Volume XXI, No. 4 Donation $6.00 Winter 2009
The Quebec Therapeutic Touch Network Board of Directors Susan Hamilton, Monique Gregory, Leo Gregory and Irma Bubolic
In this issue ...
in touch wants you! 2 Conference Kudos 14 Reports from Networks Across Canada 3 Current News & Views 15 A Canadian Therapeutic Touch Network? 4 The Practice Group Corner 16 TTNO Information Page 5 The Word on WORD 16 Practitioner Liaison Committee Report 6 So Many Websites... How to Tell Good from Bad 17 Upcoming Practice Days 6 Questions and Answers about Therapeutic Touch™ 18,19 Teachers Liaison Committee Report 7 The Therapeutic Touch Word is Out! 21 Winter Issue Donation Report 7 Our Experiences with Therapeutic Touch 22 Treasurer’s Report 8 TTNO Volunteers - Our Greatest Asset 23 Meditation 8 Hospice Peel is now Heart House Hospice 23 Issues of Relaxation 9 Therapeutic Touch Research 24 TTNO Workshop List 10 Our Vision & Reality Conference, 2009 25 Therapeutic Touch Workshops for Continuing Education11 Ramblings 25 The Ethics Statement: Safety Net for TT Practitioners 12 Canadian Networks’ Information 26
So Many Books, So LIttle Time 13 Canadian Teachers and Practice Groups 27 Moving in to the Silence 28 in touch is the newsletter of The Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario wants you! P.O. Box 156, Station U in touch Etobicoke, ON M8Z 5P1 The goal of in touch is to keep us in touch. This happens as we share our knowledge, concerns, ideas, Email: [email protected] and thoughts as well as the excitement of being part of www.therapeutictouchontario.org the Therapeutic Touch™ family. The opinions and ideas expressed by the To fulfill its goal, in touch asks you to contribute to writers in this publication are their own the newsletter by submitting articles, by responding to and are not necessarily endorsed by “Questions and Answers About Therapeutic Touch”, by The Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario. sharing what you are reading and finding stimulating for “so many books, so little time”, and what you are ADVERTISING RATES doing for “The Therapeutic Touch Word Is OUT!” Size Dimensions Cost GST Total Articles should offer true observations about an experience you had, for example, in a workshop, 1/3 page Horiz: w 7.5” x h 3.25” $60.00 $3.00 $63.00 retreat, when offering a session (e.g. client Vert: w 2.5” x h 9.75” $60.00 $3.00 $63.00 responses), or providing one in a difficult situation. You 1/4 page w 3.5” x h 4.75” $50.00 $2.50 $52.50 could include in your article how the situation led to Bookmark 1/6 page w 2.3” x h 4.5” $40.00 $2.00 $42.00 new insights, deepened your wisdom, and/or gave you Business Card w 3.5” x h 2” $35.00 $1.75 $36.75 Classified Ads per words $00.50 $0.03 $00.53 a different perspective. You might want to share how those learnings/insights affect the way you experience We reserve the right to refuse advertising not Therapeutic Touch. Whatever your approach, articles in keeping with the philosophies of, need to be personal and true. Suggested length of or the interests of, the members of the TTNO. articles is 750 words or less. Other submissions, e.g. to Q&A, so many books…. and The Therapeutic Touch Word Is OUT! should be 300 words or less. If you would PUBLICATION DATES AND DEADLINES like to contribute to the newsletter but feel unsure of how to go about this, contact the editors through the Publication date is the (Solstice) 21st of TTNO office, and they will assist you. • Spring • Summer • Autumn • Winter
Send your submissions to the Next Issue: Spring 2010 TTNO([email protected]). If it is a response to Q&A, send to Helen Will (helenwillart@ Deadline for submissions: Feb 15/10 yahoo.com) or if it is news of your activities for “The Late submissions may be held for the following issue. Therapeutic Touch Word Is OUT!” to Jodi Cole (jodi. [email protected]). Submissions may be edited for Please send submissions to the TTNO office with clarity and length. If significant changes are made, the “Newsletter + which issue + the nature of the article will be returned to you to ensure your contribution submission” in the subject line; e.g. “Newsletter remains true to your intent. The copy editors will follow Spring 2010 – Report from….” the style manual adopted by the TTNO Board. If you are interested in receiving the style manual, email or in touch, the newsletter of call the TTNO office. The Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario, is mailed to members of the TTNO, subscribers While in touch receives many submissions of poetry, in other Canadian Networks and countries, and both new and previously published, established policy to selected organizations and institutions dictates that no poetry is accepted for inclusion in the throughout the world. newsletter. Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40034150
Page 2 in touch, Winter, 2009 Reports from Network Coordinators Across Canada
Atlantic Therapeutic Touch Network TTNQ President Our teachers are again holding classes, and four of our Monique Gregory administers Therapeutic teachers—Cherry Whitaker, Evelyn Mitchell, Charlotte Touch™ at the August Quirk and Barbara Stone—represented ATTN by attending Health and Wellness the Fall Conference in November. Cherry lead one of the Fair in Ste. Anne-de- concurrent sessions at the Conference. Bellevue .
Our 2010 ATTN membership renewals have gone out to all those who have Internet connections. Those who do not have Internet or wish to have their own copy will be Community Work and Practice Groups Susan Hamilton, our Vice-President and Secretary, has sent same. We hope that this will cut down expenses in been successfully teaching Therapeutic Touch at John postage. At least, we are going to give it a try. Abbott College in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue since 2007. Her
new student enrolment continues to grow. The Practice Groups are up and running. There seem to be quite a few that are having very interesting topics to Our Practice Group meets on the last Tuesday of each discuss. The Therapeutic Touch™ sessions are always month and has recently moved to a new Holistic Center fabulous, and our new RPs are helping out their colleagues located at 113 Ste-Anne Street in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue in in their groups. So in some instances we may be small in the West Island. numbers, but our quality is first-rate.
Irma Bubolic, CTTN Rep., continues with her Practice There is quite an interest in having more Practice Days. Group every second Tuesday of each month in N.D.G. We Everyone seems to enjoy them. The Education Chair and now officially also have a new Practice Group on the South her Committee are planning at least one in January with the Shore. Contact Marie-Claude Poupart at 450-671-2223. possibility of another one later on.
