WHAT IS A REIKI SHARE AND WHY SHOULD I ATTENDA Reiki Share (sometimes called a Reiki exchange, reiki circle, or healing share/circle) is a meeting at which everyone has a chance to both receive, and give, Reiki healing with others.
A Reiki Share provides a great opportunity for Reiki Practitioners who may wish to build their confidence in giving treatments. It's a perfect way for or for those who have little or no experience of using Reiki to continue their learning. I highly recommend that Reiki 1st degree/level 1 students regularly attend because its a really good way to gain practice and increase confidence on their pathway to Reiki 2/2nd degree. In fact, Reiki 2 students and practitioners of all levels will find them beneficial because Reiki shares also provide an opportunity for reiki students and practitioners to receive Reiki themselves, plus to meet with likeminded people. The concept of a Reiki Share is for everyone attending to both give and receive Reiki healing in a supportive and loving environment. There may be 2, 3 or more people to each treatment couch and whilst one person is laying on the couch, everyone else is giving Reiki to them. When that session has finished, someone else will then be treated. This rotation continues until everyone has received a treatment. I tend to hold Reiki Shares on a monthly basis. Reiki practitioners of all levels and abilities are welcome - you do not need to be experienced and equally, no matter how experienced you are, there's always more to learn! And if you have some Reiki training already, even if not through myself, you are still welcome, I totally appreciate that some teachings from Masters differ, so it's great to bounce ideas and share Reiki and healing information. So to summarise, come along to a Reiki Share to:
Keep an eye on my events pages for more information regarding dates and locations. HOW MEDITATION CAN HELPY OU TO LIVE A FLOURISHING LIFEHeres a really interesting article & interview about meditation and how it can help you to overcome the challenges of everyday life.
"We critically need to educate our own minds and brains so that we can regulate our own attention and not cede it over to the media, to all these forces that we never gave our consent to....unless we take better control of our own minds, we're going to be in trouble..... and we need to learn the skills of how to better regulate our emotions, in order to more successfully adapt to the modern world. Meditation provides us with some simple tools to learn these skills of self-regulation." Having been running weekly meditation classes now for several years, I know from client feedback just how much meditation helps. So a little reminder, free weekly meditation sessions are continuing all through lockdown on a Sunday evening for Love Reiki clients and supporters, get in touch for more information. https://www.apa.org/research/action/speaking-of-psychology/meditation Offers for nhs staff and keyworkers.
I'm pleased to continue to offer discounts for NHS staff and key workers:
Get in touch for more information Fi x MIND HOW YOU MEDITATE
Meditation can help you to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. I’ve been teaching deep relaxation and meditation for a number of years now. Sharing hints & tips on music, breathing techniques, visualisations.. Read on for my most important meditation tips..
And don't forget come along on sun eve to the LoveReiki Holistic Healing Therapies zoom sesh, you can wear your pjs, have your camera turned off, bring your dog.. whatever works for you!!! x Whilst it would seem we are heading for another national lockdown, I am still open for business. Whilst I can't physically see you in person, remote appointments are available. Lots of clients benefitted from online appointments through 2020. Many of my holistic therapies can be provided virtually, through facetime, skype or zoom. Distance reiki, EFT tapping, hypnotherapy, meditation, spiritual readings.. all bring comfort and clarity to you in these chaotic times. Lockdown doesn't mean we have to mentally and emotionally lock ourselves into where we don't want to be. Help is available. Get in touch if you would like support with your physical, emotional or spiritual wellbeing. x I can't wait to see you all from we reopen after lockdown2, from my new location, the aptly named Healing Hut. I'm so thankful to you my wonderful clients for booking in post lockdown, for travelling the extra distance to see me, for your commitment, love and support. I know you all loved the Healing Room, it's been a special place for many. The Healing Hut has the same wonderful vibe and energy, it's just the geography thats different. Rest assured you will be met with a smile, and shown compassion and care as always. x For direction look here. Through lockdown March to July 2020 friends and clients of LoveReiki regularly logged on to zoom and joined in with a weekly guided meditation session. This quickly turned into a much valued social gathering, and was a lifeline for many living on their own or struggling to cope with anxieties and emotional issues.
As we have entered lockdown 2 in November 2020, I'm pleased to say that the zoom sessions have recommenced - with a new time of 7pm on Sunday evenings. Log on and enjoy a guided meditation and relaxation from myself, and then a natter and perhaps a card reading from the lovely attendees who join me. There is no charge through lockdown for joining us, your presence is very much valued. Fi x You will have all heard me talk about giving a glass of water reiki and how it taste different. Now here’s the scientific proof..
