Should the word "Healer" be used in our profession?

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Permalink Reply by Robin Byler Thomas on January 15, 2010 at 10:08pm

Exactly. If challenged for specific terminolgy I refer to myself as a guide or facilatator; they're healing themselves.

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Permalink Reply by Laura Allen on January 16, 2010 at 5:33am

I choke on it when someone introduces themselves as a "healer." Believe me, plenty of people are okay with it. I know people that I would refer to as healers, but they would never in a million years call themselves that. Like you and me, they believe we are facilitators of healing, but we are not the healers.

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Permalink Reply by Darcy Neibaur on January 16, 2010 at 5:35am

The only person I can even begin to heal is myself, and then I even wonder about that sometimes. A human being cannot heal another human being.

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Permalink Reply by Gloria Coppola on January 16, 2010 at 2:11pm

I, Too, like my colleagues do not believe in referring to myself as a healer. However, I do believe we can heal ourselves.

I hear you about the "fixing me up" and I understand you perfectly. Although, clients do like to believe in that for themselves and if that works for them - I am ok with that. I may encourage them to believe they are doing it because I do like to empower them. However, I am not going to make a big deal of what they need to use as words to feel good.

We all play a part in the healing process aka facilitator /catalyst etc. We all exchange the energy and we set our intentions to be clear so that the client receives what they need/want.

I used to cringe at the word healer too. I don't worry about it too much anymore. If a person believes waving a chicken over them will heal them, I honor 'their belief' system.

In the end I am conscious and clear, present and aware to provide them a space for their healing process.

I have had many clients express feeling God come through my hands after a session. Is this happening? Perhaps? Yes? Insane possibility?

Can we heal another? I'll let you know when I come back in the next lifetime and get all the answers. :)

I do feel that by the presence of others in my life, I have been healed. I feel we both opened to that space/exchange for that process to happen. Doesn't the hug or a kiss of a mother, make their child feel better?? Do our prayers not help another feel better when they are seriously ill or come out of a coma? There are so many variables!

I say we keep exploring and stay open minded to possibilities.
Perhaps we are limiting ourselves????

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Permalink Reply by Marissa on January 16, 2010 at 6:53pm

WOO-HOO!!!!! Open up the can on this one! You know where I stand as we have had this conversation, personally on a few occasions! Rock on with the Catalyst Theory! Sounds like a good band....

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Permalink Reply by Vlad on January 16, 2010 at 8:25pm

Marissa - you make me smile.

Gloria, I see what you mean about it's OK if the client wants to think that and maybe part of it is semantics. You said that you used to cringe at the word, but you don't anymore. I tried to analyze my own reactions as to whether I cringe more or less than I used to and I think I'm reacting the other way - as time goes on I cringe more. But I see where you're coming from a far as just letting it go. In a way, I think that we're both sort of looking at the same thing - the ego. I think the less the ego is brought into our work, the better and with that there comes humility and a non-judgemental way of dealing with things. So maybe your way of saying "just let it go" is actually taking that non-judgemental and non-egotistial way of looking at it to the next degree. You got me thinking - thanks!

I much prefer the word "facilitator" to "catalyst".

Was the subject of calling ourselves healers ever brought up in class in basic training with anyone? Or classes after basic training?

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Permalink Reply by Gloria Coppola on January 16, 2010 at 10:34pm

Vlad
Perfect! I love your analysis! :)

Yes this topic was brought up in my basic training and in many trainings thereafter.

My initial massage school was very spiritually based and was mostly based around healing. It was back then that I had a huge problem with the terms. It may have been the reason i branched off in medical massage quickly. Perhaps my own fear of something that would require "responsibility" for others???

After studying many modalities, including shamanism and letting go of the ego base, as you say - it became less important what the term was called and more about the healing session.

I had a mentor many years ago that studied with many indigenous tribal councils and she encouraged us to get in touch with our "healer within". To own our gifts as a medicine woman/man would. I thought she was nuts back then. ;). She always called herself a healer.

I used to own a massage school a long time ago and also had my own difficulties with calling ourselves "healers". I had students that would address or introduce themselves that way. I wanted to jump on them at times, but resisted. I would bring it up and say it is the person healing themselves - but somehow I didn't really know that for sure either. So much conflict.

Today, I honor that we are gifted. Perhaps that is a term that is more approachable?

We are called upon to provide this service because we have tapped into something greater. Unconditional or non-judgment.

I have worked in the medical field for many years too and realize that although we don't necessarily see it frequently, even our health care professionals are called upon and have a gift. I have seen it.

It takes special individuals to care for others. This is healing. This is love! We can train in a thousand modalities and still we are called!

I'm glad I got you thinking, because you have done the same for me!


Vlad said:

Marissa - you make me smile.

Gloria, I see what you mean about it's OK if the client wants to think that and maybe part of it is semantics. You said that you used to cringe at the word, but you don't anymore. I tried to analyze my own reactions as to whether I cringe more or less than I used to and I think I'm reacting the other way - as time goes on I cringe more. But I see where you're coming from a far as just letting it go. In a way, I think that we're both sort of looking at the same thing - the ego. I think the less the ego is brought into our work, the better and with that there comes humility and a non-judgemental way of dealing with things. So maybe your way of saying "just let it go" is actually taking that non-judgemental and non-egotistial way of looking at it to the next degree. You got me thinking - thanks!