Since January 2003, Monique Gregory has been working Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. at the West Island Palliative Care Centre as a nurse’s aide,
giving Therapeutic Touch care to cancer patients at end of Love and Light, life. As of September of this year, the new West Island Barbara E. Stone, Coordinator ATTN Cancer Wellness Centre is actively promoting Therapeutic Therapeutic Touch Network of Quebec Touch as part of its Holistic Treatment Program. Monique Gregory volunteers Mondays and Wednesdays. Annual Wellness Day On August 22nd, 2009, the Therapeutic Touch Network Practice Day of Quebec participated at the Annual Wellness Day in Our Practice Day was held on October 24th, with 14 Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue. Practitioners Susan Hamilton, practitioners in attendance. The event began with a guided Monique Gregory, Mary Drienovski, Dusica Jurisic, Urszula meditation by Monique Gregory, and Susan Hamilton, Konieczny, Eileen Langevin, Leo Gregory, Pat Jones and RT, started the morning session on the topic of Intuition/ Dolores MacKenzie giving Therapeutic Touch sessions visualization along with some exercises. The afternoon throughout the day. began with Tracy Shafter, Laughter Therapist, who taught us how to laugh. This energizing exercise really expanded What a beautiful sight to behold; it truly warmed my heart the heart center. The day ended with Irma Bubolic, RT, to see several of our practitioners offering sessions to leading a practicum and finishing with a blessing. This clients at the same time. We all learned that we could stay event was very successful, and we are looking forward to centered and grounded throughout the day in an open-air more Practice Days and Workshops in 2010. environment even though we were surrounded by a loud and noisy drumming band next to our booth. This certainly New Teacher with TTNQ boosted our confidence. What a gift we all received that The TTNQ is proud to announce that Susan Buscemi, day. Well done, practitioners. We treated well over 50 Recognized Teacher has joined our Network. TTNQ is people that day. It was indeed a successful day, and we constantly growing and expanding in Quebec. look forward to participating again next year. Monique Gregory, President Therapeutic Touch Network of Quebec
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 3 A Canadian Therapeutic Touch Network? We hope so…. Every year at the time of the Vision and Reality Conference in Toronto, Canadian members who have attended from outside Ontario have met to discuss the development of a Canadian Therapeutic Touch Network.
The initial meeting saw the formation of a steering committee, and one very important result came out of this: Peter Andrewes, a member of the Atlantic Therapeutic Touch Network and Secretary of the Steering Committee, was able to secure a trademark designation for the words “Therapeutic Touch”. This means that, in order to use those words in one’s written materials, one must be a member of one of the six Canadian Therapeutic Touch Networks. As you will acknowledge, this is a huge gift to all members.
Our progress in developing a Canada-wide network has been slow up to now. We understand this, since each network has been occupied with its own challenges of membership, writing of policies and procedures, developing Practice Groups and getting its house in order.
Last November, further steps were taken toward developing a Canadian Therapeutic Touch™ body.
A facilitator has been named: Cherry Whitaker of the Atlantic group. She will encourage each network to name a representative who will speak for their group with the intent that a conversation among these various members will be happening soon. In this way, communication will be ongoing throughout the year, and by the time of the next Vision and Reality Conference, some real progress will have been made.
You may know that an international Therapeutic Touch organization is being proposed, which is heartening. Rather than join as individual members, the representatives at the November 09 meeting felt that membership and participation in such a group would be most effective if we first put energy into a Canadian Network. This would mean that we could speak with one Canadian voice.
A Canadian Therapeutic Touch Network is an exciting prospect. If you have any ideas or opinions, or if you feel drawn to work on this exciting project, contact your local network. Evelyn MacKay
Second Annual, Advanced Intensive Website Suggestion... Therapeutic Touch Retreat I would like to recommend www.ButterflyEffect.ca. The “Inspirations & Echoes” creator of this website, Lori Gardi, gave a presentation at London Central Library on Oct 23, 2009. The topic was The Dance of the Inner Self “CLOSE TO THE EDGE: Event Horizons, Black Holes Ontario Retreat and The Mandelbrot Set”. You will find her scientific June 11 to 13, 2010 presentation at this website with pictures of Mandelbrot At Ecology Retreat Center, Orangeville, Ontario Fractals and of Buddhabrot. This is amazing work that Facilitators: Laura Pokoradi & Diane May has a lot in common with the way healers understand with Linda Nelson and utilize the energy of Universe. More information: [email protected] Jitka Malec, RT
Page 4 in touch, Winter, 2009 The Newsletter Pages of... The Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario TTNO Office: 416-231-6824 www.therapeutictouchontario.org 2009-2010 TTNO Board of Directors Community Walking the Talk, Talking the Walk Chair Brenda McNee, Toronto 416-920-5647 [email protected] It amazes me each year that this organization can put together another wonderful Vision & Reality Conference. My thanks go to Past-Chair the many, many volunteers who made it happen. (You will read Evelyn MacKay, Rockwood 519-822-4174 more about the conference in this issue.) Secretary Alison Cooke, Stirling 613-395-3691 I had the privilege of reviewing the recordings of the concurrent [email protected] sessions and was so impressed by the depth and quality of the presenters. I was also impressed by how they shared of Treasurer Susan Keith, Mississauga 905-278-9800 themselves, bringing forward their wealth of personal experience [email protected] in order to help and enlighten others. They were really ‘walking Membership the talk’ of Therapeutic Touch™. Janet Fallaize, Ajax 905-683-9264 [email protected] Whether or not you attended the Conference, you are part of Practice Groups the Therapeutic Touch community. I have noticed an ever- Gail Lafortune, Ottawa 613-834-4524 growing sense of warmth, congeniality and purpose throughout [email protected] the Therapeutic Touch Network. We all go through difficult times Practitioner Liaison in life, and it is good to know that through the compassion of Patricia Tamosetis, Golden Lake 613-625-2277 Therapeutic Touch, we can be there for one another. This feeling [email protected] of community and connection makes me feel that it is more Jane Graham, Toronto 416-778-6854 important than ever to spread the word of ‘talking the walk’. [email protected] The Annual General Meeting, held at the Conference, was Research and Professional Practice another example of the Therapeutic Touch community—warm, Mei-fei Elrick, Guelph 519-822-1295 [email protected] appreciative and full of accomplishment. We bid farewell to Shirley Allsworth on her retirement from the Board of Directors. Teacher Liaison We welcomed three new board members, a sure sign of a healthy Sharron Parrott, Windsor 519-258-0440 organization. They are Gail Lafortune of Ottawa, Judith Kanee [email protected] of Toronto and Linda Pearce of Etobicoke. We thank them all Members-at-Large for their commitment and look forward to seeing them flourish in Linda Pearce 416-503-4391 their new roles. [email protected] Judith Kanee 416-489-8432 [email protected] There was an excellent meeting of representatives from Networks from across Canada at the Conference. While Networks in WHO TO CONTACT ... FOR WHAT ... Canada have an excellent collegial relationship, we have yet to Address changes, Membership Renewal forms, Practitioner Workbooks, teaching materials, formally form a national Network. There will be more news about extra Newsletters, Brochures, resources the official formation of a Canadian Therapeutic Touch Network. Contact the TTNO Office Hala Riad, Office Manager On a personal note, I am pleased to report that my 17-year-old THERAPEUTIC TOUCH REFERRAL SERVICE daughter, Grace, took a Level 1 Therapeutic Touch workshop 416-65-TOUCH (416-658-6824) with Susan Keith on November 28th. She plans to include her Level 1 certificate as part of her qualifications for her summer job Web Site Additions and Changes Alison Cooke [email protected] application to be a camp counsellor. Now that’s walking the talk!
The Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario With best wishes for a Happy New Year! Mailing Address P.O. Box 156, Station U, Etobicoke, ON M8Z 5P1 Office 290 The West Mall, Ste. 3, Etobicoke Brenda McNee, Chair, The Therapeutic Touch Network Of Ontario Phone 416-231-6824
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 5 Practitioner Liaison Committee Report We are moving into winter and that time of the year when This Issue’s Timely Tip: we can reflect on the year past as well as the one we are approaching. It has been a full season for many of us, with 6. Displayed sensitivity to the client’s response. much accomplished and, as always, more to do. What to look for: There are three new Recognized Practitioners, Angela • Was the Practitioner making eye contact? Observing Cronsilver, Morlan Rees, and Maureen McKenna, all from her client? Toronto. Our sincere congratulations to all of you. • Was she watching for signs of relaxation or symptoms of energy overload? The Practitioner Liaison Committee is pleased to welcome • Stopped, observed and seemed to sense the needs of four new workbook reviewers Laura Morasett, Sophia the client’s field. Zoe, Cheryl Spickett and Kay Tuer. A committee is only • Practitioner response to display of emotion by client. as effective as its members, and this committee is blessed • If client reported feeling uncomfortable, watch with a dedicated and effective group. for evidence of immediate re-assessment and/or appropriate response, i.e., further clearing and/or Our thanks to the other members of the committee who grounding. review workbooks: Flo Hartleib, Mimi Craig, Shirley Boon • Did the client remain still and seem comfortable during and Willo Smith. Also a special thanks to Linda LeRoux the entire session? who also reviews workbooks. Examples of responses: In addition, Linda is on the Practice Day development • Evidence of consistent awareness of client and their subcommittee, which packages and puts together all the reaction to the Therapeutic Touch™ session. Practice Day information that is sent out to the facilitators. • Grounded when signs were present of overload. On that note, next year’s Practice Day, Self Care II is • Missed the signs of client’s discomfort e.g., sitting too packaged and ready to go, and we have begun the long. compilation of information on the Practice Day for 2011. • Grounding could have been used when the client exhibited signs of overload. A request and reminder to please return your renewal forms • Client was cold and practitioner provided a cover. as soon as possible after receiving them. This will help the process of membership renewal go smoothly and quickly. It continues to be a pleasure to work for our membership as a part of the TTNO Board and we look forward to new experiences in 2010.
We wish everyone a season of peace, healing and harmony.
Patricia Tamosetis and Jane Graham, on behalf of the Practitioner Liaison Committee
Upcoming Practice Days LOCATION DAY(S) DATE TEACHER CONTACT PHONE Guelph Saturday Jan 16, 2010 Evelyn MacKay Her 519-822-4174 Kingsville Saturday Feb 13, 2010 Connie Latam Her 519-325-0723 Belleville Saturday March 6, 2010 Alison Cooke Her 613-395-3691 Pembroke Sunday March 28, 2010 P.Tamosetis/G.Lafortune Pat Tamosetis 613-625-2277 Toronto EGH Friday April 9, 2010 Burfield/Cole/Thornton Marleene Burfield 416-438-7720 Niagara Falls Sunday May 2, 2010 Doreen Sullivan Her 905-354-8873 Etobicoke Saturday May 8, 2010 Susan Keith Her 905-278-6970 Windsor Saturday June 5, 2010 F. Hartleib Sharron Parrott 519-258-0440
Page 6 in touch, Winter, 2009 Teachers Liaison Committee Report “When I was at Pumpkin Hollow this summer Dee Then there are those of us who honour this work and announced her retirement. I was so moved by her and therefore its founders by sitting on the Therapeutic Touch the work that she has done, I felt that I wanted to honour Network of Ontario Board. her, and the best way for me to do that is to become more involved carrying on her work.” Arlene Cugelman RT, Vision Extraordinary and exceptional are the women on this 2009 and Reality Conference 2009. Board. I am forever grateful for the affection and support shown to me by these individuals, in so many ways As I write this last Teachers Liaison in touch report for throughout 2009, in my role as Chair of the Teacher Liaison 2009, my mind and heart are filled with awe and gratitude Committee. for the many people (past, present and future) and the many ways that we are honouring Dr Krieger (Dee) by In her entertaining and enlightening presentation at carrying on her work. Thank you, Arlene, for your words of the November Teachers Day, Anne MacKay had the inspiration and expressing your wish to join the Teachers participants tell why we choose to do Therapeutic Touch Liaison Committee! (as opposed to another modality) and why we choose to belong to the Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario. Such Some of us are carrying on her work by sitting on Therapeutic words and phrases we were heard: “it makes sense”, Touch Network of Ontario committees. I extend my deepest “great people”, “respectfulness”, “gentleness”, “validating”, admiration and respect and my profound gratitude to “accountability”, “credibility”, “professional”, “found my the members of the Teachers Liaison Committee: Cindy tribe”, “it works!” Graham, Denise Labbe, Evelyn MacKay, Linda Nelson, Doreen Sullivan, Helen Will and our most recent member As Christmas approaches and our minds turn to thoughts Flora Hartleib; and to the Curriculum and Guideline Review of gift giving, I think that one of the best gifts we give, and and Revision Committee: Doreen Sullivan (Chair), Jodi will continue giving, is our gift to Dr Krieger and Dora Kunz, Cole, Alison Cook, Denise Labbe, Evelyn MacKay, Mary by honouring them through carrying on their work in our Simpson and Helen Will. Words are inadequate to tell you own unique ways. the level of commitment and service these people have given to the TTNO in this last year. Suffice it to say that we I wish you all a blessed Christmas and a very Happy New all owe them a great deal of gratitude and appreciation for Year. their work. Sharron Parrott, Chair Teachers Liaison Committee, TTNO Some of us are carrying on Dr Krieger’s work by becoming and remaining Recognized Teachers. As 2009 is ending, we have a total of 60 Recognized Teachers in Ontario. Winter Issue Donation Report We have received donations from: In 2009, 20 submissions were received and reviewed. Five • Shirley Allsworth, Mei-fei Elrick, Brenda McNee, Jane Level 1 Submissions were approved. Five Workshops for Graham, Susan Keith, Alison Cooke, Miriam Hoffer and Continuing Education were approved. Four Retreats for Ronni Garshowitz in memory of Crystal Hawk’s sister, Continuing Education were approved. Three Teacher Days Sandy were approved. One Level 2 Submission is in the review • Pearl Godfrey in appreciation for Therapeutic Touch process. sessions given her by Pamyla Love • Janet Steller in appreciation for sessions given her by I have received a Letter of Intent to become a Recognized Lillian Hutchinson Teacher from four Recognized Practitioners and a Letter of • Ursula Hattmann for sessions given her by Dianne and Intent to act as a Supervisory Teacher from four Recognized Peter Bussmann Teachers. • Joyce Mingiardi gave a donation to the TTNO in lieu of a gift for another practitioner Many honour Dr Krieger by achieving and maintaining • The Niagara Fall Practice Group in lieu of a basket for the Practitioner status. I believe there are 790 of us in Ontario, Silent Auction offering Therapeutic Touch™ sessions to family and • The Barrie Practice Group to show their support for the friends, to clients in hospice care settings, in hospitals and TTNO long-term care facilities and in private practices. As well, we speak at health fairs, community groups, educational Thanks to all who made donations. and medical institutions. Alison Cooke - Secretary, TTNO
