What happens during a Healing Touch session?

Healing Touch uses a warm and gentle flow of energy from the healer's hands to stimulate the energy flow within a client's body.  This palpable energy -- which the Chinese call chi -- provides a tune-up that jump-starts the body's spontaneous healing response.  The word healing comes from the same root word as whole and holy.  In holistic medicine, healing is viewed as a movement away from a constricted, blocked or disorganized energy flow to a more harmonious and coherent one. 

Clients often notice this shift as a deepening and slowing down of their breath; an unclenching of shoulder tension or jaw muscles; a softening of the eyes; and an expansion in their whole body.  Over time, as more breath enters the body -- and as constrictions ease -- symptoms begin to improve or disappear altogether.  Clients report that their bodies and minds feel lighter, as though there is more space inside. Many of Daphne's clients also report that a weight has lifted from their heart:  a weight they hadn't even known was there.

The sensation of receiving Healing Touch is "is like being suffused by warm, liquid gold," one of Daphne's clients said.  Each person experiences Healing Touch in a unique way.  One client felt a subtle change in his internal rhythm, and felt as though his whole body was swinging in a hammock.   Another said, "I feel as though the sun just came up in my body:  I am glowing, from the inside out."  A woman suffering from asthma said, "I feel my lungs spreading out like wings under my shouldre blades.  It feels so good to be able to breathe again!"

What happens during a Somatic Experiencing session?

Somatic Experiencing, like Healing Touch, requires a deep understanding of energy: where it's moving, where it's stuck, and how it can flow more freely. Dr. Peter Levine, who created Somatic Experiencing, defines trauma as any event that shocks and overwhelms the nervous system.  This could be a medical procedure we had as a child that required restraint against our will; an auto accident; a serious fall; verbal, physical or sexual abuse; or even surgery which, despite its beneficial results, is perceived by the body as an assault. 

Dr. Levine discovered that trauma is actually stored in the body, and the shock is held in our muscles and organs until we find a way to release it. Somatic Experiencing is a very careful, slow and gentle technique for safely discharging the high-voltage energy of trauma without overwhelm or re-traumatization. As excess energy is released in tiny increments, the nervous system begins to relax and re-set itself at a more stable level.  By "titrating" the trauma out of the system one molecule at a time, the amygdala and autonomic nervous system -- which get hyper-aroused during trauma -- remain calm and regulated during the session, as well as afterward.

During a trauma release session, clients often feel a reduced level of tension: their breathing deepens; their anxiety decreases; and they generally feel more ease and spaciousness in their body. In fact, one of the major gifts of Somatic Experiencing is that, in addition to discharging past traumas, it teaches clients how to continuously bring their own nervous systems into regulation in the present moment.  By learning to focus on their "felt sense" (rather than the thoughts in their heads), clients learn to track sensations in their body.   This awareness makes it possible for them, over time, to self-regulate their own nervous system and prevent future traumatization.

Where do the sessions take place?

Daphne's sessions take place in a sun-filled room that is surrounded by trees and birds, and decorated with candles and fresh flowers.   During a Healing Touch session, clients lie on a massage table and remain fully clothed.  Somatic Experiencing sessions may take place on the table or in a chair.  Daphne works in partnership with her clients, creating a safe and sacred place where healing can take place. 

A typical session lasts 60 minutes, although initial sessions and more in-depth sessions may take up to 90 minutes. When appropriate, Daphne teaches clients some movement or energetic exercises they can practice at home to enhance and continue the work.  Daphne may also recommends a wide range of books, CDs, classes and other resources that can accelerate the healing process.

"Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness,
which unites your body to your thoughts"

–Thich Nhat Hanh