| Free Spiritual Counseling | | | | have exposed. Still, the faithful continue to believe |
| For people looking to more fully understand | | | | that a gifted spiritual healer can channel the power |
| themselves and their place in the world, spiritual | | | | needed to restore health. |
| counseling might be an attractive alternative to | | | | In recent years, there have been a number of |
| pastoral/religious counseling. A spiritual counselor | | | | scientific studies aimed at determining if spiritual |
| can help provide support, encouragement and | | | | healing can improve physical health. In Dr. Daniel J. |
| advice regarding human nature and how humans | | | | Benor's book "Spiritual healing: Scientific Validation |
| relate to the greater world around them. | | | | of a Healing Revolution," the author claims to have |
| Generally this type of counseling will delve deeper | | | | begun his investigation as skeptical as many of us |
| than more traditional counseling, and is based | | | | are. The book takes a close look at a number of |
| more on emotions than a psychological or | | | | different methodologies for healing, including Reiki, |
| analytical approach to counseling. | | | | healing touch, Bowen method, and others. The |
| Many people might want to take advantage of | | | | results of his research made a believer out of |
| the services of a spiritual counselor, but don't | | | | him, and the 100-plus studies cited in the book |
| have much money to spare. Fortunately, it is | | | | offer verifiable proof that many of these spiritual |
| fairly easy to find a spiritual counselor who does | | | | healing therapies do have a restorative and |
| not charge a fee. | | | | recuperative effect on health and well-being. |
| There is a wide range of topics that spiritual | | | | Most spiritual healers are quick to acknowledge |
| counseling covers and most counselors specialize | | | | that traditional medicine does have its place, and |
| in a particular area. So before you choose a | | | | that spiritual healing should be used in tandem with |
| counselor, consider what it is that you are | | | | more traditional medical therapies. But in the same |
| interested in learning more about. Some will work | | | | breath, these same practitioners will likely tell you |
| with you on personal growth or relationship issues. | | | | that physical cures alone are insufficient for lasting |
| Others may offer their expertise in modern or | | | | well-being. It's important to consider the mind, the |
| classical philosophy or psychotherapy. Still others | | | | spirit and the body as one comprehensive whole |
| can offer insight into meditation, visualization and | | | | package when attempting any healing therapy. |
| energy therapies. Most counselors will be happy to | | | | Ignoring one in favor of the other will result in |
| provide information on their areas of expertise | | | | incomplete healing at best, and enhance the |
| before you begin the counseling sessions. | | | | chances for a worse outcome for the patient. |
| You will also be likely to find a spiritual counselor | | | | If you are considering adding a spiritual component |
| offering free services by doing an online search. | | | | to your current medical treatment, be sure to |
| Many spiritual counselors have local offices, and will | | | | discuss your plans with your doctor. While you |
| offer personal, face-to-face consultations as well. | | | | may run into some resistance, most doctors are |
| Still others offer "distance counseling," working | | | | at least somewhat aware of many of these |
| with people either via e-mail or phone. The | | | | spiritual healing methods, and will generally support |
| Internet has opened up a whole new way of | | | | your desire to improve your emotional and |
| networking, and spiritual counselors have a | | | | spiritual well-being. But they will likely urge you to |
| significant presence on the Web. | | | | continue with your prescribed course of medical |
| Spiritual counseling can be useful in a wide variety | | | | treatment as well. If you find that your doctor |
| of areas in a person's life. A good spiritual | | | | refuses to entertain the possibility that spiritual |
| counselor can help you understand the things that | | | | healing might be a good addition to your overall |
| are going on around you in an often confusing | | | | treatment plan, it may be time to shop around |
| world. By utilizing spiritual counseling, you may find | | | | for a health care provider with more modern |
| yourself able to make better choices in life, and | | | | sensibilities. |
| they can help you realize your full potential by | | | | Medical evidence for spiritual healing |
| encouraging personal growth. Some people use | | | | Historically, it has been difficult to find reliable |
| spiritual counseling to help chart their path for the | | | | medical evidence to prove that spiritual healing |
| future, by envisioning themselves as they wish to | | | | methods work. Part of the blame for this might lie |
| be. | | | | within the medical community's general |
| Some of the very best spiritual counselors are | | | | unwillingness to see some of these methods as |
| those who are true near death experience | | | | worthy of research. |
| survivors. | | | | There have been many, many studies done on |
| The uses for spiritual counseling are vast, as you | | | | the effectiveness of prayer. These studies have |
| can see. And so is the background, education and | | | | proven that prayer can have a positive effect on |
| philosophy of the huge numbers of spiritual | | | | someone with a medical problem even if that |