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 7 Treasurer’s Report Meditation “The eyes only see what the mind is prepared to At this year’s Annual General Meeting, I presented the audited comprehend.”- Henri Bergson financial statements for the 2009 fiscal year. Since only a small portion of the membership was at that meeting, I would like to Many Therapeutic Touch™ practitioners who attended bring you all up to date on our financial position. the conference must be wondering, as I am, where we go from here! Our experiences of inner awareness were The financial statements of the organization, for the fiscal confirmed by several conference speakers, including Dr. year ended May 31, 2009, were prepared by Cowperthwaite Diane Powell. One safe way to support such interest is in Mehta, Chartered Accountants. The audit offers reasonable meditation, which fosters self-awareness and insight into assurance that no misrepresentations have been made in the our own experiences. statements as published, and that the results of operations for the year are presented in accordance with Canadian generally It is important to develop a plan for the understanding you accepted accounting principles. seek. Give some thought to what you would like to pursue, and commit time and effort to this to draw it to you. The TTNO, at the time of the audit, had a net asset position of $96,345. Our assets are mainly in cash and short-term The following exercise is one for the active imagination. It investments, some of which are held, as required, as security may help you focus on the sensitive matters of your past in the remote chance of the organization’s collapse, so that we and encourage further growth. Begin by being seated in a would be able to pay out any commitments before closing. An way to keep your back straight, feet on the floor. amount is also retained for a research and scholarship fund so that we can act in accordance with our scholarship and Moving into the quiet... paying attention to your breathing, research policies. move into inner silence... Again, attending to your breathing, deeper into inner stillness... maintaining this stillness, in a This year, we voted to purchase two new computers for the place of no talking or inner chatter, no thinking, no feeling, office rather than have the old equipment repaired again, and just the stillness for a few minutes. I know the office staff appreciated this update. Bring into your mind a particular area of your life you would Our net income for the 2009 fiscal year was $22,443. The like to improve. How would you like it to be? If you could organization had a total income of $156,267, and expenses create it however you wanted, what would you like this for the year totaled $133,824 area of life to be like? Create an ideal vision of how this would be. What are you doing in this vision? Get to know The 2010 fiscal year’s budget has been approved by the that... how will this help you... picture how your vision will board of directors. help others... make it plausible... the more plausible, the more powerful. Give yourself permission to see that it will As you can see, we had another successful year and that goes be as you dream. Take time with this vision. beyond our financial viability. Your continued support through memberships, conference attendance, and spreading the word Now project yourself into this vision. Feel what it’s like in your own communities is helping your organization grow to be inside this reality. Focus on a specific scene. Don’t in many ways. The message is spreading that “Therapeutic be concerned now about how this happens. Imagine it is Touch™ Works!” Our new brochure is making its way out into already true. Experience it as if you are in the midst of the community, and people are taking notice. Our conferences it. Become familiar with it. Notice how it impacts others; just keep getting better and better, and we are already make any needed adjustments. thinking of next year’s. We are making every attempt to keep our members informed about the TTNO’s operations and You can manifest the changes you choose. Imagine moving opportunities, and we welcome your feedback. It is through forward being very gentle and patient with yourself in your your input that we can continue to promote this wonderful success, being steady and strong, each day welcoming work that we do. Keep it up. your success, manifesting your ideal. One day, you find that you and your ideals are one and the same. Expect it. Susan Keith, Treasurer As you return your attention to your breath, tell yourself that change is coming, you are ready for it; you welcome it. Deep breath again - and back to awareness of the space around you, and when you are ready, open your eyes.
Adapted by E. MacKay from Meditations for Everything Under the Sun by M. Adair
Page 8 in touch, Winter, 2009 Issues of Relaxation Over the years, while offering my services as Therapeutic We claim that Therapeutic Touch elicits a relaxation response Touch™ Practitioner and Teacher, I’ve noticed how complex and that it often sets in within minute or two .How do we know the issue of relaxation is. To me, the relaxation response is the it happened? While most of us do not have measurement primary effect of Therapeutic Touch. (Crystal Hawk’s excellent tools to detect changes, we can rely on our observation skills teaching handout, “TT and the Relaxation Response” gives and on receiver’s feedback. more details.) Commonly, we watch the body slouching into the chair or bed. I call it “the state of being”. In this state, the energy system can Falling asleep is common. The skin is warm to touch; facial use its innate ability to heal, mobilize its resources and fully muscles relax, revealing the person’s natural beauty. Cheeks utilize the energy work received in Therapeutic Touch session. take on a rosy hue. Somehow, both parties feel closer, there is That is why we feel less stressed, perceive less pain and heal direct eye contact and often a smile. faster. That is why we become more open and trusting. With the diaphragm relaxing, we see increased depth of When we relax, the Parasympathetic branch of the Autonomic breathing together with normalization of respiration rate. Nervous System is in charge of the body’s processes. Then Stomach and bowels can be churning loudly. That is all the metabolic rate slows down, restores and makes repairs to wonderful and desired. the system taking the least amount of energy. The balancing work continues after the session is finished, therefore rest I always say the words of praise in order to put the receivers after the session is necessary. Increased water intake—if not at ease so they can continue relaxing. In addition, the degree contraindicated—is advised to enhance the cleansing effect of relaxation response in each session can vary: it reflects the of relaxation. unique interaction between two beings in the specific time of their lives. Those that can relax, flourish, grow and heal. The relaxation response is carried out by the mind affecting the body (for example in meditation), or the body affecting the The feedback from the receivers can be very versatile. They mind—as in Yoga and other disciplines. report their own perceptions and give examples of bodily changes and changes in the way they feel. Feedback also In Therapeutic Touch, both dynamics are present. We centre varies depending on the individual’s ability to relax, observe the and the mind/heart driven intent to treat affects our own field. self and willingness to share. Yet, in each session, something In the session, the receiver’s body/mind/emotions reflect the moves, something shifts, small or big, noticeable or invisible, practitioner’s state of being, and continue influencing each and from then on, the healing, the process of balancing, other through the relaxation response loop. Our every thought continues on its own. In most cases, we lack feedback of what causes an instant response in the whole body. happened days or weeks after the session.
In many of us, opposing mental/emotional forces are We, as healers, also need to learn to trust and let go. If we fully constantly at work. In response to a thought, the muscles accept the basic premises of energy work, then we must know start to tense up to get ready for a movement. Then, a that the healing interaction always brings some kind of benefit conflicting thought or feeling comes in, leaving them ina to both, the receiver and practitioner. Most of us are learning state of indecision (AMBIVALENCE) about the action, thus the art of relaxation over time. The degree of it is closely related in a state of semi-contraction. This is HOW THE STRESS to our openness, ability to trust and readiness to let go. BECOMES “EMBODIED”. TO FULLY APPRECIATE THE CONSEQUENCES, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT It is our responsibility to learn and teach the value of MUSCLE CELLS ARE PRESENT IN EVERY SYSTEM AND relaxation and—if the receiver is open—simple ways to relax. TISSUE OF THE BODY. Commonly, we keep ourselves Understanding more about the complexity of our humanity stressed by habitual “should” v/s “should not” considerations. allows us to serve with increased sense of compassion for self and others. When chronic, the tension becomes permanent; we carry it in our energy fields like armour. To keep it that way (to ‘hold on’), Jitka Malec, RT we continually use minute amounts of energy—like drops of water from faulty water tap. Consequently, we do not have enough energy for the business of living.
