions we need to make, for example for clients, pets, our wrijngs, art work, and who needs to be informed when we die. We have brainstormed how to ensure we will be comfortable if we become incapacitated: chairs, beds and other aids, light, colour, music, meditajons, what foods we enjoy and what we really don’t like – down to how we like our tea made. And at the same jme what we will need to do to make life for our carers as pleasant as possible. We think about where we would like to die. Somejmes we discuss funerals, commemorajons and wakes, though this is not a workshop for planning our funerals: there are plenty on offer. I am currently construcjng a check list, together with resources, for a blog.
Women giving birth these days oien have a birthing partner, who can ensure – fight for if necessary – the woman’s wishes about care are followed. Lamerly, women have been training as Doulas to undertake this role. I have advocated for years that we need a similar ‘doula’ as a companion when we are dying, someone we trust who can represent our wishes and ensure our needs are met, and I encourage parjcipants to seek out such a person. The wonders of synchronicity – there is now a training course for end-‐of-‐life doulas (Living, well, Dying Well, www.lwdwtraining.uk/)!
The line between life and death is a fine one and the life-‐force is very strong. Limle wonder then that a day spent contemplajng our own deaths turns into a celebrajon of life!
Moving onIn the ten years since I started these workshops, the public conversajon about dying has grown louder. In part this has been spurred by debate over assisted dying, in part by the crisis in caring for the aging populajon and concern over dying in hospital. The BBC’s Reith Lectures were given this year by Atul Gwande, the author of Being Mortal: he reflected on aging and death based on his experience as a doctor with an Indian background working in the USA – highly recommended although I find he shies away from crucial issues of choice. The organisajon Dying Mamers holds an annual Dying Mamers week each May, mainly to encourage people to deal with pracjcal maters such as wills and powers of amorney. The hospice movement conjnues to lead the way, though places are limited; and various charijes now provide advice and support. Slowly, more people are dying at home and the extreme medicalisajon of death – and oien poor treatment of the dying – is being called into quesjon: an editorial on palliajve care in this week’s Observer newspaper (16/8/2015) cites Professor Robert George, of the Associajon of Palliajve Medicine, recognising recently that: “… Dying is a social and spiritual and cultural event and only part of that is to do with medicine” – progress indeed!
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Ship of Souls, Jen Altman, 2013 Stoneware fired clay with oxides and glazes
This spring, three women in my town, Todmorden in West Yorkshire – who met through training as end-‐of-‐life doulas – set up a week-‐long community-‐generated fesjval, Pushing Up Daisies, to coincide with Dying Mamers week. The open meejng to plan the fesjval amracted at least 50 people and the final programme included workshops ranging from Genng Your House in Order; talking to the dying and bereaved; grief, and suicide; as well as theatre, a dance session, music, creajng shrines and shrouds, and the local art gallery punng on a special exhibijon. I contributed a taster of the Dying to Live work and to the shroud workshop, as well as having work in the exhibijon. The aim, to create conversajons around death and dying, was more than met all, with a buzz all over town, and spin-‐off groups dealing with grief and suicide are conjnuing to meet. All this with no funding, just the enthusiasm and generosity of many volunteers – next year’s fesjval is already being hatched! So scratch the surface and we find many people ready, willing and wanjng to think about and talk about dying, but not quite knowing how or where to start.
At the end of last year, I closed my London pracjce and workshop programme so that I could spend more jme at home and work more in my community in Todmorden, where I am planning to conjnue running these workshops. So if you want to Talk About Dying, come and visit the beaujful and fascinajng Calder Valley in the Pennines!
2016 ATH AGM A DATE FOR YOUR DIARIES Jen Altman will be presenting the 2016 ATH AGM on the theme of Death & Dying this will be held on the 14th of May at the Mary Ward Centre in London. Details nearer the time.
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Maureen Ripley celebrated her 90th birthday this year. Maureen is an Artist and a Healer and a friend to many of us. She is one of ATH’s longest serving members. I thought I’d just share some of her paintings with you. Permission granted of course. As you can see cake and tea, light and laughter were part of the celebration.
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Supervision for Professional Healers Delcia McNeil
This arjcle follows on from the last ATH e-‐journal which included the arjcle ‘Supervision for Healers’ wrimen by myself and Kate Williams MacKenzie and published in 1992. In this new arjcle I describe what I mean by supervision in the context of our work with the public. I share how I use it for myself and why I value it as essenjal, and talk about some of the issues and areas of work that have been brought to the supervision group that I run.
‘Supervision has formed the 'backbone' of my work and helps to keep me grounded and focused and it is also such a wonderful self-‐development tool.’ ATH Chairperson, Jo Green July 2014.
What is Professional Supervision?Professional supervision is a confidenjal and safe place to talk about your work. What you talk about is likely to cover a wide range of aspects, depending on where, how and with whom you offer your services as a healer. I list these below. It is also place where you get support and affirmajon, as well as learning and guidance. At the end of the day, though, you are in charge of your work, so supervision isn’t about being told what to do – far from it. Effecjve supervision empowers you to work to the best of your ability.
It is possible that supervision is not taken very seriously in the CAM world because it sounds rather old fashioned, even threatening, as if someone would be looking over your shoulder and judging you. This could not be further from the truth. When we break the word up into ‘super – vision’, then we have its true meaning. It’s the old adage ‘two heads are bemer than one’ – or even more heads are bemer than one, and a head that’s a bit further down the road of experience, is even bemer.
Here’s how Caroline Schuck and Jane Wood describe it in their book Inspiring CreaNve Supervision (2011):
“Supervision is a collaboraNve process in which the supervisor works with the supervisee to explore their work reflecNvely. The role of the supervisor is oYen viewed as a mix of educaNve, mentoring, holding the ethical posiNon and ensuring the safety of the supervisee and the supervisees’ client. Fundamental to the relaNonship is good rapport and a working alliance.”
My personal experienceI began my healing pracjce in 1983 and was fortunate enough to have had supervision built into my previous work as a social worker. I was also fortunate in that when I later trained as a psychotherapist, supervision was regarded without doubt as absolutely essenjal in order to work safely and effecjvely with psychotherapy clients.
For my healing-‐therapy work I have supervision in different contexts: Peer One to one Group
So what are these different contexts for Supervision?
