About Healing Touch
"When the mind is calm and the body completely relaxed,
that is Healing Touch." —Maggi Hutchinson
Healing Touch (HT) is a relaxing, nurturing energy therapy that helps the body rest, restore and rebuild. Using light touch, practitioners consciously use their hands in a heart-centered way to encourage and support a state of health and well-being.
HT is a complementary therapy and works in harmony with standard medical care enhancing the effectiveness of any treatment or medicine. It is safe for all ages and conditions.
When to Use Healing Touch
Many use HT as part of their own wellness program to increase energy levels, strengthen the immune system, promote fitness or optimize athletic performance.
For others, HT helps alleviate the fatigue that may accompany acute or chronic conditions. Many hospitals use HT with patients before and after surgery to relieve pain and assist recovery.
Since healing can occur even when the physical body is unable to recover, HT is often used in hospice to enhance end-of-life care.
A Healing Touch Session
Come to a Healing Touch session wearing loose, comfortable clothing. You will receive HT fully clothed on a massage table but HT may also be practiced in a chair, a hospital bed or a nursing home setting. Practitioners use light or near-body touch and employ a series of hand positions depending on the techniques chosen. A session lasts from 30 minutes to an hour based on the needs of the client.
Most people experience deep relaxation during the session. You may also perceive heat, tingling or a pulsing sensation flowing from the palms of the practitioner. Results are often subtle. Some recipients say they feel little during the session, but afterwards notice a decrease in pain and stress levels as well as a reduction in physical and psychological symptoms. Sleep is often deeper and more restful. There is feeling of calm and well-being.
The Benefits of Healing Touch
Healing Touch helps:
- Decrease pain, reduce stress and improve sleep
- Strengthen the immune system & increase energy levels
- Improve mental focus and emotional balance
- Prepare for and recover from surgery
- Reduce side effects of drug therapy
- Support cancer care
- Ease acute or chronic conditions
- Calm anxiety and depression
- Enhance hospice or end-of-life care
Where HT is Offered
HT is used in a variety of settings including:
- Hospitals (Morristown Memorial, NYU Medical Center)
- Spas and wellness centers (Canyon Ranch)
- Retreat centers (Omega Institute)
- Hospices (Compassionate Care, Atlantic Hospice)
- Long-term care facilities
- Doctor’s offices
- Private practices
Read USA Today Article on HT at Scripps Hospital, LaJolla, CA
Read Reuters News Service Article on HT at NYU Medical Center