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 9 The Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario WORKSHOPS BY TTNO RECOGNIZED TEACHERS Winter 2009 For workshops that are not listed here, please contact individual Teachers. (Refer to the list on page 27 of this issue of in touch.) For email addresses, please consult the website at www.therapeutictouchontario.org LEVEL 1 (Introductory/Beginner) LOCATION DAY(S) DATE TEACHER CONTACT PHONE Belleville Fri Evg/Sat Oct 22/23, 2010 Alison Cooke Her 613-395-3691 Carrying Place Tues Evg May 11,18,25/Jun 1 Donna Logan Van Vliet Her 613-962-1004 Chatham Saturday Jan 16, 2010 L.Brodie & C. Dickson Louise Brodie 519-354-0534 Elora Saturday Feb 27, 2010 Deborah Gould Con. Ed, UGDSB 519-323-4840 Etobicoke DL Hospice Saturday Jan 23, 2010 Susan Keith Her 905-278-6970 Golden Lake Saturday Jan 9, 2010 Pat Tamosetis Her 613-625-2277 Saturday May 1, 2010 Pat Tamosetis Her 613-625-2277 Guelph Fri Evg/Sat Apr 23, 24, 2010 Evelyn MacKay Brd. Contng Ed. 519-836-7280 Huntsville Wednesday April 21, 2010 Shirley Boon Her 705-789-7434 Kingsville 2 Evg Jan 14, 15, 2010 Connie Latam Her 519-325-0723 Saturday Jan 16, 2010 Connie Latam Her 519-325-0723 London Saturday Feb 13, 2010 Carole Wray Her 519-668-0272 Niagara Falls Thurs Evg X4 Jan 7,14,21,28 Doreen Sullivan Her 905-354-8873 Ottawa Saturday April 17, 2010 Gail Lafortune Her 613-834-4524 Scarborough Saturdays April 17, 24 Marleene Burfield Her 416-438-7720 St. Catharines Thurs Evg X4 April 1,8,15,22 Doreen Sullivan DSBN CE 905-687-7000 St. Thomas Saturdays Apr 17, 24, 2010 H. Spangenberg/M.Whitehead Helen Spangenberg 519-769-2374 Thornhill C.C. Sunday Jan 17, 2010 Gail Sandler Her 905-770-0225 Sunday Mar 28, 2010 Gail Sandler Her 905-770-0225 Toronto TEGH Saturday Jan 23, 2010 Jodi Cole Her 905-731-4713 Saturday June 5, 2010 Jodi Cole Her 905-731-4713 Toronto Friday Mar 12, 2010 Maria Rossiter-Thornton Theresa Moore 416-493-7646 Windsor Fri Evg/Sat Mar 26, 27, 2010 F. Hartleib & S. Parrott Sharron Parrott 519-258-0440 LEVEL 2 (May be taken 1 month after Level 1, although this may vary with teacher.) LOCATION DAY(S) DATE TEACHER CONTACT PHONE Belleville Fri Evg/Sat Nov 19,20, 2010 Alison Cooke Her 613-395-3691 Elora Saturday April 10, 2010 Deborah Gould Con. Ed, UGDSB 519-323-4840 Etobicoke DL Hospice Saturday Feb 27, 2010 Susan Keith Her 905-278-6970 Golden Lake Sunday Jan 10, 2010 Pat Tamosetis Her 613-625-2277 Sunday May 2, 2010 Pat Tamosetis Her 613-625-2277 Huntsville Wednesday May 5, 2010 Shirley Boon Her 705-789-7434 Keswick Saturday Feb 20, 2010 Denise Labbé Her 905-476-5455 Kingsville 2 Evenings Jan 21, 22, 2010 Connie Latam Her 519-325-0723 Saturday Jan 23, 2010 Connie Latam Her 519-325-0723 London Saturday March 6, 2010 Carole Wray Her 519-668-0272 Thurs X5 Jan 28, 2010 Jitka Malec Her 519-668-2409 Niagara Falls Thurs Evg X4 Feb 4,11,18,25 Doreen Sullivan Her 905-354-8873 Thurs Evg X4 Apr 29, May 6,13,20Doreen Sullivan Her 905-354-8873 Saturday May 15 Doreen Sullivan Her 905-354-8873 Ottawa Sunday April 18, 2010 Gail Lafortune Her 613-834-4524 Parry Sound Saturday Feb 20, 2010 Pat Tamosetis Anna Brisson 705-342-5769 Thornhill C.C. Sunday Feb 21, 2010 Gail Sandler Her 905-770-0225 Sunday April 25, 2010 Gail Sandler Her 905-770-0225 Toronto TEGH Saturday April 17, 2010 Jodi Cole Her 905-731-4713 Saturday Sept 11, 2010 Jodi Cole Her 905-731-4713 Toronto Friday Mar 19, 2010 Maria Rossiter-Thornton Theresa Moore 416-493-7646 Windsor Fri evg/Sat Apr 23, 24, 2010 F. Hartleib & S. Parrott Sharron Parrott 519-258-0440 Saturday Febr 20, 2010 Claire Massicotte Her 519-948-9453
Page 10 in touch, Winter, 2009 LEVEL 3 (May be taken 6 months after Level 1.) LOCATION DAY(S) DATE TEACHER CONTACT PHONE THROUGHOUT ONTARIO Belleville Fri Evg/Sat May 6, 7, 2010 Alison Cooke Her 613-395-3691 Carrying Place Evg X4 Mar23 – May 4 Donna Logan Van Vliet Her 613-962-1004 Elora Saturday May 5, 2010 Deborah Gould Con. Ed, UGDSB 519-323-4840 Etobicoke DL Hospice Saturday June 19, 2010 Susan Keith Her 905-278-6970 Huntsville Wednesday May 19, 2010 Shirley Boon Her 705-789-7434 Keswick Saturday Jan 23, 2010 Denise Labbé Her 905-476-5455 Kingsville Saturday Feb 6, 2010 Connie Latam Her 519-325-0723 London Saturday Mar 27, 2010 Carole Wray Her 519-668-0272 Niagara Falls Sunday May 16 Doreen Sullivan Her 905-354-8873 Ottawa Sunday April 25, 2010 Gail Lafortune Her 613-834-4524 Paris, Five Oaks Cntr. Fri – Sun March 19-21 Jitka Malec Five Oaks 519-442-3212 Scarborough Saturdays Mar 20, 27 Marleene Burfield Her 416-438-7720 Thornhill C.C. Sunday May 2, 2010 Gail Sandler Her 905-770-0225 Toronto TEGH Saturday May 15, 2010 Jodi Cole Her 905-731-4713 Saturday Oct 2, 2010 Jodi Cole Her 905-731-4713 Windsor Fri Evg/Sat May 21, 22, 2010 F. Hartleib & S. Parrott Sharron Parrott 519-258-0440 Saturday June 3, 2010 Claire Massicotte Her 519-948-9453
Therapeutic Touch Workshops for Continuing Education These workshops include a Therapeutic Touch Practicum to integrate the workshop learning. May be used for both achieving and maintaining Recognized Practitioner status. Please see teachers’ advertisements in the newsletter for workshop details and fees. PREREQ LOCATION DAY(S) DATE TEACHER CONTACT PHONE “Spirit of the Moment: Meditation and Therapeutic Touch” Lvl 2/3 yrs exp Pembroke Saturday Mar 27, 2010 G.Lafortune/P.Tamosetis The Marguerite Ctr 613-732-9926
“Living Skills and Emotional First Aid” Lvl 3 Keswick Saturday Mar 20, 2010 Denise Labbé Her 905-476-5455 “Intent to Heal in Therapeutic Touch & the Role of Detachment In Therapeutic Touch“ Session” Lvl 2 Windsor Saturday April 10, 2010 Jitka Malec Sharron Parrott 519-258-0440
“The Transcending & Transforming Power of Therapeutic Touch” Lvl 3 London Saturday April 17, 2010 Susan Keith Jitka Malec 519-668-2409 “The Fine Art of Communication in Therapeutic Touch” Lvl 2 Belleville Saturday April 24, 2010 Jitka Malec Alison Cooke 613-395-3691 “Enhancing Assessment” Lvl 3 Muskoka Saturday May 1, 2010 Mary Simpson Bonnie Christie 705-646-2095
“Teaching Strategies” Lvl 3 Niagara Falls Fri/Sat/Sunday June 11,12, 13 Doreen Sullivan Her 905-354-8873
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 11 The Ethics Statement : The Safety Net for Therapeutic Touch™ Practitioners Each year, as we renew membership, we are asked to doing. I have seen it done before.” So I give the session as read and sign the Ethics Statement. It is quite brief and I have been taught. No frills, no additions, just Therapeutic straightforward. It applies to this Therapeutic Touch modality Touch. we value. As I read it through, I appreciate more and more that we have it as a guide. It is important to me, because it Many practitioners find, as their practice strengthens and helps define my boundaries and maintain my integrity as a their insights become more acute, that they begin to ‘pick member. Here is how it works for me. up’ insights into the client’s condition or into their life path. We might even think this information needs to be shared I want to be respected as I deliver treatments, just as I want with the client. This is a place to exercise caution. We need The Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario to be respected to remember that such information is outside what we were because it is the umbrella under which I operate. Moreover, contracted to do. We also need to hold in mind that it is I want to share the umbrella