Peer is with another colleague. I have two colleagues with each of whom I have a monthly one hour phone session with. We divide that jme equally and keep jme boundaries. It’s even bemer if you can meet face to face. Skype is also good.Some people also meet with a group of peers and a lot the jme so that everyone gets the chance to get some support. One to one tends to be a paid for session with a therapist whose work is relevant to yours and who is experienced and skilled at listening and reflecjng back to you. You have the whole of their jme and amenjon just for yourself. I have a one and a half hour session every four to six weeks and have worked with my present supervisor for eighteen years. If you are senng up in pracjce it is advisable at first to have one to one supervision at least once a month.
Group supervision can either be led by an experienced therapist (and therefore usually paid for), or it can be a group of peers meejng regularly (as menjoned above). Here there is the addijonal support and in-‐put of several people, plus the
!
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Regularity is the key. Supervision isn’t something to be grabbed when you get into a spot of bother with a parjcular client or situajon. Rather, it underpins our work as healers/therapists, and provides us with a foundajon from which to work. In addijon if we are self employed, rather than working in an organisajon, we can feel isolated. We are also running a small business with all that that entails.
So what do people bring to supervision?I have been running a supervision group for healers & complementary therapists since 1989. Here are just some areas we have covered.
Case management:Our clients somejmes present us with problems that we find difficult to manage. Or we get confused about our relajonship with them. Oien there can be boundary issues eg. we might bump into them in social situajons; we are friends with their sister/brother; they keep cancelling their session at the last minute; we find it difficult not to go over jme in their session. These issues need talking through so that clarity as to how to manage them is found.
We may be unsure as to how best to treat a presenjng set of physical or emojonal symptoms and need some support and ideas as to how to handle this.
Then there can be complicajons in our relajonships with our clients, especially those that we work with over a period of jme. We can become emojonally entangled. The terms projecjon, transference and counter-‐transference are well known within psychotherapy, but are not necessarily introduced in healing or complementary therapy training courses. They refer to unconscious ways of being and behaving that we bring to all our relajonships.
Simply put projecjon is when a client defends themselves against unpleasant impulses by denying their existence but at the same jme amribujng them to others, e.g. a person whose is rude may constantly accuse others of being rude. Transference is when we inappropriately repeat in the present expectajons that belong to a significant person in our childhood eg. the client expects the healer/therapist to be crijcal of them, as their mother had been, and perhaps sjll is, towards them. It is when the healer/therapist starts to feel and behave like that mother that the lamer is in counter-‐transference. This kind of dynamic tends to happen when the client and the healer resonate strongly, eg. both had crijcal mothers.
When the healer is aware that these behaviours are taking place it is very helpful informajon, especially as there is invariably a strong energejc component to these dynamics. Clearing any kind of entanglement is not only important for the healing work, it is also essenjal in order for the supervisee to keep well and for their client to receive effecjve treatment. I appreciate that as healers we ‘transcend’ the inter-‐personal level for much of the jme because we are working on a subtle energy rather than the behaviour and personality level. However, there are jmes when we end up feeling uncomfortable or disturbed in some way. This is a big topic which I plan to expand upon in a later arjcle.
Related to projecjon, transference and counter-‐transference is the issue of ‘The Rescuer Role’ that was referred to in the 1992 arjcle. This term originates from a modality of psychotherapy called Transacjonal Analysis. Rescuing happens when helping becomes compulsive and the healer is not facing their own need for healing. We can actually get in the way of helping our clients when we intervene too much with advice or interpretajons, rather than supporjng them to find their own solujons. A supervisor can help us become aware of these unconscious mojvajons.
Condi@ons that healers work with:There are a wide range of condijons that a member of the public may bring to the healer. Oien people come our way as a last resort – they may have exhausted not only what the medical professional can offer, but also what several other CAM pracjjoners may have offered too. We can oien get caught up in thinking we need to ‘fix’ them. We may feel inadequate in terms of our medical knowledge. We may intuijvely sense or experience quite clearly what emojons may be contribujng significantly to their physical condijon, but we may need some help in talking with our client about it.
Effect of personal life on work:All of us have our own life challenges and problems to deal with. Supervision offers support – a place to talk through what may be happening in our personal lives that could be impacjng on our work. Supervision is not personal therapy, but it is a confidenjal place where we can feel held and contained.
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The need for a healthy self esteem and a strong professional iden@ty:Confidence is a huge thing, especially for new healers. It also seems that ‘spirit’ regularly takes us to the edge of what we know and what we can deal with. By choosing to do healing work we have made a commitment to being tested and challenged – whether we like it or not! Gaining confidence means forming an inner authority. This isn’t about being controlling or a ‘know-‐it-‐all’ – far from it. Rather it is about feeling strong enough in ourselves to know that we are doing the best we can with what we know at this present jme. It is about facing up to our ‘mistakes’ (no mistakes – only opportunijes), then learning from them and keeping going.
Taking care of ourselves:This covers a range of things that are important if we are to be effecjve in our work. In my experience most healers are sensijve on all levels and so their diet, need for exercise, tolerance of toxic substances, need for rest, meditajon, and ‘down jme’, etc. are perhaps even more important than for the general public. We work deeply with people, we touch their souls. It’s responsible work. We have to take care of ourselves. Given the fact that many healers have had challenging childhoods (cf. Chiron -‐ the wounded healer), punng ourselves first somejmes can be a real challenge (see above re ‘The Rescuer Role’). How many healers do you know who don’t get treatments for themselves, who get exhausted or even burnt out? Having a caring supervision senng helps us reflect on where we are at, helps us keep grounded and priorijse our own needs.
Learning how to reflect and review our work:Reflecjng on our work gives us perspecjve and clarity. Oien we can’t ‘see the wood for the trees’ and we may lose direcjon or knowing how best to use our energies. We may need to review our work in an over-‐view way, looking at the breadth of what we are doing, or we may need to review our effecjveness with specific types of client work, eg. working with cancer pajents, or in a hospice, or with the elderly or disabled, or with children.
Using others as resources:A supervisor or group will oien have informajon about further resources or useful advice. This may be knowledge from different background trainings or experience of similar situajons or types of illness. This is invaluable.
Preparing/giving workshops, courses, and talks:You may be someone who runs groups. In my supervision group there’s a healer who runs residenjal’s, and others who run workshops and give talks. Genng help with both the organisajonal side of these acjvijes, as well as exploring quesjons or concerns about content, is invaluable. This kind of support takes the healer out of possible isolajon when they do all the work by themselves.
Making decisions about where to work:This is a choice that is important – we feel called to different contexts in which to do our healing work eg. in a holisjc clinic, for an organisajon, perhaps a charity, working from home. Talking this through, checking out what feels right, knowing when to take up opportunijes and when to let them go -‐ all this can be talked through in supervision.
