“You’re a healer.”

That is a statement that gets used often. I am, indeed, in a healing profession. But am I a healer? I know enough to take this as a compliment; those that deliver this are content, happy, and feel good about my work. Yet, there is still a part of me that cringes a little when I hear it.

I’m a practitioner that integrates many modalities, I can look at you through a variety of lenses, with different points of view. I view your body as a whole. It’s a whole physical system (I look at all of you move, not just at the sore or injured wing). And I see you as the whole of your physical, emotional, intellectual, energetic parts. Where to begin…?

What is the anatomy of healing?

I like to look at physical healing as two parts coming together and being mended. When you get a cut, the skin finds it way back together and heals from within. An outsider can have a positive impact on that process by moving the torn pieces closer together, cleaning debris, minimizing infection, and then gluing, stapling, taping, or stitching the pieces. I can’t recall the last time I’ve heard this outsider called a mender, a seamstress, an artist, a DIY crafter, never mind a healer. Just doing their job as an assistant. We call you Mom, Doctor, Paramedic, Nurse.

Years ago I had posted about an upcoming “Healing Breathwork” class I was leading. A Doctor called and said, “Lisa, should I come to this? Is this something I’d like or need?” I replied by asking what his thoughts on healing were: “If someone with cancer comes in for healing, leaves feeling peaceful but still has cancer, are they HEALED?” He answered with a “no”. I thought better of saying “Well then you’d better rush on down here and work with me!” I believed that he may indeed receive some healing, but if he didn’t desire or even recognize the process of healing as I was presenting it, he may not be a good fit for the room of people.

These days we like to talk about how “The Body Keeps the Score“. In the somatic world we believe that you are a sum total of all your lived experiences. The “soma”, as the ancient Greeks believed, represents the vessel through which experiences, sensations, and consciousness is expressed. You are a total of all the positive experiences and emotions, as well as the negative perceptions and events. You are left with both explicit/mind and implicit/body memories. We also work with the belief that everything you have is within; your body has the capability of mending or healing itself. We hear this as one of the first lessons of any biology class: your body works to maintain homeostasis.

As helpers, we assist by placing you in a healthy environment, one that fosters the work of the body. Position of ease. Proper temperature. Appropriate mindset. Neurological ease. A person or group that can hold that environment and simply support.

To be honest, I don’t like the label of “healer” BUT I do go in with a “fixer” mentality at times! Something isn’t right? I can fix it.

When I do this, I undermine your body’s ability to heal. If your body hears everything your mind says, I may just be the one that planted the seed of doubt. How does it feel to be undermined? Where do you feel it in your body when you aren’t trusted? As a helper, am I creating the best environment for you if this is our starting point?

Many of us are familiar with the part of our being that is unworthy, stupid, not good enough. This is a part of our anatomy that could really use the healing, the mending, the reconnection with our inner SELF.

I’ll continue to work, doing what I do. Call me what you want. And know that as I work I am becoming more and more conscious of the environment for your body’s healing to occur.