with others who are also easy to misinterpret what we consider important in the lives referred to in positive terms. I want to be proud of my total of others! Silence is the best response. In a session, a connection with Therapeutic Touch. practitioner who picks up private information from a client’s field can hold the intent to send them goodwill. I believe So the Ethics Statement is the guide for Therapeutic Touch that is what Dora Kunz would do. She often said this is an practice. It states in clear terms what is expected of me and acceptable way to address our own concerns. In sending how I conduct my work of Therapeutic Touch. For instance, goodwill, a practitioner will have done something very it tells me to inform my clients before I agree to treat, what helpful without compromising either the client’s privacy or their costs will be for the treatment/ parking fees/ mileage our own integrity. that I will need to charge them. That means no surprise for them. If I forget to do that, I make no charge at all, because All professionals are expected to adhere to the ethical not telling them is my own error. I can avoid their surprise or standards written specifically for their profession, as our my embarrassment by following the Ethics Statement. standards were written for Therapeutic Touch practitioners because we, too, are professionals. We add to our own If you have heard either Dr Krieger or Dora Kunz speak, or credibility when we follow these few important guidelines watched either of them demonstrate a session, you would developed for our Network. Read it over at least once a know exactly what is meant by the very first statement of year, and talk about it in Practice Group. That is a good the Ethics page. Each a remarkably adept and insightful reminder of who we are and how we want the world to see practitioner of Therapeutic Touch, I have watched them Therapeutic Touch. give sessions exactly as they teach it to others. They did Therapeutic Touch sessions that were easily recognized as You may be interested to know that when programs offering Therapeutic Touch. In watching, I never felt that their work Therapeutic Touch were being developed at Trinity United was beyond what I could do. Church and at Hospice Wellington in Guelph, both these institutions used the Ethical Statement of our Network as a The guidelines say I must not allow anyone to accompany basis for their own ethical standards. me as I visit clients, so it is very easy to refuse the curious who say they would like to witness the session. I need only Evelyn MacKay, RT say, “Sorry. That is not permitted.” When I am with a client, I also know from our Ethics Statement that no medical Therapeutic Touch™ Advanced Workshop* advice is to be offered. Even though I am trained in nursing with Mary Simpson, TTRT and have learned something of how the body works or what might be helpful, I cannot offer any suggestions or in Muskoka offer to supply any product. If I am asked to do Therapeutic Touch, then that is all I am expected to do. What a relief! No “Enhancing Assessment” pressure to suggest any other avenue of care! Since there Discovering our amazing are often people in attendance who know far better than me natural intuitive abilities what is needed, I can detach from the temptation to make suggestions of any kind. Saturday, May 1, 2010 For information or to register contact Therapeutic Touch is the only modality I know well enough Bonnie Christie [email protected] 705-646-2095 to use, so I am not tempted to do otherwise. Many people *Pre-requisite Level 3 recognize what this practice looks like in the doing of it and know what to expect during a session. Caregivers may Accepted as credit for achieving/maintaining TTNO RP status enter a hospital or clinic room and say, “I know what you are
Page 12 in touch, Winter, 2009 So Many Books, So Little Time
Not So Big Life by Susan Susanka
What is important to you? To yourself? Renovate yourself, discover what you really want to be, but exactly what would that be?
Susan Susanka has written a book about making room for what really matters in your life.
Susanka is the author of the popular book series titled the Not So Big, House, Garden, Remodeling, Solutions, etc. She is an architect whose philosophy is not big, but small, cozy, intimate, “using less space to give quality to life”. Her architectural books really are a treat to read and browse through.
I discovered the Not So Big Life when I was looking for the Not So Big Remodelling book. At first I thought, well, another self- help book by another popular writer. Well, I’ll give it a try. After all, it is free from the library.
Nine weeks and two renewals later, plus the overdue library fines. I thought it was very interesting, thought-provoking, revealing and definitely worth a book review for in touch.
Being an architect, Susanka takes an architect’s view of the personal world, and starts at the most important thing, the foundation of the house, which is meditating. Many of us Therapeutic Touch™ practitioners meditate regularly, or try to, or have the best intentions to, so you may think this discussion is one you may not be interested in. But it is a section that should be read. Susanka discusses the basics of meditation, but also about directed or focused meditation. She carries meditations through the book.
Susanka provides information in the chapters of the books, personal events from her life, including some of her personal therapy sessions and exercises at the end of each chapter. Her writing style is relaxed, rather like talking to a friend over a pot of tea. We read about how to end the internal clutter, discovering what inspires you, how to read your dreams, discover inspiration, and determining what is the quality of your life. These are just some of the topics she covers. The exercises can’t be done in a week or two, nor should they, but over a period of time so you can spend time observing your life, through meditating and writing—which is why I had the book out for over nine weeks from the library. (I renewed it, and when I couldn’t, I kept it overdue.)
So,why is this a recommendation for you? Because if you are interested in making some meaningful changes, whether big or small, it can be the smallest change that will have the largest impact.
As a researcher who uses the web consistently, I was pleased to find out that she has a website devoted to this book: http:// www.notsobiglife.com. I really like how this site is laid out, the colours and the ease of navigation. The site is laid out by chapters. Each chapter has an introduction by the author, available as an audio file or print. The exercises for each chapter can be downloaded. There is a quote for each chapter, often by Rumi. There is a list of suggested references with each chapter. You can join a discussion group or blog, receive the RSS field or newsletter. Very engaging.
Patricia Petruga
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 13 Conference Kudos from Members Attending for the First Time It is always an exciting feeling to be at conference where we welcome our special friends. What a party! Twenty attendees were there for the very first time, and we asked some of them to share how they felt about being there. We agreed not to publish their names; their enthusiasm speaks volumes, doesn’t it? These attendees spoke so beautifully, we are happy to share their words with you.