Prac@ce management:This is about how we organise our jme, how we describe how our work to our clients. It includes how we communicate with our clients regarding aspects of our pracjce such as jme boundaries, and money – what fees to charge and how to communicate this. We also need to consider things liked professional insurance and subscripjons to professional bodies.
Codes of ethics and prac@se: In a supervision session we can reflect on moral and ethical issues that may arise, and confusions about how best to manage a situajon. Should the unfortunate event of genng a complaint arise then a supervisor (group or one to one or both) is an invaluable source of support and guidance.
Managing the internet, websites and social media:This is another big area that we need to face up to, especially if we are running our own small businesses. Naturally your supervisor or group will only know as much as they will have managed to learn in this area – unless your supervisor is under 35 years old! Most of us are ‘digital immigrants’ as opposed to ‘digital najves’ and we are learning on the job. We mostly go into the healing professional because we want to be of service, not because we want to be business women or men. But if our work is our livelihood then we have to develop a business mind and do this in a way which respects our own needs as well as those of our clients.
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What is the ATH doing?Within the ATH we plan to encourage experienced members to consider becoming supervisors so that we can progress this as integral to professional healing pracjce generally. Those of you who amended Liz Hawkins’ excellent presentajon on Reflecjve Pracjce at the AGM in May will already know that our choice of this topic is part of this desire to bring about a much greater awareness of this essenjal ingredient for working with the public. One thing we can do right away is start keeping a Reflecjve Journal – see Liz’s arjcle on p.
This e-‐journal is a forum through which we can develop our thoughts on this, and in future addijons I plan to expand these various areas of the funcjons of professional supervision. If any members have points or headings to add to these do please forward them to ATH. Also contact us if you are interested in becoming a supervisor yourself.
The vision for ATH is that we have a register of accredited supervisors for the therapeujc healing profession. This would not only meet our criteria for excellence in pracjce within our own organisajon but should and could become a standard criteria for the other professional healing organisajons as well. This will take some consciousness raising but I believe that together we can do it.
Delcia McNeil 2015
ATH now has a Facebook presence.
Members of ATH are located all over the country. Keeping in touch can be a real challenge. Love it or hate it, Facebook has the potential to help us keep in touch and for members of the public to find out about ATH. To this end we now have two ways of connecting using Facebook. There is a page designated to Association for Therapeutic Healers. You can go into Facebook and search for Association for Therapeutic Healers and the page should present itself. The link www.facebook.com/therapeutichealers is also a useful way of connecting. This is a ‘public page’ open for everyone to see. Here you can post messages, information about your workshops, events, services etc. Announcements and information regarding ATH will also be posted there. The page is managed at the moment by Sue Thomas, and you can contact her, Via Facebook, if you need information or wish to post something, other than a message. There is also an ATH Forum page. This is what known as a ‘secret’ group - Which sounds sinister, but is not. It means that the members can have a dialogue, discussion, ask questions etc that remain within the ATH group. It will only be possible to view it if you are a member. Members can apply to Sue Thomas to join the group. Hopefully this will provide another way to keep in touch and to promote ATH. It will only work or be of use, if members visit the page and actively support it. Contact Sue Thomas on Facebook or email [email protected] if you have questions or wish your name to be added to the secret group.
Who should be a supervisor?A good supervisor needs to have several years experience of working with clients. They also need to have experienced supervision themselves in different contexts and be familiar with the kind of support that is needed to work effecjvely. They need to conjnue to receive supervision themselves. They need to be familiar with codes of ethics and pracjce and have a high level of integrity in their own working pracjce. They don’t necessarily need to have the same background training as you but it is their responsibility to be clear about their skills and possible limitajons. For example someone in my supervision group is trained in biodynamic massage, not something I am trained in (although I am familiar with it as a modality). If there are concerns about a specific biodynamic massage therapeujc method or technique, the supervisee would need to get help from a colleague or person they trained with. The supervisor does need to be familiar with a range of healing modalijes or therapies and be keen to fill in gaps in their own knowledge. I would also stress that a supervisor needs to be conjnuing on their own personal growth journey.
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Reflecjon: What does this mean for us as Professional
Healers? by Liz Hawkins
In her arjcle Supervision for Professional Healers, included in this journal, Delcia McNeil suggest that one of the important aspects of supervision is that we can ‘learn how to reflect and review our work’ parjcularly when we ‘can’t see the wood for the trees’. So what does this actually mean for us as healers? In this arjcle I will explore what is meant by reflecjon and provide an overview of some of the theory. I will go on to introduce two frameworks or models of reflecjon that I have used for my own development and in my work as a supervisor. Finally I will offer some suggesjons
on how to get started with reflecjon.
ReflecYon
Reflecjon is not simply a mamer of looking back on our healing work and pondering. Neither is it working on another energejc level to gain insight. Reflecjon is grounded in the here and now and is underpinned by rigorous academic research.
Emerging from educajon, reflecjon is idenjfied as a learning theory and style, also oien referred to as experienjal learning. Reflecjon “..means taking our experiences as a starjng point for learning. By thinking about them in a purposeful way – using the reflecjve process – we can come to understand them differently and take acjon as a result” (Jasper 2003).
So on one level it is the examinajon of personal thoughts and acjons to gain a bemer understanding of our behaviour in relajon to our work with clients. On another level we can apply it to a situajon such as a workshop/ course to idenjfy what has been learned and how this new learning will be implanted.
As a nurse I became aware that through engaging in reflecjon I was able to keep my pracjce current, dynamic, pajent centred, ethical and gain support. As healers if we haven’t already done so, we need to embrace reflecjon so that we can idenjfy what we have learned through our experience, what may need to be learned/ changed/ adapted and how we can take this forward to provide safe, ethical, dynamic care for our clients.
ReflecYve PracYce
The acjng on reflecjon is ‘reflecjve pracjce’. Reflecjve pracjce enables us to engage with our ‘technical knowledge’ and our ‘intuijve knowledge’ and bridge the gap between the two. Through this we are able to develop our pracjce and move along the conjnuum from novice towards expert pracjjoner. By technical knowledge I mean all the knowledge and skills that you have learned from various trainings that includes both theorejcal and pracjcal. Whereas, intuijve knowledge is the learning from experience over the years that we then draw on in our work with clients. In this context the merging of technical and intuijve leads to wisdom.