💧THE WATER TEST 💧 Reiki pioneer Torsten Lange, led a ‘Water experiment’ in a Swiss Laboratory - Giving us THE FIRST INDEPDENDENT SCIENTIFIC PROOF OF REIKI. After many years of research, he was able to team up with a renowned Swiss laboratory for drinking water analysis and was able to get sensational proof of a distinct before-and-after effect of Reiki treatments. Using the traditional Reiki symbols, he even found proof that Reiki works on different vibrational levels, from the physical to the spiritual. Torsten was giving Reiki to Swiss tap water for 1 hour and the change almost seem surreal in the water’s molecule structure under microscope analysis; 🔬 Before - you can see the crystalline structure of average tap water 🔬 After - huge shift in the crystalline structure of water, looks a lot closer to high quality / spring water. RESULT: The quality of the tap water improved and shifted towards spring water. The above info can be found online. Reference points; - https://www.alternatives.org.uk/event/world%E2%80%99s-first-scientific-proof-reiki - https://www.reikiacademylondon.com/reikiscience/4594388819 Reiki and anxiety reduction I know, from working with hundreds of clients, that reiki helps with physical and emotional issues, including anxiety, and as a healing modality it is being recognised more and more by formal medical institutions as a great therapy to complement traditional medicine.
There is a mountain of research, primarily in US hospitals, about the benefits of reiki in a clinical setting. Hartford Hospital in Connecticut carried out research, under Dr Molly Punzo, MD, into using Reiki to reduce anxiety and pain across a number of departments including Cardiology, Orthopedic, Oncology, and Palliative Care units, as well as in the outpatient Cancer Centre. During the pilot phase, outcome measurements were obtained from patients rating their anxiety and pain pre and post Reiki sessions. The Quality Management Department analysed the results which showed a statistically significant decrease in anxiety and pain regardless of the specialty area. The research indicates that Reiki:
This is just one example of where Reiki is beginning to gain acceptance as a meaningful and cost-effective way to improve patient care. Hospitals are undergoing major changes. They are experiencing a need to reduce costs and at the same time improve patient care. Under the old medical model based on expensive medication and technology this posed an unsolvable dilemma. Not so with Reiki and other complementary modalities. Reiki is therefore a very good way to improve care while cutting costs and improving patient care. Its calming, gentle and totally supportive of your healing needs physical, mentally and emotionally. It also works well with combined with other therapies such as massage and hypnotherapy. With no contraindications, it really is a therapy for all. Feeling like everything is a bit of a struggle?
Massage and reiki is the perfect combination for autumn. * Release any physical aches and pains * Clear your head - let go of stresses and anxiety * Recharge your energy levels * Restore the balance between mind, body & soul. Special offer for October - £40 for a back, neck and head massage with Reiki. Book online or message me on 07841 356716 x research into reiki & depression.Can Reiki help with depression? I certainly believe so because my clients tell me it does.
So, being inquisitive, I started to search out any formal research findings, and came across this interesting study, outlined in brief below. The following is a summary by Pat Cougar of the research article "Long-Term Effects of Energetic Healing on Symptoms of Psychological Depression and Self-Perceived Stress" by Adina Goldman Shore, PhD. Originally published in the May/June 2004, Vol. 10, No. 3 issue of Alternative Therapies magazine. Dr. Adina Goldman Shore's article was the result of a one-year study of the effects of Reiki healing on psychological depression and self-reported stress. The study investigated the hypothesis that it is the Reiki energy itself, and not the "hands on" touch, that is the healing factor, and examined the long-term effects of Reiki on depression and stress. Dr. Shore also provides some basic information regarding the uses of Reiki, including it usefulness in psychotherapy. Forty-five participants with symptoms of depression and stress volunteered for this study. Participant were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Hands-on (touch) Reiki, Distance (non-touch) Reiki, and distance Reiki placebo. Participants were not aware of which group would be receiving placebo Reiki. Twelve Reiki Masters, and three second degree Reiki practitioners were chosen to conduct the one to one and one-half hour sessions. Each participant received one treatment weekly for six weeks. Three tests, designed to measure levels of depression and stress, were administered to each participant before and after the series of six sessions. One year later, the participants retook the three tests. After testing was completed, the control/placebo group received another six weeks of Reiki treatments, this time with actual Reiki, and the three tests were administered to this group again. Findings of the study demonstrated that:
There we have it. I always say to clients 5-6 reiki sessions for a shift to be experienced, and this research supports that. Over the next coming weeks I'm going to be searching out more clinical papers and studies regarding the therapies I provide, its always useful to be able to back up my own thoughts and findings with more formal studies. Your Therapy Experience Will Be Different
Every one of us has been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. My priority is to keep you as safe as possible, and prior to re-opening my business I have implemented a number of changes in line with the government guidelines which I would like to make you aware of. During the time LoveReiki has been shut, I have completed the COVID-19 Awareness course and have since made a number of changes in the way that I operate which you will notice when you visit. Booking Appointments
Visiting LoveReiki
My Treatments I have carried out a risk assessment on all treatments and I am confident that I can continue to provide these safely, with some adaptions:
Please know that I will try to make your treatment as safe, comfortable and enjoyable as possible. If you have any concerns about your treatment, please let me know and I will do what I can to assist you. Thank you for your understanding. I can’t wait to see you all! Fi www.lovereiki.co.uk With the onset of COVID-19, and the restrictions in place, now is a time to stop, be calm, reflect and find new ways to grow. And we are going to have to do this from home.
