While I have offered Trauma Informed Care for clients, mostly intuitively, through my years of practice, I have never really defined what that means when clients come for their sessions with me. Taking a recent course on this topic made it clear just how important that communication is. It’s critical that you are feeling safe during your sessions and that sessions provide space for you to heal and feel empowered, as you are ready to. Each person’s journey is unique to them and I honour that process. There are no deadlines or judgments around your healing process. No. You Don't Have to Tell Me I have been asked by clients if they have to tell me about their trauma. The answer is no, you don’t have to, that choice is yours. Whether I know your trauma story or not, it will make absolutely no difference in the benefits of the holistic sessions that you receive. You will benefit regardless. Communication is Key It’s really important that you feel safe and comfortable before, after and during your session, to the extent that you can. At your first appointment I will be a stranger to you and I realize feeling safe will take time. I am happy to adjust and adapt sessions in order to help to make that happen. If you are able to communicate any areas you would rather I didn’t touch, or that you would rather remain dressed for your session, etc. then I can adapt your session to honour your requests. You are in control and I want to collaborate with you to ensure you feel safe and empowered in your journey towards recovery. If at any time during a session you feel uncomfortable or want to stop, then the session can adapt, or be stopped. This is your healing time. Emotions are normal Emotions often come up and are key to the healing journey. Please allow yourself to express them as you need to, during your session. There is no need to tell me why you’re feeling the way that you do (unless you choose to). Again, it will not impact the benefits of your session. Honouring Your Journey Each trauma survivor is individual and unique in their journey towards recovery. I honour that. There are no expectations or judgements, but instead compassion and understanding. Your sessions with me are integrative and supportive to your regular medical care and counseling. They are not in place of them
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 Holistic modalities have the common understanding that the mind, body and spirit interact with each other and are integrally linked in our sense of well-being. All aspects of your being work in partnership for your highest good.
 (shared with permission) Some months ago a client was telling me of all the moving pieces she felt the need to control with regards to a particular event in her life, in order for things to go well, and for her to meet the goals that she had. Putting the pieces in place had been an ongoing effort for many months and it was obviously emotionally and mentally draining for her.
I said to her that it seemed she was pushing a very large boulder up a steep, steep hill. She said that was what this felt like. I asked her what was the worse that could happen if she just stepped aside, stopped pushing the boulder and let go. Silence. Shared with client's permission.
We had the most interesting experience yesterday, a client and I. During a Craniosacral Therapy session my client displayed, in real time, a response from the Vagus Nerve. It was pretty amazing to be a part of! We've been walking on some icy surfaces in Calgary for a couple of weeks at least, and I can feel it in the muscles of your legs and hips! Apparently there is more to come through the weeks ahead...ugh. What are your muscles telling me? To avoid falling or slipping we tend to walk differently on icy surfaces. The shoes we wear hopefully have a better grip, but they also tend to be heavier and clumsier than our usual footwear.
Our stance, or centre of gravity should change to feet wider apart and slightly bending forward over our feet to shift body weight where we need it to maintain balance. Hands out of pockets to balance and holding handrails to catch our fall if we go down, shifts our balance as well. We may hit an icy step and jerk or twist our body to keep from falling. Your muscles tell me all about it.  OK, so you’ve done the work, peeled back layers of your life, like an onion, to discover at least one thing that is no longer working for you. That something is up for change as you create holistic balance in your life. You’ve explored the ways that work for you and hopefully found 2 or 3 that work and you’re in the process of integrating those changes. Now what?
 The basis of a holistic approach to health, to life and to change, is acknowledging the mind, body and the spirit connection, and nurturing that connection. What affects the mind has an influence on the body and visa versa. Anything affecting either or both, mind and body, impacts upon our spirit. Let's take stress as an example. When we're feeling stressed about a situation we can feel it in our body. Some feel is as stomach upset, some as shoulder pain from tightened muscles, others experience headaches. Often, and at the same time, stress can cause a loss of hope, thus affecting the spirit.
 REIKI is an ancient Japanese healing technique My connection with Reiki, from when I received my first session, through learning, sharing sessions and also teaching, has been a journey filled with twists and turns and a lot of lessons. Not all of it easy, but I think those experiences have made me a better teacher and practitioner.
Reiki is all about being open to allowing and receiving energy that is loving and healing. Deservability can raise it's ugly head in whether we feel we're worthy. That self-judgement is completely dissolved as we feel the vibrations of Reiki's beautiful energy. |
Teresa Graham,
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