Holistic healing

What exactly is complementary therapy

Comments from Sue Knight, chief executive of the Confederation of Healing Organisations (CHO) – the charity advancing the practice of Healing

Comments from Sue Knight, chief executive of the Confederation of Healing Organisations (CHO) – the charity advancing the practice of Healing

Wellbeing is now an inescapable buzz word. More of us are recognising its value and how it’s linked to how we perform at peak levels in home and work life. A key aspect of wellbeing is understanding how complementary therapy can support and enhance any medical treatment already underway. Complementary therapy, though, suffers a lack of wider understanding of what it is, where to find it, how it can be used, and how it can fit in with our existing healthcare.

At a glance:

Quite simply, complementary therapy complements mainstream healthcare. The two go hand in hand and one does not replace the other. So, if you were being treated for a medical condition, you would seek complementary therapy in between the times you might see your doctor or physician. The idea is to provide the care alongside your medical appointments, which is often invaluable for long-term healing purposes. Typical complementary practices may include Reflexology, Alexander Technique, Hypnotherapy, Aromatherapy, Flower Remedies, Body Work (including massage), Yoga, and Healing, among many others. Because complementary therapy, particularly Healing, treats mind as well as body, it’s useful within mental healthcare. Complementary therapy is particularly beneficial as a preventative measure, such as managing stress levels, which could otherwise manifest into further mental or even physical problems. The essence of effective wellbeing is the ability to proactively take control ofone’s own healthcare, irrespective of whether there’s a medical condition or not – this is where complementary therapy adds incredible value.

Healing with a capital H?

Healing is possibly the least understood complementary therapy, yet one of the most effective. A major benefit of Healing is that it can be combined with any other form of treatment. Healing works holistically on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. Typical practices are Reiki, Spiritual Healing, Energy Healing, Tellington Touch, Pranic Healing, Theta Healing and Non-contact Healing, among many others.

What’s the latest?

There is no shortage of fad treatments out there, but there’s recently been a long-awaited boost for the practice of Healing that explains its wider benefit. Research conducted by the University of Northampton tested Non-contact Healing, in a series of separate trials on plants, cells, seeds, animals and of course humans. The results uncovered a fascinating phenomenon and dispelled a major criticism of Healing. When ‘healing intent’ was given to each of these categories, they produced an independent positive result. Quite simply, this dispelled the notion that Healing’s effectiveness is just a ‘placebo effect’. Plants, seeds, cells and animals cannot experience a placebo effect, yet, like the humans, they produced positive results. What does this all mean? The healing intent can make a difference to recovery, pain relief and wellbeing.

Choosing a complementary therapist

We all have friends who swear by their massage therapist, counsellor, or healer, for instance. They become devoted clients and see their practitioners on a regular basis. To find the right practitioner for you, follow these steps:

Investigate the treatment that interests you

Talk to contacts, friends and family about practitioners with whom they’ve had direct experience and good results

Research online what clients may have said about the practitioner

Check that the practitioner is registered with a professional association and preferably with one of the two therapy regulators: the General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapy or the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council

Ask to see the practitioner’s Code of Conduct/Ethics

Complementary therapy should never claim to provide a cure for anything. Although there are success stories of how various modalities have done just this, no professional practitioner should ever claim to cure. If they do, they should be avoided

Follow your intuition in the process of choosing.