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Therapy Definitions
Therapeutic Touch (TT)
Therapeutic touch, or TT, is a non-invasive method of healing that was derived
from an ancient laying-on of hands technique. In TT, the practitioner alters the
patient's energy field through an energy transfer that moves from the hands of
the practitioner to the patient.
Therapeutic touch treats the whole person: relaxes the mind, heals the body, and
soothes the spirit. The principle behind it is that it does not stop at the
skin. The human body extends an energy field, or aura, several inches to several
feet from the body. When illness occurs, it creates a disturbance or blockage in
the vital energy field. The TT practitioner uses her/his hands to sense the
blockage or disturbance. In a series of gentle strokes, the healer removes the
disturbance and rebalances the energy to restore health.
The TT session generally lasts about 20–30 minutes. Although the name is
therapeutic touch, there is generally no touching of the physical body, only the
energetic body or field. It is usually performed on fully clothed patients who
are either lying down on a flat surface or sitting up in a chair.
Each session consists of five steps. Before the session begins, the practitioner
enters a state of quiet meditation in which he/she becomes centered and grounded
in order to establish intent for the healing session and to garner the
compassion necessary to heal.
The second step involves the assessment of the person's vital energy field.
During this step, the practitioner places the palms of his/her hands 2–3 in (5–8
cm) from the patient's body and sweeps them over the energy field in slow,
gentle strokes beginning at the head and moving toward the feet. The
practitioner might feel heat, coolness, heaviness, pressure, or a prickly or
tingling sensation. These cues, as they are called, each signal a blockage or
disturbance in the field.
To remove these blockages and restore balance to the body, the practitioner then
performs a series of downward sweeping movements to clear away any energy
congestion and smooth the energy field. This is known as the unruffling process
and is generally performed from head to feet. To prevent any energy from
clinging to him/her, the practitioner shakes his/her hands after each stroke.
During the next phase, the practitioner acts as a conduit to transfer energy to
the patient. The energy used is not solely the energy of the practitioner. The
practitioner relies on a universal source of energy so as not to deplete his/her
own supply. In short, the healer acts as an energy support system until the
patient's immune system is able to take over.
The practitioner then smoothes the field to balance the energy and create a
symmetrical flow. When the session is over, it is recommended that the patient
relax for 10–15 minutes in order for the energies to stabilize.
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