“Yes - first time! It was magical to finally be at the conference after hearing about it for a number of years. One of the best parts was to make new friends and to feel a part of this large wonderful family of people who heal and who care so deeply about others. Both of the keynote speakers were fascinating, and each of the workshops brought some new aspect into clearer focus for me. I was deeply awed by the most professional way that the whole conference unfolded, and very proud and grateful to the TTNO board and conference committee for making it happen.”
“I thought the conference was extremely well organized and run. If there were any glitches, they were invisible! It was fantastic to be in the presence of so many experienced and knowledgeable healers. I particularly enjoyed the plenary sessions, as the speakers were exceptional and offered a variety of insights into concepts of consciousness, spirituality and the nature of reality—all topics of interest to me. The experiential opportunities during the individual sessions were also invaluable to me as a beginner. With guidance from various session speakers, I was able to feel energy fields of my partners and thus experience firsthand the “feeling” of a person’s energy. I made some wonderful new friends at the conference and had a lot of fun at the Saturday banquet and entertainment.”
“I am drawn to TT as an energy healing modality… and just before attending the conference began reading Spiritual Aspects of Therapeutic Touch by Kunz and Krieger. Having flirted with other forms of energy healing, I now feel I have a home with TT. I feel particularly drawn to working with the elderly and maybe in palliative care…”
“The conference was a wonderful experience. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming… it seemed to be running like clockwork. The Market tables were fun and interesting. I was particularly impressed by Dr. Diane Powell (on Monday) and enjoyed her style of presentation—her vast scope of knowledge and intriguing subject matter. I came away feeling excited and better connected to this community.”
“The best part for me was to be among others who think like I do, have inquiring minds and are eager to learn. All the information presented by the speakers I attended ( Howard Eisenberg and Diane Powell) was highly interesting and empowering. I also enjoyed the two concurrent sessions and took valuable info away from them.”
“I came away from the conference feeling comforted that such a caring community is thriving, encouraged that I can make a difference, and I left with a sense of optimism about the future.”
Further Insights from Conference
“... at an early age I was taught not to expect that people would necessarily agree with me. This has stood me in good stead in my work with the medical profession. For if I happen to be associated with doctors who are skeptical about my clairvoyance, this attitude does not seem unreasonable to me and never interferes with my willingness to collaborate with them. In other words, I am not bothered by the fact that people may think clairvoyance is nonsense, for I believe that every person has the right to accept the claims of others only if they make sense to him or her.” Dora Kunz, The Personal Aura, (Page 6)
At conference we heard Diane Powell, MD, address the question of psychic phenomena and how such a thing can happen. She shared that her research confirms we have a space in the brain where the occipital, temporal, frontal and parietal lobes of the brain come together and surround an area known as the Angular gyrus. This is the area wherein the brain sends and receives information that is termed ESP.
Still, Dora’s insights are valid. Education of the general population is a slow process, so we need to maintain an attitude of tolerance toward those who don’t share our views. Dr Powell’s work, as reported in her recent book, is an excellent resource. The ESP Enigma, by Diane Hennacy Powell, MD, is published by Walker and Company, New York.
Page 14 in touch, Winter, 2009 Current News & Views from Crystal Hawk This year at our Conference, we had the privilege of having PRACTICING REMOTE VIEWING ON LINE Diane Powell MD, a medical scientist, share her belief that Remote viewing differentiates itself from other psychic abilities the ESP experiences many of us have been having are real in that it follows a set of protocols. Remote viewing was originally and that all humans can develop abilities in these areas termed by people associated with labs and universities. They with practice. One suggestion was to look at a spinning wanted a controlled environment using strict protocols and dancer and take control of her movements. In this column procedures to take this ability from back-alley psychic shops I’m given you the web site to locate her and I’ve added to procedural processes in controlled conditions. three other web sites in which you can practice your own versions of ESP. Instructions for the remote viewing psychic test on this site: 1. Clear your mind. Sit down at a desk in a quiet room and RIGHT BRAIN VS. LEFT BRAIN remove any items from the desk that would capture your See if you observe the dancer spinning clockwise or counter- interest. The plainer, the better. clockwise. You may be surprised to learn that others see it 2. Relax. Take out several minutes to breathe deep and quiet differently. If you see it spinning clockwise, then you use more the mind. of the right side of the brain and vice versa. Most of us would 3. Look at the coordinate number given to you. DON’T GUESS see the dancer turning counter-clockwise though you can try to what the targets are, because you will be wrong! Instead, let focus and change the direction; see if you can do it. the images come to you. What do you feel? What colours and textures come into your mind? The trick is to stay “low level”. Left brain functions - use logic, detail-oriented, facts rule, Low level means to not try and guess what the target is, but try words and language, present and past, math and science, and get minimal data (colours, textures, etc.). can comprehend, knowing, acknowledges, order/pattern 4. Start writing or verbalizing details. As the picture slowly perception, knows object name, reality-based forms, strategies, unfolds, start writing details. What are its attributes? An arc, practical, safe a curve, a motion of energy, red, green, brown, soft, hard, mushy? Write down everything that you see, feel, hear or Right brain functions - use feeling, “big picture”-oriented, smell. imagination rules, symbols and images, present and future, 5. Get a bigger picture. As you get more information, you philosophy and religion, can “get it” (i.e. meaning), believes, should be able to detect if it’s manmade, natural, human and appreciates, spatial perception, knows object function, fantasy- so forth. Start to feel for the bigger picture. based, presents possibilities, impetuous, risk taking Source: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22556281-661,00. A real session can take up to an hour, but if you are just having html fun, I think you should be able to do this in 20 minutes or so. The more time you take with the above steps, the better TRAIN YOUR INTUITIVE ABILITIES ON LINE your result. When you are done with all of this, click on the IONS offers a website on which to practice and train our intuitive coordinates button (the one with a number), a window will abilities. This quote from Edgar Mitchell, the founder of The pop-up with the target picture and see where you were close, Institute for Noetic Sciences, appears on the homepage: “We where you let guesses play a part. are explorers, and the most compelling frontier of our time is Source: www.psychic-experiences.com/psychici-tests/remote-viewing- human consciousness. Our quest is the integration of science picture.php and spirituality, a vision that reminds us of our connectedness to the inner self, to each other and to the Earth.” TEST YOUR BRAIN FITNESS WITHOUT CHARGE Lumosity™ is a brain fitness program designed by This web site has two sections: the Garden of Dreams and the neuroscientists scientifically demonstrated to improve memory, Halls of Healing. The site asks you to log in, because the site attention and processing speed. They offer three free games facilitators are using it for research on how we do. It takes only so you can test your ability. One game, called Birdwatching, is a minute to log in, and they keep track of your numbers. designed to improve peripheral vision—an important ability in many everyday activities, such as driving, since having good The Garden of Dreams is designed to test and potentially train peripheral vision is tied to a reduced likelihood of having an intuitive abilities and rewards contemplative states of mind and accident. intuitive skill. In one game, you pick a key to unlock the Garden Source: www.lumosity.com Gate. It usually takes me two keys to find the correct one! I’m . better at locating the fairies in the Garden. Research indicates Crystal Hawk, www.therapeutictouch.com distance healers share certain skills. Three of them, which seem to be primary, are intention, attention and intuition, and so you have the opportunity to test yourself in these areas in their Halls of Healing. Enjoy. Source: http://www.psiarcade.com
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 15 The Practice Group Corner The Word on WORD
Attention: Practice Group Members Here are two handy typing tips to use in Word: If you have never been a Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario (TTNO) member, you are now eligible for 1. To insert the symbol Ô (or any other symbol) into your a free Introduction to Membership. You will receive text, click on Insert/Symbol. A dialogue box of all symbols Autumn and Winter issues of in touch. You will also be you might want to use will come up. Click on the one you eligible for member rates to the Annual Conference in want and, voilà, it is inserted in your text! November. Upon renewal for 2010, you will receive the
distinctive TTNO lapel pin. Please contact the TTNO 2. You can make Word “smarter” by using the Autocorrect office by email or phone, and an Application Form for option in Word. Click on Tools/Autocorrect. You then have an Introduction to Membership will be sent to you. tabs, just like a recipe box, that you can choose from. Click on the AutoText tab, then click on the box “Show autotext options”. You will see a list of all the auto text The Whitby Practice Group options already entered by the makers of Word.