Discovering new ways of working and growing are so important right now. As is taking the time to be calm in the midst of the chaos. Meditation is a brilliant way to soothe emotions, to relax and calm any stirring anxiety. Focusing on the here and now, we focus on slowing down thoughts and shutting out all the noise. It also helps you to connect with your inner voice, and to listen your gut instinct. Physically, it's great for lowering blood pressure and racing heart rates. Using a mix of breath work and listening to recorded guided visualisations, you can meditate from the safety of your own home by:
Either way is easy!
Fi xx Many people turn to counselling for help with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions. There’s no doubt the counselling helps many but for others, including myself, it’s not always been a great experience. Lets start at the beginning, if you are looking for help where do you go? If you are lucky enough a doctors referral. For others, an online search maybe? Just a quick look through an online counselling directory and I can see hundreds of counsellors listed in my local area. All with different letters after their names. All specialising in different types of counselling. None of which necessarily make any sense to someone looking for help. In my quick research I was blinded by the jargon and the terms and phrases that make no sense whatever to me. Zillions of types of counsellors and types of therapies where you need a PHD to work out what they are. Just trawling through can make you feel confused, worried and on edge. Taking it a step forward, in my personal experience, when I selected and found a counsellor (by looking at whose nearest because how else do you choose?) and sat down to talk, I found that actually I don’t want to talk.
I just didn’t want to do it.
Maybe I picked the wrong counsellor? Maybe I had to work through the exhaustion? Maybe I was lazy? Not for me, things were deeper than that, more profound. I came to a realisation, something that had been there the whole time but I had ignored it. Shit happens and sometimes we don’t know why, and no amount of talking about it is going to change the past. For some talking helps, but there comes a point where talking gets tiring. It wasn't talking about things that made me realise this, it was a feeling, my own gut instinct, my own survival mechanism. I started listening to myself rather than others. So I looked for a therapy that didn’t involve talking, but involved energy and touch and natural instinct. And this is how Reiki and holistic healing came into my life. It enabled me to release past tension, pain, fear, worry, blockages, without having to relive them all. It helped me to let go of the past. And made space for the future. It gave me a new found energy, balance, and that light that I had been searching for. And it was soothing, calming, relaxing. I felt supported not judged. I felt loved not interrogated. I felt peace within. And the extra benefits.. wow.. I started to see things differently.. colours became more vivid for example, I could see both sides of a story rather than just mine. And I had this inner knowing that we can all help ourselves and each other without words. But with touch, vibes, and kindness. Of course I'm not trained in psychotherapy/analysis/counselling. That's all too much theory for me. I'm not that clever. But.. maybe I'm a little bit wise? maybe I heal from the heart not the head? Letting go does not come easily. It takes practice to let go of the old and reach for something new. Today practice letting go of fear and listening to your heart. Pay attention to what it tells you... and check in with it often I know it worked for me. And many of my clients have had similar experiences. So try everything and anything if you can, go with whats right for you. You will know when you find it. Fi x ![]() Over the past year I have seen an increase in the number of children coming for Reiki healing. From youngsters on the autism spectrum through to teenagers with a mix of issues (unsettled hormones, exam stress, friendship issues, to name a few), the calming practice of Reiki can benefit children by promoting relaxation and confidence. Childhood ailments such as ear infections, respiratory infections, asthma, and tummy upsets are common place. Children today are also dealing with complex mental health and emotional issues - anxieties, fears, bullying, lack of self esteem, low confidence, addictions (drugs, devices) compulsive disorders, peer and educational pressures, lack of sleep... I could go on and on. Reiki has been helpful in the treatment of all of these. As Reiki works on all levels of the body-physical, mental/emotional and spiritual, the body will be able to use the energy to find balance in its own way. It will adjust to the moment and the needs of the individual. Because Reiki is balancing, it can be of benefit regardless of the type of “disorder” and can provide soothing moments for parents and kids alike.