Types of ReflecYon
There are some important disjncjons between different types of reflecjon. Schon (1983) described reflecjon in two main ways: reflecjon on acjon and reflecjon in acjon. Reflecjng on acjon we replay an experience in our mind aier the event whereas reflecjng in acjon we reflect during the event.
1. Reflecjng on Acjon
Jasper (1993) suggests that reflecjon on acjon involves us “consciously exploring experience and thinking about pracjce aier it has occurred to discover the knowledge used in the situajon” (p6).
She goes on to say “It is an acNve process of transforming experience into knowledge and involves much more than simply thinking about and describing pracjce” (p6). Reflecjon on acjon allows us to explore an experience, make sense of what has happened, idenjfy what we have learned, what needs to be learned and how we might do that. Reflecjng on acjon, can help us to move toward reflecjng in acjon by being more self-‐aware, able to think and react in real-‐jme.
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1. Reflecjng in Acjon
Greenwood (1993) suggests that that when reflecjng in acjon we think about what we are doing while we are doing it and it is oien sjmulated by surprise, by something which puzzles us in the moment. You might find yourself having a conversajon with a client and at the same jme be thinking what is the best way of dealing with this? Reflecjon in acjon allows us to alter what we are doing (or not) in the moment and could be seen as ‘thoughwul pracjce’.
The lamer is a more advanced skill and may well ujlise the concept of ‘internal supervisor’ while the former is the process more likely to be used by novice reflectors/pracjjoners. Of course we may well reflect before acjon and this is
where the concept of reflexivity comes in, so we are conjnuously using a cyclical reflecjve approach.
Frameworks or Models of ReflecYon
So how do we start reflecjng? Having a framework is useful as it enables us to focus, work through a logical process, frame acjon that might be taken and move forward, without this reflecjon is just mulling over and can be prone to naval gazing. In this secjon I am going to provide you with an overview of two popular frameworks which I have used over the years. However there are many other frameworks to choose from such as Johns (2000), Rolfe et al (2001) and Boud et al.
Gibbs ReflecYve Cycle (1988)
DescripNon of the event
Describe in detail the event you are reflecjng on.
Include e.g. where were you; who else was there; why were you there; what were you doing; what were other people doing; what was the context of the event; what happened; what was your part in this; what parts did the other people play; what was the result.
Feelings and Thoughts (Self awareness)
At this stage, try to recall and explore those things that were going on inside your head. Include:
• How you were feeling when the event started? • What you were thinking about at the jme?• How did it make you feel? • How did other people make you feel? • How did you feel about the outcome of the event? • What do you think about it now?
EvaluaNon
Try to evaluate or make a judgement about what has happened. Consider what was good about the experience and what was bad about the experience or what did or didn’t go so well
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Analysis
Break the event down into its component parts so they can be explored separately. You may need to ask more detailed quesjons about the answers to the last stage. Include:
What went well?
• What did you do well? • What did others do well? • What went wrong or did not turn out how it should have done? • In what way did you or others contribute to this?• What were the factors that affected the outcome?• What helped? What hindered?
Reframe or Conclusion
This differs from the evaluajon stage in that now you have explored the issue from different angles and have a lot of
informajon to base your judgement. It is here that you are likely to develop insight into your own and other people’s behaviour in terms of how they contributed to the outcome of the event. Remember the purpose of reflecjon is to learn from an experience. Without detailed analysis and honest explorajon that occurs during all the previous stages, it is unlikely that all aspects of the event will be taken into account and therefore valuable opportunijes for learning can be missed. During this stage you should ask yourself
• What might have been done differently (even if things went well)?
• What might have been some alternajve approaches or acjons?
• Could negajve events have been avoided?
• Could posijve events be made more posijve?
Future AcNon or AcNon Plan
During this stage you should think yourself forward into encountering a similar again and to plan what you would do
• Would you act differently or would you be likely to do the same?
• What do you need to learn?
• How might you learn this?
It is important to note here that this does not necessarily mean the cycle is complete but allows for the process to be worked through again and again as required. Arising as a generalised educajonal framework Gibbs is not focused directly on pracjce, however that does not mean that it cannot be used to explore our experiences with clients. Gibbs can be used in self-‐reflecjon, group reflecjon and supervisor led reflecjon.
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The ‘What’ Model (Driscoll 2007)
Based on earlier work by Borton in the 1970’s and Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper (2001), Driscoll added quesjons to be used as a guide to further reflecjon. Originally used in education, this is a model that has been developed further by
nurses to use in pracjce.
What (Returning to the situajon)
• Is the purpose of returning to the situajon?
• Exactly occurred?
• Did you see? Did you do?
• Was your reacjon?
• Did other people do?
• Do you see as key aspects of this situajon?
So What? (understanding the context)
• were your feelings at the jme?
• Are you feelings now? Are there any differences? Why/why not?
• Were the effects of what you did (or did not do?)
• “good” emerged from the situajon for self or others?
• Troubles you if anything?
• Were your experiences in comparison with your colleagues?
• Are the main reasons for feeling differently from your colleagues?
What Now? (Modifying future outcomes)
• Are the implicajons for you, your colleagues, pajents etc?
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• Needs to happen to alter the situajon?
• Are you going to do about it?
• Happens if you decide to do nothing?
• Might you do differently if you faced a similar situajon again?
• Are the best ways of genng further informajon relevant to the events that might help you answer these quesjons
Again it is worth nojng that the process does not end at the What Now? stage but conjnues in a reflexive spiral. Driscoll, like Gibbs, can be used for self-‐reflecjon, group reflecjon and supervisor led reflecjon.
Beginning ReflecYon
One of the useful ways of beginning reflecjon is to use a journal. Journals come in all shapes and sizes and can include versions on paper, tape, video, graphic ‘notebooks’, and electronic forms such as a blog. Bearing in mind we anjcipate using a journal to reflect on experiences with clients it is worth thinking at this point about client confidenjality and how you might address this. According to Moon (2006) the features that disjnguish a reflecjve journal from other wrijng are that it will be wrimen over a period of jme, not as a one –off effort, tend to focus on ongoing issues and there will be some intenjon to learn from it or reflect on ideas generated. This differenjates a reflecjve journal from an events diary, a record or a log.
When recording an experience I find it bemer to do this as soon as possible aier the event so that I capture the actual experience as my ‘descripjon’ otherwise I tend to forget. I then leave the descripjon for a few days then conjnue with the reflecjve cycle. This enables me to be more objecjve and see the experience from a different perspecjve. Through wrijng I find that I am ‘working through’ the experience as I write, I am also able to look back and nojce any recurring pamerns as they emerge or not. Of course you don’t need to focus only on wrijng and it may be that painjng, drawing or photography work for you as a spring board for reflecjon. So which framework to use? Well it doesn’t mamer as long as it works for you. My personal preference is ‘The What Model’ as it suits me but I may use aspects of other models depending on the situajon. I then work through a process of reflecjon using the framework as a guide to lead me through the trees so that I can view the wood from a different perspecjve.