| counselors available. It's important that you find a | | | | person didn't know he or she was being prayed |
| counselor to whom you can relate, honestly and | | | | for. In one study, hospital patients who were |
| openly, as this is a requirement for a positive | | | | prayed for were significantly less likely to need |
| counseling session, as mentioned previously. | | | | antibiotics than the others, less likely to develop |
| Some spiritual counselors will list specific skills, | | | | pulmonary edema, less likely to need a breathing |
| including clairvoyance, and other psychic abilities. | | | | tube and less likely to die. |
| But these traits are not necessarily the crux of a | | | | It was also found that prayer had no barriers - |
| spiritual counseling session. It's more of an FYI | | | | people who prayed inside a lead-lined, locked room |
| thing than anything else. | | | | in one study still found results significantly higher |
| Many spiritual counselors do believe that their gift | | | | than the control group. In another study, it was |
| for healing and counseling comes from a divine | | | | discovered that prayer worked on non-human |
| source, and they are therefore uncomfortable | | | | objects, as it caused crab grass to grow more |
| charging for their services. Others will charge a | | | | quickly than grass that was not prayed for. |
| small fee, and still others make a good living by | | | | It was found that prayer could be done miles |
| providing this service. Whatever level you are | | | | away from its subject and still be effective. |
| comfortable with, remember that the ultimate | | | | But prayer is a relatively non-controversial form |
| goal is to know and understand yourself, so be | | | | of healing. So what about one of the more |
| sure you are getting what you need out of the | | | | questioned methods? |
| experience. | | | | Reiki, a healing technique created in early 20th |
| Spiritual and Medical Healing | | | | Century Japan by Mikao Usui, involves a |
| In recent years, many formerly traditional medical | | | | practitioner using his or her hands to direct chi, or |
| doctors have come to embrace spiritual healing as | | | | "life force," through the body of the client. Reiki |
| an important part of physical well-being. There is a | | | | has been known to be somewhat controversial |
| new breed of holistic health care providers who | | | | within the medical community, though in recent |
| view the spiritual and emotional health of a patient | | | | years it has begun to show up as a service |
| as having the ability to dramatically affect a | | | | offered by many hospitals, hospices, and other |
| person's physical state. So much so, in fact, that | | | | medical facilities. |
| the standard views of treating just the body | | | | Positive outcomes of Reiki have been recorded in |
| seem outdated and even naive. | | | | some alternative medical journals, claiming that its |
| Many health care professionals, including doctors, | | | | proven benefits included reduced heart rate, pain, |
| nurses and others, are welcoming the inclusion of | | | | depression and anxiety; increased relaxation and |
| a spiritual component into their patients' wellness | | | | immunity and improved blood pressure. Critics |
| plans. And some are even practicing it | | | | argue that any of these could be a result of a |
| themselves, gaining a deeper understanding of | | | | placebo effect. Then again, there is a popular |
| how the mind, the spirit and the body work in | | | | saying among hypnotherapists and a few others |
| tandem to heal. | | | | which states, "The body will achieve what the |
| Interestingly, some of these practitioners have | | | | mind perceives," and there may be much truth to |
| turned to so-called "complementary" therapies | | | | that. Does it really matter whether a cure's |
| when traditional medicine failed for themselves or | | | | etiology was psychosomatic? |
| their patients. By incorporating the healing arts into | | | | A 2002 study of Reiki on the effects of |
| the medical arts, physicians can often find root | | | | depression yielded that the Reiki-treated patients |
| spiritual or emotional causes for their patients' | | | | were less depressed than the placebo group. |
| distress, and can work with them to help them | | | | When re-checked a year later, the result stayed |
| heal. | | | | the same. |
| Many Christian denominations profess a firm belief | | | | In two separate studies (conducted in the United |
| in the healing power of the spirit to cure illness | | | | States and Japan), the energy waves that passed |
| and injury. In fact, in the most literal translation of | | | | through Reiki practitioners' hands were tested. It |
| biblical texts, Jesus himself was a spiritual healer, | | | | was found that the hands emitted a bio-magnetic |
| laying-on hands to cause the blind to see, the | | | | field which pulsated with the same frequencies as |
| physically-challenged to walk and even the dead to | | | | brain waves. This, many believe, causes healing |
| rise and awaken. Through prayer, meditation, | | | | throughout the body. |
| anointing and other methods, many contemporary | | | | It should be noted that over half of the medical |
| Christian preachers seem to elicit astonishing | | | | schools in the United States now offer at least |
| responses when asked to heal others. | | | | one or two courses on spiritual healing and |
| Of course, as with anything, there is a LOT of | | | | alternative medicine these days. |
| fraud in this field as many recent media reports | | | | |