Reiki treatments are safe and non-invasive, and you can be flexible with your approach:
One little boy brings a different soft toy every session, and eagerly lays down on the couch with a fleecy blanket. We play Disney songs - 'Can you feel the love tonight?' is a joint favourite, the energy when this song comes on it is wonderful! He likes to feel the warmth of my hands on his tummy as he finds it comforting and soothing. His session is always early Saturday evening as he then goes home to snuggle on the sofa to watch Strictly, its all part of his Saturday night treat, so lovely! The length of session depends on each individual child. Younger ones maybe enjoy 20 mins. Teenagers can typically settle for longer and can enjoy 45 minutes. And every session can be further tailored to what best for your child - favourite songs, special teddy bears, though to maybe an Indian Head Massage first for teenagers, like a mini spa sesh! Parents are encouraged to learn Reiki Level 1 (1st degree) so their child can receive treatments. This is a 1 day course and concentrates on self healing and healing of immediate family members. In some cases children themselves are learning Reiki, my 8 year old son loves meditation and sound therapy, Reiki is a natural progression in his self healing. So, if you are looking for ways to promote relaxation and inner balance for your child its worthwhile giving Reiki a go, I offer free consultations and Reiki taster sessions for children so get in touch for more information. What does it mean- to dig deep to heal?
In essence it’s to self reflect, to discover the elusive and deep subconscious thoughts and beliefs that can block us, to understand them in order to release them. It quite often involves pain to gain self awareness and in turn to allow forgiveness for yourself & others. But what if those thoughts and beliefs are so painful, that every time you dig your are reliving the very things that make you suffer. At some point you have to be honest with yourself about how much time and energy you spend digging. You have a choice about how to recover and release. Keep digging and reliving, or you can put it all in a virtual waste bin and move forward without having a full understanding of the what & why’s of your past - accept, let it go, stop holding onto it, stop over analysing, stop giving it space and energy, cut it off, suffocate it before it suffocates you. Make it history. There are plenty of healthy ways to then release without having to totally re-live past pain. Crying, hugging, therapy, counselling, dancing, walking, running, laughing, meditating, reiki. All these start with you making a conscious choice to change the way you feel. And do that you must realise that you are in control of your 'here and now', that you have the power within to unlock your emotions and to let go of past trauma without replaying them. Yes you may need help in getting there. Try a number of different things to see what works for you. Detach from what destroys you. Use your energy and time for positive change rather than replaying past pain. In the majority of my discussions with clients after they've had Reiki healing session, we talk about light - seeing the light, focusing on light, sensing light, feeling light, let there be light. I love light!
Amazingly they all experience the light in some form, many feel lighter, many see light in their minds eye throughout the session, this week one client said she saw a light go on as I placed my hands over her solar plexus chakra, what she didn't know until afterwards was that I was visualising placing a light bulb in her solar plexus chakra! How cool is that?! This is because throughout the Reiki healing treatment I focus on channelling the universal healing energy, which I visualise as a bright bright sparkly light, into you. Light works to shift shadows, think of shadows as 'blockages', caused trapped emotions, that need release. So by shining light onto a shadow we are overcoming that shadow. And by talking about the session post treatment, where we may touch upon the root cause of the blockage, we are also bringing it to our conscious awareness, and giving it light, and in turn releasing it, this is why quite often clients may feel tearful yet relieved immediately after their Reiki if discussing the session. Think of it like a detox, the Reiki light is shifting the shadow, the blockage, and then chatting about it afterwards, you the client are willingly releasing it too. And by releasing that shadow we have more space left inside of us for, you've guessed it, light!! Love Fi xx My first vid! oh my, should have put some lippy on! and I am not keen on my picture being taken, let alone being filmed!