I much prefer the word "facilitator" to "catalyst".

Was the subject of calling ourselves healers ever brought up in class in basic training with anyone? Or classes after basic training?

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Permalink Reply by Darcy Neibaur on January 16, 2010 at 11:38pm

I think it is the Power that BE within all of us that does the Healing. I call that Power God.

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Permalink Reply by Las Vegas Massage In Summerlin on January 17, 2010 at 12:06pm

Here's my two cents worth.

This came about in discussions with my Aikido Sensei in regards to massage, Aikido and Kiatsu. (Kiatsu is a therapy used in Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, created by Tohei Sensei.)

Concerning Massage, just like most anything else, there is body action of some kind. Of course that has to be. I must raise my arms and place my hands on my partner to practice Massage. But what is my body action an expression of? That's the question.

Is it an expression of my own small mind, trying to do something? Or is it an expression of the deeper sense of unity? Is it creating goodness out of badness, when someone is ill, or in a weakened condition, or injured? Do I think that there is something wrong, and I need to fix it?

This is seeing only the relative world. This is seeing only chaos, where in fact there is perfect order. If I don't see the order, then the order does not influence the other person. The other person cannot see the order, balance, harmonious universe, because of their temporary condition. If I don't see perfection, then the client also doesn't see that. When someone feels pain, there is attachment to that area of the mind/body. So one might think that, if you are attached, in some sense your mind is strong there. But it is just very stuck there. Attachment is weakness. If my mind is strong, it is free and not stuck. Mind is weak there in that sore place, so if I touch there with a free mind, then I can release this attachment.

So the nature of what transpires between us, the quality or flavor of what transpires between us, carries the quality, flavor, or taste of the source of that. If it comes from my small mind, then it carries that flavor; that characteristic. It is not that it is nothing, in this case, but it's limited. It's not limitless. It is not infinite. It's finite.

So what is the point of all that? It is very important for me to begin to truly understand how it is that energy pervades everything. It is everything there is. So if I think, "I am going to move energy from me to you", this is limited thinking and a bit of a mistake. Because how can that happen? It's already there.

We carried on a bit more but this was the gist of it ;)

We also carried on about the term 'attachment' a bit more...

Let's look at attachment for a moment. Mind is completely free and open in its natural state, and hence operates best in that condition. But when my mind is caught on, or attached to, some object or idea, then it stops.

This is called attachment. When I become attached to something, then I am a slave to that.

Don't be attached. And if I see someone doing something I don't like; smoking, drinking, dressing in some manner I don't feel is appropriate, if I think, "This is wrong, because this person has attachment", then I may be right or I may be wrong about their attachment, but certainly I am the one who is attached. I have become a slave to this idea, because my mind is caught upon it. I must be very careful. Because there's nothing more unfortunate than thinking myself free of something myself, but continuing to be attached because of my judgment of others.

Kris

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Permalink Reply by Gayla Coughlin on January 17, 2010 at 11:59pm

To me, to claim that we can heal is beyond what we do...I think "repair" is more accurate. We undo imbalances and start the path to healing, but the person is the one who heals themselves. We are a conduit, nothing more.

Just my IMO..

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Permalink Reply by Julie Onofrio on January 30, 2010 at 1:31am

I also dislike the use of the word healer. If someone is claiming that they are a healer I run the other way in any discipline. It is ok that clients think you are fixing. Heck all of massage school is about teaching you how to fix for the most part anyways.

Julie

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Permalink Reply by Gloria Coppola on January 30, 2010 at 7:44am

Julie,
Not all massage schools only teach about 'Fixing". Not only was my school about healing, but I know many other privately owned schools that focus on the true essence of healing. How to work with the energetic anatomy , how to touch compassionately from a place higher than our own egos, how to tap into source, etc.

As far as running away from a healer - they are out there. I was in Egypt 11 years ago and a "healer" was introduced to me. This man held my hands and read me like a book. I scheduled a session with him and he truly had a gift. Things happened that were beyond imaginable. That kind of healing may not be taught in a typical massage school. Altho, one of my mentors who studied with indigenous healers did include very advanced techniques in healing in our training. At the time I thought it was cooky to be honest - because of my own fears and disbelief that we as humans could possibly have this ability.

I might add, that yes, there are those that may claim this and not fully represent what many believe a healer should look like or be, this is our judgment. And yes, there are some that are charlatans.

So, I think we all need to take a look at what we really mean by healer here.
There are abilities beyond our known capacity or understanding. We should not fear this.
We may not call ourselves healers because we don't feel that is truth for us, however to disregard a true
gift in my opinion is ...................?????????

Anyway, I wish some of the "powerful indigenous" healers were on this site. They'd have a lot to teach us. I have witnessed it.

Julie Onofrio said:

I also dislike the use of the word healer. If someone is claiming that they are a healer I run the other way in any discipline. It is ok that clients think you are fixing. Heck all of massage school is about teaching you how to fix for the most part anyways.
Julie

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