Which Kind of Healer Do I Choose?
Research and Collect Information on Healing Modalities:
Do research; be informed of what is available in the different healing modalities or therapies. Some heal with a laying-on-of-hands; some by intention, meditation, prayers that may be in your presence or from a distance; others with combinations of these. Some healers take all the responsibility for the healing. Some include self-healing exercises that you can do to clarify the problems, and to enhance the process. Some include counseling/coaching/psychotherapy with the healing and some heal within religious frameworks, others are secular in their approaches.
Interview Healers:
Talk to people who practice the modalities and see what they have to offer.
Interview Recipients of Healing:
Talk to people who have been the recipients of the different healing modalities or therapies and get feedback on their likes/dislikes/results. Find out what they were seen for, what had to be done and if they were happy with the results.
You can ask healers for names of satisfied healees (with their permission), to get a sense of what to expect from healing treatments.
Research and Collect Information on What Healing Modalities Might be Most Effective for Your Specific Problem, Concern or Challenge:
Do research on what has been effective in healing in the area that you want to work on. Spiritual healing is not the only complementary/alternative/integrative method that can help you with your problems. There is a broad spectrum of therapies, from Acupuncture to Zen, and each has its own spectrum of problems that respond to it.
Finding therapists for these modalities is similar to finding a healer. You might explore more than one approach for your problems. In many cases, healing can enhance the effects of other therapies. Notice which healing modality/therapy feels right for you.
Resources:
Benor, Daniel J, Healing Research: Volume I, (Popular edition)
Spiritual Healing: Scientific Validation of a Healing Revolution, Southfield, MI: Vision Publications, 2001. ISBN 1-886785-11-2
Healers describe their work, research in parapsychology as a context for understanding healing, brief summaries of 191 randomized controlled studies, pilot studies.
Benor, Daniel J, Healing Research: Volume I, (Professional Supplement)
Spiritual Healing: Scientific Validation of a Healing Revolution, Southfield, MI: Vision Publications, 2001. ISBN 1-886785-12-0
Only the annotated, critiqued 191 randomized controlled studies and the pilot studies - described in much greater detail, including statistical information.
Benor, Daniel J. Healing Research, Volume II: (Popular edition)
How Can I Heal What Hurts? Wholistic Healing and Bioenergies,
Medford, NJ: Wholistic Healing Publications 20050-9754248-3-1
Popular edition Explains self-healing, wholistic complementary/ alternative medicine (CAM) and bioenergies, and discusses ways in which you can heal yourself.
Benor, Daniel J. Healing Research, Volume II: (Professional edition)
Consciousness, Bioenergy and Healing, Medford, NJ: Wholistic Healing Publications 2004. ISBN0-9754248-0-7
Thorough review of research validating the efficacy of self-healing, wholistic complementary/ alternative medicine (CAM), biological energies, and environmental interactions with bioenergies.
“Book of the Year” award - The Scientific and Medical Network
The Process of Healing:
The effects of healing are not predictable. Repeated treatments may be helpful or needed in order to obtain maximal benefits and in order for effects to be longer lasting or permanent. Although not impossible, it is rare for complete healing of a problem to occur in a single treatment.
Healing is usually a gradual, gentle process that brings about changes on many levels: body, emotions, mind, relationships with other people, relationships with the environment and spirit. You may continue to experience benefits from a single treatment or a series of treatments over a period of weeks and months.
Healing is not necessarily about curing symptoms or diseases. It may help you understand how to live with your problems and deal with them better.
There may be a variety of things you can do to facilitate your own healing, such as changing lifestyles (diet, exercise, meditation, learning what your symptoms may be reflecting about your life, dealing differently with stress).