Anyways, back to business. Meditation, and the sound tools you can use to distract your mind when meditating. I’ve just completed a healing session with a lovely client and we had a chat about meditation and I showed her some of the sound tools I use. This made me think about posting a quick video to show everyone coming to the meditation evenings (starting in March) that tools that we will you and be enjoying. So here goes, a link to a quick vid for you that I posted on my facebook page, spur of the moment filming at 9pm in the eve, no post vid production so take it as is it, I’ve yet to get the hang of pretty'ing it up! Love Fi X ps not watched it all back but had a message about an orb in the background, see if you can spot it x ![]() Tibetan Acupressure Sound Therapy uses harmonic sound to re-align the bodies natural energy fields and to help clear blockages. A unique therapy, it uses a mix of Tibetan/Ayurvedic traditions and Sound Healing, whereby sound generating tools are placed on or over the bodies auric field, chakras and main acupressure points, enabling their vibrations and frequencies to gently move blockages and encourage energy flow, to bring a state of harmony. Sound has long been known to be a potent source of healing therapy. In fact, it is of the highest order in terms of its effect on humans both on the physical and metaphysical levels. Sound frequency is now recognised as being an extremely efficient healing modality. It is used in a wide range of applications within the fields of conventional and complementary medicine. This lovely gentle therapy uses a number of percussive sounds over the body:
![]() There is nothing nicer than knowing you have enjoyed your holistic therapy so much that you positively talk to your friends and family about it. Word of mouth recommendations and referrals make my heart jump, because I really do work hard to give a valued service. Your happiness and satisfaction is my top priority. As a way of saying thank you, if you recommend LoveReiki to a friend who books an appointment then I would like to show my appreciation by giving you both £10 off * a subsequent full priced therapy. Make sure your friend mentions your name when they book their initial appointment. And if you return time and time again that is a sign that I am doing a good job! As a way of saying thank you for your support, if you enjoy 5 therapies you will get a £10 voucher* towards a future full priced therapy. * reward incentives can only be used against full priced therapy appointments. ![]() We all love a good tune on the radio.. music has the power to relax, raise energies, stir emotions, trigger memories, to heal. Sound Healing Therapy can be used to help any illness or ailment - physical or emotional, as it works at a fundamental energetic level. Whilst there are many different instruments used in sound healing, because everyone reacts differently, I have personally always loved the soothing sounds of Tibetan singing bowls. Their therapeutic tone really helps me to relax and clear my mind. Whether as part of a yoga session or a guided meditation, the sounds of singing bowls have the power to instil a trance like state of relaxation. Sound Therapy uses musical tuning forks and singing bowls in a non-invasive way to re-align and balance the body's natural energy fields and to help clear energetic blockages. Harmonic sound, both audible and vibrational can locate and resolve energetic disharmony. For example, you can activate the third eye chakra, located between the eye brows, by first hitting a bowl and then gently touching the vibrating rim of the bowl at the chakra. The beautiful and melodic tones of Sound Healing can deeply penetrate our body, mind, and spirit and Tibetan singing bowls chakra healing powers are immense. Sound Therapy therefore supports self healing and is complementary to other therapeutic measures, in particular Reiki Healing which also works on the chakra system. It is a gentle and enjoyable method and is opening up fascinating new areas of subtle work, together Reiki and sound therapy can work wonderfully. Sound Healing is nothing new, it is a practice that has been occurring for hundreds of thousands of years and the west is finally starting to catch onto the benefits of Tibetan Singing Bowls Chakra Healing Powers. So, I'm pleased to say that I am now offering Tibetan Acu-Sound Therapy. This involves using Singing Bowls, Tibetan Chimes and Tuning Forks on the Chakra System and major Acupressure points. All you need to do is lie back and listen. x ![]() i My very astute 12 year old asked “mum, as you offer more treatments than Reiki, do you think your business name is limiting you?” Before I could even answer my very wise 7 year old said “but everything mum does comes with a sprinkling of her Reiki.” And how true this is. He got me thinking about how I am different to other therapists, and about how other holistic therapists are different to me. When we provide a holistic treatment so someone its a very personal experience. The more people I am lucky to meet, the more understand how personal and unique each holistic appointment is with every individual, and how privileged I am to be able to spend time, share space, exchange energy and emotions, with those who come to me for relaxation and healing. I have just spent the evening giving an Indian Head Massage to a lovely lady. Whilst I see her regularly through the week, I don't personally know her, we may exchange a glance at each other as we go about our busy days of always having to be somewhere, occasionally maybe a smile as our paths cross and we rush past each other. She really enjoyed her head massage, being an active and extremely fit lady (both mentally and