The words, heal and health, are both derived from the Old English word 'hale,' meaning wholeness, being whole, sound or well. So if healing is to make something whole again, are we by definition, incomplete or unwhole, if we feel sad, ill or need help? I think that’s obvious when a bone is broken: the body needs time to repair and heal it. Yet when we are feeling like our energy is low or our emotions are negative, perhaps it’s not healing that we require? Maybe in these situations, we need greater acceptance of what is, including any negative feelings. Would it be more empowering to stay strong in the belief that we are already whole?
Do you need healing or greater acceptance of what is?
Before I explore this further: spoiler alert! You are the expert on you. If you feel you need a healing intervention, then you probably do, because your mind believes you need help. Whatever we believe is possible and whatever we focus on is where our energy goes. If it is simple for you to switch your beliefs towards the positive merely by thinking it through, then great, do that! Think about how the past is affecting you and how you might get more of what you would like in future: joy, happiness, and positive experiences. The most important thing is the present moment, and in this moment, you can choose to ignore any of your difficult circumstances, accept what is and feel happy right now, as Eckhart Tolle describes in his book, ‘The Power of Now.’ However, if you're finding it hard to move forwards, perhaps one of these ideas in our blog could help you?
HOW support could help you
Different symptoms crop up, depending on what we’ve been through. But if any of these common signs are affecting you, then it may be time to ask for some help:
You're not achieving your goals and you're only just coping with your daily tasks. These might relate to your work or your life goals and it's making you feel stuck.
You’re suffering with anxiety. The negative thoughts pile up every day and nothing ever feels resolved. Your sleep is being affected by this cycle of worry.
Your thoughts cycle round the same topic, but you never find any answers. This might be showing that anxiety has taken over or your intuition is blocked.
You’re crying everyday or fighting back tears when someone mentions their emotional situations. Your brain could be stuck in your emotional space and your logical brain is not fully in control. Somatic healing would calm your system, hypnotherapy would help you shift states, and talking or counselling could help you release the emotions.
You are procrastinating or feel out of sorts and can’t figure out what’s really wrong. Your life purpose may be out of sight; either spiritual support or hypnotherapy could help you take the next action.
You’re experiencing chronic or recurring pain, with no obvious injury. Your body is showing symptoms to alert you and hypnotherapy, somatic healing or spiritual work could support any medical investigations. However, do visit your doctor first.
As Gabor Mate reflects in his book, ‘The Myth of Normal’ we are seeing a huge increase in mental illness, viruses and people struggling in a society that does not support our basic needs. So you could argue that healers and therapists are needed more than ever.
Personally, I’ve found four types of change helped me recover from my difficulties. These can help you accept what has been, and is now gone and done:
Mindset work - which focuses on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs or motivations
Body work - which focuses on a shift in your body, with movement or exercise
Creative work - to release your emotions through art, music or your hands
Spiritual work - to explore how your energy is connecting with the universe
Some of this work may be called ‘healing’ by the people who offer the sessions or run the classes. It’s up to you to find and participate in the experiences that you feel drawn to. But if you can't see the wood for the trees, here are a few thoughts on some of the best therapies.
How to choose the best therapy for you?
If you look at the different types of therapy available, it may seem hard to choose the best therapy for you. In the 1950’s, American psychologist Carl Rogers talked about the importance of the therapeutic alliance between the client and their therapist. Which in plain language means, no matter which type of therapy you choose, finding a therapist who you believe can make a positive impact for you is key.
Rogers set out his theory that three conditions for a client to make progress are:
Empathy from the therapist - you feel like they understand you and your feelings.
Congruence - a therapist who is genuine and true to themselves while also being authentic with you.
Unconditional positive regard - you trust that you can open up and you will not be judged, they’ll respect that your personal view of the world is yours.
Here’s a secret: when we are feeling depleted, almost anyone can lend us their positive energy to help top ours up again. “All we need is love,” and although cliched, it’s true. Genuinely positive interactions will boost our positive happy hormones. So any good therapist, no matter what they’re offering, or even a good friend, will be able to lend you their energy. However, there are plenty of therapies to choose from.
Therapy options for mind, body and soul
For each one of us, our journey is unique, made up of every experience, and even our down days, suffering or struggles are unique. Our childhood conditioning and cultural influences are unique. All these factors affect the resources we have to manage daily life. So it makes perfect sense to me that there is no single answer or therapy which fits every person or type of trauma that needs healing. I believe everyone needs to find their own path, figuring out what helps you move from coping to thriving. The list of therapy options to consider could include any thing from three or four broad categories: mind, body, soul and spirit.
Mindset and psychological help
If you’d like time to talk about the problem, counselling may be a great choice to find someone who will listen without judgement.
If you want to take action and change your beliefs, cognitive behavioural therapy uses practical tools and exercises for change.
If you want to feel calm and relaxed and ready to make changes, solution focused hypnotherapy (SFH) offers support to shift and start taking actions.
If you want to feel in control and ready to rewire your thinking, neuro linguistic programming (NLP) tools can help - which are included with SFH.
Body treatments to support healing
Yoga or nia dance, exercise classes and any kind of movement could offer you a place to process emotional experiences without talking.
Emotional freedom technique (EFT) and acupuncture work by either tapping, or accessing pressure points to release tension from your body.
Chiropractic treatment, physio and massage can all release emotions directly from your muscles and body.
Havening technique relies on the power of touch to reset your nervous system and release anxiety and other negative emotions.
Creative and spiritual work to release emotions
Writing stories, poems, journals or notes.
Creating or listening to music, including singing.
Baking and cooking creative food.
Drawing, designing or making art.
Making with textiles, sewing, knitting or crochet.
Speaking poetry or channeling spirit messages.
Praying, meditating, or reciting affirmations.
These lists could get very long if I try to cover everything. The principle is, you're looking for activities which bring you joy or a sense of satisfaction because doing them boosts your happy hormones. If you’re struggling to find time to do anything for yourself, think about how some small steps towards self-care might help you.
To sum it up, choose a therapy which appeals to you and a therapist who you believe in. Then invest enough time and money into it to complete the work. If you go for one or two sessions and change your mind, that’s okay. But perhaps it’s important to recognise that most therapists will recommend a minimum of six sessions or a weekly or monthly consistent approach because that’s what’s proven to work well for their other clients.
As part of the Story Healing services, I offer solution focused hypnotherapy sessions. Contact me or book a free call if you'd like more information.