References
Boud D, Keogh R & Walker D (1985): Promo3ng reflec3on in learning: A model. IN ReflecNon: Turing Experience into Learning (Eds: Boud D, Keogh R & Walker D). Kogan Page, London.
Driscoll, J. (2007) Prac3sing Clinical Supervision: A Reflec3ve Approach for Healthcare Professionals. 2nd ed. Edinburgh: Elsevier
Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford Further Educa3on Unit, Oxford. Available from:
Greenwood J (1993): Reflec3ve prac3ce a cri3que of the work of Argyris & Schon. Journal of Advanced Nursing 19 1183-‐1187.
Jasper, M. (2003) Beginning Reflec3ve Prac3ce. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd.
Johns, C. (2000) Becoming a reflec3ve prac33oner : a reflec3ve and holis3c approach to clinical nursing, prac3ce development and clinical supervision. Oxford: Blackwell Science.
Moon, J. (2006) Learning Journals: a handbook for reflec3ve prac3ce and professional development. London: Routledge.
Rolfe, G, Freshwater, D. & Jasper, M. (2001) Cri3cal Reflec3on for Nursing and the Helping Professions: A user’s guide. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Schon, D,A. (1983) The Reflec3ve Prac33oner: New York: Basic Books.
Smyth J (1989): Developing and sustaining cri3cal reflec3on in teacher educa3on. Journal of Teacher Educa3on 40(2) 2-‐9
Wood J (2013) Transforma3on Through Journal Wri3ng – The art of self-‐reflec3on for the helping professions. Jessica Kingley Publishers; London
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Benefits of a Weekend Residential
For many years I have been running weekly meditation classes. This started as a class billed as ‘Meditation for Relaxation’. I use different techniques and practices, that draw on various sources of Meditation - (Mindfulness, TM (Transcendental Meditation) Buddhist Meditation etc). The aim is to bring about a feeling of peace and tranquillity - To provide a time when our Mind and Body can find a place of stillness in an increasingly busy and stressful world - An opportunity to become more in-tune with our Self. This is a time to listen to the whisperings of the Soul.
Meditation is simple – it is not always easy! I have found working with groups, where there is space for meditation, discussion and exploration can be beneficial and transformational. Naturally as we still the mind, and hear the inner voice, we may develop spiritually and personally, and our experience of the meditation deepens. A clearer understanding of who we truly are becomes possible in the exploration of meditation.
The evenings were so popular, folk wanted to have more time. From this sprang a series of one day Saturday workshops, providing time and space to meditate, explore deeper understandings of who we are and experience stepping out of the business of daily life and just Being. My home, beautiful garden and surrounding fields, in the Essex countryside provide a tranquil and beautiful setting to relax and let go of daily stresses.
The outcome for many was an increased sense of peace, healing, and deeper understanding; including moments of revelation and transformation. The days have a theme or focus. These have included ‘Meditations from the Heart’, ‘Understanding and Healing through the Chakras’, ‘Mantras, and Affirmations’, ‘Giving and Receiving’, ‘Working with Guides Angels and Spirit’. These days proved to be beneficial and popular . . .The oft heard phrase was ’more time needed to explore these themes’ and thus the Weekend Residential was born.
The weekend gives participants the opportunity to give themselves the gift of immersion in a weekend of slow, peaceful, gentle meditations and processes that enhance and support inner growth and well being. Away from the busyness of daily life, chores, and routine, surrounded by stunning scenery, provided with delicious food, comfy beds and inspirational teaching, the weekend allows the whisperings of your Soul to be heard. This can deepen the connections to your true Self, your inner knowing and be most profound and life enhancing.
Each weekend is unique; the theme unfolds gently over the time we share together, offering a varied programme as well as time for reflection. There are opportunities to work in pairs, and groups and time to share, discuss and develop.
Free time is also factored into the weekend, providing the opportunity to explore the stunning locale or just bask in the peace and relax into experiencing becoming a human being, instead of a human doing.
I combine meditations and guided journeys and visualisations, with gentle processes and exercises that help to enhance and develop awareness, sensitivity and connection to the inner being. The initial weekend was entitled, and continues to be known as, ‘The Magical Journey of the Soul’. This gives us a rare opportunity to engage with a truly magical unfolding and deeper understanding of who we truly are - To let go of old outdated beliefs and see the world and our selves with new eyes.
Previous weekends have included meditations as a foundation, guided journeys and visualisations, chanting, channeling, dancing, creativity, drumming, walking meditations, including labyrinth walks, as well as silence and time for solitary reflection.
There is always a wonderful mixture of people, Souls on a journey of self discovery. Twenty such Residential weekends have provided an inspiring and uplifting experience for many. Our previous venue was the wonderful Leiston Abbey in Suffolk, and our new venue is the stunning Launde Abbey in Leics. www.laundeabbey.org.uk The hospitality, rooms and food are exquisite. You can feel really cared for and looked after. The scenery is breathtaking, with the venue situated in glorious rolling countryside, beautiful gardens and 2 labyrinths to walk - providing us with a perfect venue.
Re – Treat Yourself
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Jessica Morton
Relax into the weekend, allow things to unfold and time seems to effortlessly stretch into feeling like a week away. The weekend provides the opportunity to find peace, stillness and space within your thoughts - Time to focus on the breath, meditate, grow, develop, discover. Time to Stop! Come home to your Self and just Be! As we work from the heart to connect with the Divine within ourselves and others, we are walking the path of love, guided by the wisdom of the Soul.
All this, whilst having fun journeying and meeting other lovely souls also on their journey. In a busy stressful world this is a rare opportunity.
There are two weekends planned for 2016, April and September. The weekend programme runs from Friday evening through to Sunday tea time. There is also the opportunity to book a Sunday evening extension, evening meal, Monday bed and breakfast, thus making the gift you have given yourself last even longer.
If you are interested in booking a place, or have any questions or queries please contact me. Email [email protected] or call 01277363470.
‘From a place of stillness, the world can seem a very different place’
Sue Thomas Healer, Teacher, personal and Spiritual Coach, Workshop Facilitator.