physically), the therapy almost forced her to slow down and take some time to be gentle. As she was interested in Reiki and said she was struggling with some muscular issues I suggested we add a little bit in after I had finished her massage and she was agreeable. I naturally include healing in all therapies, I don't know why, it's intuitive, it just flows in with what I do. The massage was gorgeous. The Reiki was beautiful. She was relaxed and calm and open. I was already in the flow. We didn't just add in a little bit, we went with the flow and I gave what was needed. Instantly as I placed my hands on her head I felt a deep connection with her emotions, which deepened around her heart chakra, and with my third eye I could see her pain, and with my heart I could feel her sorrow. I knew exactly where her physical pain was, and I could have kept my hands on the spot for a long time, they felt like they were sinking into her. At the end of the session we chatted about what I had picked up on, we exchanged hugs, and tears, and I know she went home feeling relaxed and cared for, and touched by spirit. So, that's why I'm called LoveReiki, it's not limiting, it's enabling, because everything I do comes with a sprinkling of magic, of the calm and loving energy force that is Reiki. x ![]() I personally believe that everyone’s spiritual awakening starts with a trigger - be it illness, grief, an experience that freaks you out, a person you meet. For me in was mental illness. As a child I was acutely aware of energy, I absorbed it, buzzed from it. Through my teens and twenties it subsided as I was consumed by other things. And then in my very early thirties I went through a dark 10 month+ period of depression where I experienced a mini-breakdown, as I now call it, totally caused by the toxic environment I worked in. This pattern of emotions had continued in various jobs/ positions I had held, a cycle, reaching a crescendo of a breakdown. I was off work sick for 6 months. I finally, finally, listened to my inner voice. I was good at my job, I earned great money, I got on well with everyone, I loved developing a team and individuals. But... I was ‘too sensitive’ to the backstabbing and lies and dog eat dog culture. I recovered because something in me just clicked, about my life purpose, I realised I was in the wrong place doing the wrong things with the wrong people. I didn’t belong there. It was making me ill. And I had the power to change that. I took a brave step and tentatively left the merry go round of working in fast paced high powered very competitive corporate organisations. Financially I was poor, but emotionally I become so enriched. At that point I began seeing / hearing / feeling / knowing things again. I didn’t know it was spirit, just that it was energy from another place. Then things really took off 13 years ago when my first son was born, that was a huge catalyst for actually working with energy. And there was another massive shift after the birth of my second son on 11/11/11! We all have a back story. We all have stepping stones along our spiritual pathway. We all have the universe trying to put us in the right place, even if we don't initially pick up on the signs and need a damn big push to move us along. And the more people we meet through reiki, or through spiritual development groups, the more discussions we have, then you realise that we are all going through similar things, and we all need help from others, including spirit, at some point. We will be talking more about this kind of stuff at the Psychic School that’s opening soon. Thanks for reading Fi x We are pleased to share the news that we have moved into our new therapy room! The Healing Room is based in The Old Coach House on the Farleigh Estate, In Farleigh Wallop, near Basingstoke in Hampshire. A lovely calming and serene space, perfect for healing and meditation.
12/29/2018 MPs Recommend Complementary, Traditional and Natural Medicine to Help Overstretched NHSRead Now This is brilliant news, and long overdue.
A new report, by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Integrated Healthcare (PGIH), urges the NHS to embrace complementary, traditional and natural medicine to ease the mounting burden on service provision. The report, “Integrated Healthcare: Putting the Pieces Together”, recommends a whole person approach to health delivery focusing on prevention and tackling the root cause of illness. It highlights the fact that 70% of total health expenditure in England is associated with treating the 30% of the population with one long-term condition or more. The result of these complex health conditions being the growing problem of polypharmacy (the use of several drugs at the same time) coupled with largely unknown effects of combining drugs over a sustained period of time. A significant part of this strategy would be to treat patients as whole persons, with individual needs, rather than with a variety of illnesses that are treated separately. Having volunteered for North Hants Hospital Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support at their Living With Cancer events I hope this news will enable them to hold more events and provide more holistic support to cancer patients who really need it. Many hospices and hospital now have teams of volunteers providing holistic therapies, such as reiki and reflexology to cancer patients. However, very very few actually have holistic therapists on the payroll. I would love to see more therapists encouraged to work (voluntary or paid) in hospices and hospitals supporting patients who have a wide range of terminal and non critical physical health issues, in addition to helping those with mental and emotional illnesses. Watch this space! |