Overview

My approach to healing:

The fundamental belief behind much of naturopathic medicine and healing is that (1) The body has great self-healing potential and (2) Naturopathic interventions, including herbs, diet, massage, healing etc can support and optimise the body’s ability to call on this ability.

To support the body, we need to use ways of asking the body what it needs and introduce ways of meeting those needs.

  1. Using gentle bodywork, we listen to your body. I initially trained in massage, then reiki and am continuously deepening these body related skills with further training.
  2. Discover (together with you) the story behind the presenting condition, and the patterns of imbalance related to it. By treating the body as a whole, we can start to see the complex relationships between different aspects of your health/life/habits.
  3. Mindfulness. We work to increase your awareness or your body and respond to it’s needs. Techniques from naturopathy, herbalism and healing have been developed specifically to help with this. Whilst treatment may start with herbs ‘prescribed’, it is generally the case that within a short time you are more able to experience the support the herbs give you and thus request them yourself, rather than having someone else decide what you need! This for me is the ideal of truely empowered healthcare – you are in control, and can call on the support you need, when you need it.

The Buddhist practice of mindfulness can be a powerful way to help bring into awarenss aspects of your body or consciousness that you were previously unaware of. As we become more conscious, we find we have more choice, and can make choices that promote health, whilst turning away from those that weaken our health.

Contary to the orthodox medical approach of trying to’fix’ the body, we work by removing the blocks and habits that stop the bodies natural ability at self-healing.

This is important to understand, since people coming to be ‘fixed’ will likely be disappointed, whilst those coming to deepen their understanding of themselves, their body and the meaning behind illness will find it a supportive and nourishing environment.

It is very common in our culture that people have completely forgotten how to listen to their bodies. For those new to this concept, the initial part of the work of healing is to learn how to listen, and trusting that when it is given a chance, the body will communicate its needs.