APPRECIATIONS
NEW BEGINNINGS A Meditation Plus weekend at Launde Abbey,Rutland.Facilitated and Hosted by Sue Thomas
I cannot thank Sue enough for a transformative weekend that Gordon and I had the privilege to participating in April. From the time we arrived we were made so welcome both by Sue and by all the staff at the venue.
To Sue each participant is special - she looked after everyone whilst giving each person their space, her aim is for participants in her weekends to feel like part of an extended family and yes we certainly did.
The venue was superb in the midst of the countryside, the manor having wonderful views of the rolling countryside with sheep grazing near the grounds and two labyrinths to help us connect with our spiritual path.There was no wifi access, no television, no email connections possible in the Abbey and this certainly helped the whole ethos of the weekend.
The first exercise after a delicious meal on Friday evening was spending time really meeting another person through eye contact. For me this connection was quite profound and helped me to connect with another in a unique way.
New Beginnings could not have been a more apt title for my journey and Sue led a variety of guided meditations to help us on our individual journeys. I felt that her affirmation that each day is a new beginning - a fresh start was so refreshing for me - about letting the past go. I particularly remember the 'Blue Sky Meditation' where she led us from visualising being in the midst of a cloudy sky to experiencing what was for me a profound experience of seeing the depth and radiance of the blue night sky and of the grey clouds rolling away
It was a weekend of celebration, of laughter, of contemplation and joy. She brought the depth and soul connection of meditation with different group activities which was a wonderful combination. Thank you Sue both Gordon and I felt renewed and revitalised and ready to face life with a new ethos. Jo
JEN'S FAREWELL TO LONDON WORKSHOPSEPTEMBER 2014
Dr. Jen Altman is known to many of us as a stalwart member of ATH, for her wisdom and guidance as a past chairperson, a skilled healer and as an innova3ve workshop leader, teaching experien3al anatomy 'Body Knowledge Body Wisdom' to healing students.
That day we could choose from any of the workshops we had a5ended ranging from Dying to Live,( a workshop on Death and Dying) and Family Constella3ons. It was a magical day, a free-‐choice day where par3cipants could choose from a theme to work on from previous workshops. It was such a giY for me to have a5ended the day on so many different levels. First of all, I always learn so much from working with Jen, and the work I did that day was so helpful.
I chose to work on Family ConstellaNons. This work is amazing and helped me to understand the impact of what we say can have on another, when in3macy in my childhood came with intensity, (however well-‐meaning it might have been) and just by seeing the posi3ve response when the person who represented me 'lightened' her tone has been the start of a new healing journey with one of my nearest and dearest!
It was great to have reconnected and worked with people I haven't seen in a while, with a unanimous feeling of celebra3ng Jen's work. Jo
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ATH AGM2015
some of the members and guests who attended this years AGM
gordon & jo
sara
trisha
helen
sue,mari trini & maureen
del
maggie,helen, suzanne,guest
liz
sue
sue & tim,guest
poster & text from 2014 AGM
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What have ATH members been reading? Sara Flint –The Presence Process by Michael Brown
My Life as A Medium by Betty Shine
Sharon Koch – No Waves Without An Oceon by Bert Hellinger
To the Heart of the Matter by Bert Hellinger
God Speaks by Meher Baba
Maggie La Tourelle - Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore
Death the last God by Anne Geraghty
Delcia McNeil - Sane New World by Ruby Wax
Why People Don’t Heal And How They Can by Carolyne Myss
Carl Jung: Wounded Healer of the Soul by Claire Dunne
Jo Green - Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
Your Souls Gift by Robert Schwarz
Adventures in Human Being by Gavin Francis
Aniko Nagy – The Way of the Essenes by Anne and Daniel Meurois-Givaudan
Sue Thomas – The Gene Keys by Richard Rudd
Helen Tremeer - The Magic Thread by Richard Idemon
Soul Retrieval(Mending the Fragmented Self by Sandra Ingerman
The Journey Into The Spirit by Kristoffer Hughes
Batya Beverly Wiles –Touch and Go Joe by Joe Wells
Angels don’t leave Footprints by Abraham J Twerski
Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel and Want by
Nicholas Epsley
Jane Robertson - Thoughts without a Thinker by Mark Epstein
H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald
Joan Kendall - The Healing Power of Illness by Thorwald Dethlefson
Your Body Speaks it’s Mind by Deb Shapiro
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Tree, gather up my thoughtslike the clouds in your
branches.Draw up my soul
like the waters in your root.
In the arteries of your trunkbring me together.
Through your leavesbreathe out the sky
BREATH
Trees by Jessica Morton 7 and Daniel Beaudry’s poem Breath !ank you to both Daniel Beaudry for allowing the publication of his poem Breath and to Jessica Morton for sharing her painting Trees. For more Tree related poems and stories check out www.spirito"rees.org a lovely site with many resources.
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Awakening Reflec%ons in the pond,
branches crossing over each other
in a random muddle
connec%ng into my very soul
telling me that's ok....
Life has its random messes
and I breathe a sigh -‐a deep acknowledgement at last!
Then further along the path I tread
and midst the many trees
stands one in isola%onstanding full and rich
with branches spread evenly
round its massive trunk
and I feel I can contain my dreamsideas not spilling out in wild abandon.....
Just going with the flow
and trus%ng the innermost part of me.
by Jo Green
For all of those caught up in the Nepalese Earthquake and Everest Avalanche I send you my love for all of those who survived I send you my love for all of those who are mourning and grieving over the loss of loved ones I send you my love for all of those on their journey to the hereafter I send you my love for all of those who have arrived at the hereafter I send you my love I hope your journey was a smooth one I send you my love may you rest in peace by Gordon Green
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Report from the CHO AGM, held on10th October, 2015 at the YMCA, Guildford
Maggie La Tourelle's PresentationThe day started with an excellent presentation by ATH member Maggie La Tourelle, from her book 'The Gift of Altzheimers'. She talked about her background and her mother's depression after she was born, and the trauma Maggie went through which was the start of her own healing journey. Her talk was inspirational combining the research on this debilitating disease and ways to 'meet' and support a person going through the trauma . She shared her intimate experiences of being with her mother and the joy she found in the moments of intimacy and a growing spiritual awareness that seemed to be awakened, even though her cognitive awareness was diminishing. "Margaret is home and I am home. You are there and between and joining, our energies are connected". Carl Jung wrote " Forgotten or repressed material surfaces in a state of diminished consciousness". The empathy for Maggie's mother shone through her presentation.Maggie's affirmation: LEV LP. .Listen, Engage, Validate with loving energy. Compassion - Love - Trust
Joint Chairs Susie Collings, welcomed everyone to the 9th Annual General Meeting and Dianne O’Connell led a brief attunement. There were nine organisations represented: The College of Healing, Earthworks School for the Healing Arts (ATH recommended healer training school), Holistic Energy Assoc., International Network of Energy Healing, Journey to the Heart and Soul Ltd., Kent International Healing Assoc., Surrey Healing Assoc., and Universal Healing Group. Gordon and I represented ATH. It was great to network with other groups during our individual introductions and to mention about Liz Hawkins setting up our new London based healer training 'The London School of Therapeutic Healing' starting spring 2016.
