The healing power of process
I originally wrote this piece in response to a somewhat heated, yet gripping and revealing discussion I had with a colleague about the power or certain processes to support healing and growth. The result of the discussion was both greater understanding of - and clarity on - the subject from both our points of view.
Our discussion led to the subject of the importance of
context. In this case the context is
the very, if not the most important one, of how people can heal and move on in
health and clarity from traumas they have experienced, in order to live a freer
life. In my work as a Breath4LifeTM
Practitioner I work with individuals and groups in a therapeutic
relationship. I am bound by a code of
ethics and practice which protects my clients as well as myself, but also makes
it clear where the responsibilities lie within that relationship. Individuals are ultimately responsible for their own
healing process, however within a therapeutic relationship there is a
responsibility on the part of the practitioner to ensure that clients are not
left overwhelmed or feeling unsafe by any part of the process, or that they have the tools to support
themselves when going through a particularly rocky emotional time and that they
know where they can get support if they get stuck or are in a particular
crisis.
Over the years I have met quite a number of people who have
been left very unsafe and vulnerable by teachers and practitioners who have not
taken care with this aspect of their practice; and I myself have also been in that situation in both group and one-to-one therapeutic situations.
Before coming to Reiki and Breath4LifeTM with
Acorn to Oak, I had some very difficult experiences myself with “therapists”
whose agenda was not boundaried and who did not take responsibility for this part
of our therapeutic relationship. I was often left feeling quite vulnerable and
without the necessary tools to support myself.
It feels like taking the scab of a gaping wound, leaving it open, raw
and prey to infection.
I use a variety of processes within my work; for example a variety of written processes, and the use of guided imagery; although the main focus of
Breath4LifeTM is the breath work process itself, and the other
processes serve to support and/or underpin this dynamic process. In spite of having used these processes for
many years for myself, and supporting others within the context of a therapeutic
relationship, I am continually surprised at the power they have in giving
people access to insights about particular aspects of their lives, but also in
allowing access to the emotional energies which surround life events of all
kinds. Therefore, I suggest that people
who are serious about their personal healing use caution when choosing practitioners and processes which are offered – especially those which make highly charged claims
– in my long and varied experience, there is no such thing as a “quick fix”,
nor a one-size-fits-all approach. Robust help and support with the healing
process is always recommended.
Deep, life-changing and life-enhancing healing work is an on-going process - requiring varying degrees of therapeutic support. The relationship of trust between practitioner and client must be very robust, to enable the process to be smooth and clear - even though occasionally it may feel like a bumpy ride. It is therefore of the utmost importance that the practitioner them self is continuing to work with their process - I am 100% committed to this for myself. Not only does this mean I am continuing my own healing, it also allows me to be 100% present for my clients. Within the safe space which I create for a client, my agenda is quite absent - I quite literally get myself, i.e. my ego, out of the way.
Please contact me on jill@acorntooak.org.uk for more information on my work; and visit www.acorntooak.org.uk