Chair's Report - Susie Collings reported that the focus was on promoting the practise of healing out into the wider world including the CHO itself. They are promoting healing in Scotland, enlisting the help of a PR company, Meerkat PR. The CHO have been featured on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC West Midlands and The Times. She also reported the development of the CHO website and new social media channels, Facebook and Twitter which are being used by the public as well as healers. They continue to represent Healing at the Parliamentary Group for Integrated Healthcare and they are on the Federal Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies.
There are two new Members: Earthworks School for the Healing Arts and Journey to the Heart and Soul Ltd. They have 30 Associate Members and this category is now open to individual therapists who would like to join the CHO. The CHO had a Meta Analysis of Healing published in October 2014 in online journal Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing. Following the publication, in Feb 2015, they held a presentation co-hosted by David Tredinnick MP and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Integrated Healthcare to discuss the positive results of the meta-analysis for the Scientific evidence for the effects of non-contact healing at Portcullis House Westminster. A narrative review by Professor Chris Roe and team, to compliment the meta-analysis will be published in Advances in Parapsychological Research. An access link to this article is provided on page....
Positive research - Chris Rowe publishing many articles on The Advantage in Psychological Research. The CHO are continuing to work in partnership with UK Healers to promote healing and the work with UKH on the Core Curriculum has continued.Funding - They are supporting the Sam Buxton Sunflower Healing Trust, (a charity to support children, teenagers adults and their families suffering from cancer) to help to fund a healer in Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.
Update from Sue Knight, Chief Executive -The CHO are concentrating on promoting healing and have employed a marketing company, Denisa Turkova Marketing.The CHO are funding research "The study is being run by the CHO's own research subcommittee under the chairmanship of Professor Paul Dieppe of Exeter University with a view to increasing and improving the public perception of healing." Paul Dieppe together with Chris Rowe and Sara L. Werber are co-authors of Caring and Healing in Health Care published this year * From the CHO website Sub-committee goals for the future are: to facilitate others to promote research within the healing community, to develop a research toolkit.Education - They are now finalising amendments to the Core Curriculum process to send to the GRCCT for approval.June 2015 - The CHO hosted a meeting to meet with healers from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan September 2015 - They held an important meeting with the Spiritualists National Union, the British Alliance of Healing Associations (BAHA) and UK Healers to discuss the future of healing and how they could all work together. The SNU are changing their approach to become more involved with the healing movement and realise the importance of speaking 'with one voice' .
Future plans The CHO are planning to hold two CPD events annually and putting together a one or two day conference, the first one to be Creating a Safe and Sacred Space (subject to be confirmed) in spring 2017. Jan Swann (Fundraising & Development) led an innovative exercise for the final session. She drew a mind map with the CHO at the centre of a large circle with participants thinking of anyone who could either donate, act or publicise their Organisation. This certainly gave me 'food for thought' about how we could work with a mind map to help promote ATH. I would like to acknowledge the CHO for a vibrant and a very full day. I came away from the AGM full of enthusiasm and optimism for the acknowledgement of healing in this country. Jo Green (attending on behalf of ATH members)
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Following the publication of her book The Gift of Alzheimers Maggie La Tourelle written two articles on the subject of Alzheimers for Saga Magazine and also for the Telegraph. You can access these articles via the links below.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wellbeing/health-advice/how-alzheimers-can-bring-families-closer/ http://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/health-wellbeing/mind/communication-tips-alzheimers
!!
Available on Amazon NOW! at £7.99
Louise’s (and Iona Jette’s!) first collection of Performance Poetry together with her Poetry, Creativity & Business Blogs.
Launch Party and Performance to be announced shortly!www.shoutthesun.co.uk
New Books by members
My book Healing Thyself will be widely available to buy IN MARCH 2016, send an email for advance mailing. © Jackie Mannell 2015 www.jackie.mannell.com
My heart just wouldn’t let me sleep. Palpitations. I’d go to bed and something would wake me up; wide awake, my chest was pounding – literally. I’d fall back to sleep and wake half an hour later, the same thing happening. It was terrible. My heart would miss a beat; have an extra beat; feel like it was coming out of my chest. It was making me sweat. I was scared; perhaps a stronger word is required, for someone who doesn’t do doctors or medicines, I was terrified. What was going on? ...........
There was no way I was going to take the beta-blockers and the warfarin, because I’m a homeopath and I believe allopathic drugs are poison to our bodies. They tackle the symptoms of disease and not the causes, so they never heal the body, and they produce side effects elsewhere in the body. I was raised in a natural healing environment (I never had childhood immunisations), and I’ve raised my children the same way – even my cat and dog are treated with homeopathy. The only option, in my mind, was to heal myself naturally, but how?
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COURSES
London School of Therapeutic Healing
Therapeutic Healing Courses with Liz Hawkins and Mari Trini OchandoThe London School of Therapeu4c Healing offers a dynamic, integrated healing prac44oner training that encompasses a journey of personal, professional and spiritual development. Our courses are for those with an interest in self-‐healing and personal growth through to full healing prac44oner training. The prac44oner course explores healing from both a western and eastern perspec4ve drawing on spiritual, psychological and scien4fic understanding of the human body and energy field.
Healing for Beginners
Is our introductory weekend course and will explore the development of healing in the UK, the benefits of healing, through experien4al exercises we introduce you to subtle energies, sensing energies; grounding, opening and closing exercises and self-‐ healing techniques.
Healing for Beginners: 19 & 20 March 2016 10am to 4.30pm £200
TherapeuYc Healing Diploma
2 year programme for those who feel inspired to train as healer. We have a range of exci4ng modules that will enable you to gain professional accredita4on as a healer with the Associa4on of Therapeu4c Healers.
10am to 4.30pm on 19 & 20 March 2016, 14 &15 May 2016, 18 &19 June 2016, 2 & 3 July2016, 17 & 18 Sept 2016, 15 & 16 Oct 2016, 26 & 27 Nov 2016, Jan 2017 TBC
Year 2 2017 dates to be confirmed
Total cost £2500 Payment op4ons are available so please contact us for details
LocaYon
The course takes place in a beau4ful centre dedicated to healing therapies in McNeil Prac4ce Rooms, Queens Avenue, Muswell Hill, London N10 3NU.
About Us
Liz has been involved in the healing world for over twenty years. Originally a nurse, she trained as a healer and Reiki Master and has used both therapeu4c modali4es in private prac4ce and conven4onal healthcare. She has set up complementary therapy services in hospices and cancer centres and Liz ran a Complementary Medicine degree course which included healing. She has taught healing modules and supervised students on placement within a healing clinic. Liz is a qualified teacher and holds a PGCHE, MA in Psychotherapy & Healing Prac4ce and a Cer4ficate in Supervision.
Mari Trini has been prac4cing and studying self-‐healing, medita4on and the body mind rela4onship since 1979. She has been a registered therapeu4c healing prac44oner since 1998 and holds a diploma in humanis4c person-‐centred counselling. From 1992 to 2004 she also ran a successful aromatherapy and reflexology prac4ce in North London. As a qualified and experienced teacher and trainer of adults Mari Trini has taught a 2-‐year accredited healing prac44oner course in both the private sector and further educa4on.
Contact Us Liz e: [email protected] t: 07900883693
Mari Trini e: [email protected] t: 07791630138
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Chakra Psychologyone day workshops in 2016
with Delcia McNeil
Sunday 14 February Family Constellations & the Chakras
Sunday 12 June Working with the New Chakras
Saturday 9 July Money & the Chakras
Saturday 13 August Family Constellations & the Chakras
Sunday 13 November Family Constellations & the Chakras
Time: 10am-4.30pm Venue: McNeil Practice Rooms, Flat 2, 56 Queens Avenue,
Muswell Hill, London N10 3NU Cost: £85 (payable by cheque or bank transfer)
for further details contact: Delcia McNeil
[email protected] 015395 62093 07515 807366www.chakrapsychology.co.uk
!
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Intuitive Connected CommunicationChannelling workshop
… where common sense meets spiritual wonder
Explore your ability to expand and connect into a higher level of your own consciousness or a special source of guidance. Learn or continue to develop skills to communicate from that place through the written or spoken word.
On this workshop you will learn about the phenomenon of channelling as an important therapeutic resource. You will also receive help with questions that concern you.
“Receiving channelling is like having a glass of water when you haven’t had a drink for a week.” Helen S. London
two separate one day workshops in 2016 Sunday 8 May
Sunday 11 September 10.00am – 4.30pm
atFlat 2, 56 Queens Avenue, Muswell Hill, London N10 3NU
Fee: £85 (non-refundable deposit of £40 required to secure a place)Please make out your deposit cheque to Delcia McNeil and send to her at:5 Woodlands Close, Storth, Milnthorpe, Cumbria LA7 7JH, or if you prefer to pay by bank transfer email Delcia for bank details: [email protected]
t. 015395 62093 m. 07515 807366www.channellingforlife.com
Delcia McNeil is a qualified humanistic psychotherapist, energy healer, therapeutic channel, and artist. She has been working in the holistic health field for thirty five years.
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Exciting new courses!
Jen Altman (neuroscientist, healer and artist) is collaborating with Alison McCabe (astrologer, sound healer and poet) to present pioneering courses that
explore the interface between new paradigm science and ancient cosmic teachings, leading to a fascinating range of techniques for healing the body at
cellular level.
The Mystical Physiology of the Bodyhow new knowledge in neuroscience and genetics accords with ancient
teachings from across the globe
Living in the Quantum Fieldweaving physics and spirituality together
We ran The Mystical Physiology course this summer; Quantum Field starts on Wednesday October 21, for six weeks. The courses are held in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, where we
can work in Alison’s wonderful hillside garden, complete with labyrinth!
We would be happy to bring these courses to you, as two weekend modules.
For further information, please contact Jen Altman <[email protected]>
TERENCE GORDON & ASSOCIATESAccountants and Tax Advisers
34 Evelyn RoadCockfosters
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Telephone: 020 8440 7263Mobile: 07711 252520
email: [email protected]
Specialists in acting for Complementary Therapists
with over 20 years experience in minimising their Tax liabilities
Gordon .T. Green FMAAT MIP
ACCOUNTANTS
33
The Big Art Sale
From 1st November to 31st December 2015 there is 25% off the marked price of all my
artwork at our London therapy practice rooms in Muswell Hill, N10, in my house and
studio in Storth, South Lakeland, Cumbria and on my website http://www.delciamcneilgallery.turnpiece.net I have just uploaded new images on each of the
galleries on the website.
Artwork includes original paintings, prints of paintings, photographs, chakra columns, cards, and 'designer' keyrings,*
In addition I will be donating 10% of any sales to The Association for Therapeutic Healers to help further their work in promoting standards of excellence within the
healing profession.
If you would like to visit either of my premises to view artwork contact me to make a
mutually convenient time. [email protected] m. 07515 807366 t. 015395 62093
*website sales exclude p & p costs
also note keyrings are made with two small original paintings - these are not displayed on the website
Soothe Tangled Mind
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Practice Rooms for Hire
This is to let you know that the North London therapy rooms of one of our ATH Core Group members, Delcia McNeil, can now be rented on an hourly ad hoc basis. This hasn’t been possible before but can now be done through a system of on-‐line booking that Russell McNeil has organised. Russell, a homoeopath, is Delcia’s husband & business partner, and he manages the pracFce rooms. Therapists can go on-‐line and do the booking themselves or Russell will do it for them.
In addiFon Russell and Delcia are also offering special prices to new therapists who are just seKng up in pracFce. For full details contact Russell at [email protected] or call him on 015395 62093 or 07734 680349. The rooms and range of booking opFons can also be viewed at www.therapyroomslondon.net
by Jessica Morton
Final words
This lovely painting by Jessica Morton kind of sums up how I am feeling at this moment as I finish this the 3rd ATH ejournal. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to this journal and particular thanks to Jessica Morton who was 7 when she did her paintings and is now 8. When I contacted Daniel Beaudry to ask if I could use his poem Breathe for the journal I also sent a photo of Jessica’s Trees saying that I’d like to place his poem with Jessica’s painting. I received a lovely reply with a firm yes. I really hope that you have enjoyed reading it. Jane
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