Therapeutic Touch™ was introduced at the Whitby There is a box that states: “Enter autotext options here”. Seniors Center on November 24,2009. In the space, type in “Therapeutic Touch” and then click on Add. From then on, Word remembers “Therapeutic Practitioners Mary Lou Westenhooefer, Sharon Henry, Touch”. Once you have typed three letters, a note comes Pearl Bird, Annelie Smolarek, Desiree Lloyd, Bernadette up saying “Therapeutic Touch, Press Enter to insert”. You’ll Plourde, Pamela Scott, Nellie Brant, group leaders Lynn never have to type the entire two words again! Vukosavljevic and Dorothy Pierce, from Whitby St Mark’s
United Church practice group, met at the Seniors Center I’ve added Recognized, Teacher, Practitioner and Alison from 1:30-3:30 to introduce Therapeutic Touch. Cooke to my list! Happy typing! We started our presentation with an introduction of our Alison Cooke practitioners. Lynn introduced Janet Fallaize, who gave a brief introduction to the background of Therapeutic Touch by showing part of The Therapeutic Touch™ DVD. A meditation was read, soft music was played and sessions were offered to everyone present. A ‘Thank You’ from Crystal Hawk The room was full. We had 25 spaces reserved and, in addition, welcomed four people who had been told I recently had an unexpected cardiac event. I the session was full. We chose not to turn anyone would like to thank all my Therapeutic Touch away! The emphasis of rest following the sessions was colleagues who supported me through this explained, as was quiet, so as to respect those waiting for or having sessions. A question period followed. We difficult time, with Therapeutic Touch sessions shared refreshments after our closing circle. Flyers were in the hospital, at my apartment and by long distributed to let people know about our clinic on the first distance. It has made such a remarkable Tuesday of every month at 1pm. difference in my continuing pathway back to good health. It was a wonderful afternoon filled with the loving presence of all our practitioners who share their skills so willingly. I would especially like to thank those who took Dorothy Pierce, GM it upon themselves to arrange their schedule for all these healing sessions. All I had to do was to receive and relax, and you all did the rest. I am so grateful to all of you and to Therapeutic Touch.
Page 16 in touch, Winter, 2009 So Many Websites... How to Tell the Good from the Bad . In the last article, I promised that I would write about web A gardening site won’t use terms such as beer, wine, cars, or sites you can trust for information. There is much from which chocolate in their keywords. On the other hand, a music site to choose. might have these keywords to draw people in. The more hits a website has, the more reputable their site appears, and they How can you tell a good web site from a bad web site? At first can charge more for advertising on it. glance, the information seems credible and sounds logical. The author or editor doesn’t say that all your problems will An example from myself: I was looking for good historical sites disappear if you buy this or do that. The site looks well done, to add as links to a web site about the Battle of Fort York. with a logical arrangement of information, and with no glaring About site number 50, I discovered that two URLs had been spelling or grammar mistakes. So how can you tell for sure if removed by Google because of inappropriate content. They it is a reputable site? were links to child pornography sites.
The Cornell University Libraries have written a simple, one- These two sites had added the term “Battle of Fort York” to page chart titled Five criteria for evaluating websites. They get people to their page. This is a common practice and one recommend using these five points: accuracy, authority, to watch out for. objectivity, currency and coverage, and show how to interpret them. You can find it at: www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ Good sites are accurate, up-to-date, have contact information ref/research/webcrit.html. I highly recommend you take a and match up to the keywords you are searching for and couple of minutes to look at the article. should have a copyright statement.
What about all those emails we receive that set off alarm bells? One of the best places to find credible sites is your local public They tell you to send this email to everyone you know. Before library. Public libraries have a page on their website of URLs, you do, investigate this at www.snopes.com. This site is paid usually divided by subject, that they recommend people for by advertising and it says, “Ads are by Google”. Snopes use, from genealogy, to business, health, homework help, makes their money by selling advertising on their site. philosophy, science, and mathematics, etc.
Let’s search for the baby carrots and chlorine discussion. Put On the Toronto Public Library URL, www.torontopubliclibrary. “carrots” in the search box, and the first article that comes up is ca, there is a menu on the left-hand side of the page, “Find “Are baby carrots made from deformed full-sized carrots that Good Websites: Our Recommendations”. Hovering your have been soaked in chlorine?” Clicking into the highlighted mouse over this menu brings up websites, subject portals, title brings up the full article. We see that this article is a mixture research advice, books, magazines and newspapers. Clicking of true and false information. A sample email, perhaps the one into this, we open up to Quick information, answers to popular that you received is displayed, with the debunking information questions and a subject directory. written below by a Snopes researcher. This information was last updated April 10, 2009. The page also includes the I went into the Health subject, chose the letter O, found copyright statement, which every web page should have. various subjects and chose obesity. The first page offers a link Finally, the sources for the debunking information are articles to a site for health education brochures in various languages, from USA Today, Fast Company, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and followed by twenty-one other sites, such as the American the San Antonio Express-News. Dietetic Association, American Obesity Association, the Chair in obesity at Laval University, cyberdiet, Canada’s Food Another source is www.urbanlegends.about.com—a good Guide and Cultural Adaptations of Canada’s Food Guide to site to discover what urban legends are, how to spot them, Healthy Eating. Anyone can use this open site. You can also etc. You can read this article to find more recommended recommend a site to them for inclusion. debunking sites: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/ techofalltrades/?p=100. Finding reliable information can be tricky, but there are places that recommend reputable sites. In the next column, I’ll Another question you may ask yourself is, “Why, when I’ve recommend specific sites that I find useful and interesting. done a search on gardening, does this weird site appear in the list of URLs?” When a web site is designed, keywords What site(s) do you like and would recommend? Let’s start a are added to the pages so that people searching on the web discussion, [email protected]. for, in this case, gardening information, will be able to find it. For instance, a gardening site will have the keywords such as “garden, Ontario, flowers, shrubs, trees, pruning, grass,” etc. Patricia Petruga is a TTNO Recognized Practitioner with over 30 Sites that want to capture users to have high hit rates for their years experience in research, online databases and training. web sites will add popular terms that people are looking for.
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 17 Questions and Answers About Therapeutic Touch™
Compiled by Helen Will, RN, BScN, Recognized Teacher Send your questions and responses to Helen at 1412 Rumney Rd, R.R. #1, Midland, ON L4R 4K3 705-534-1101 [email protected] Both your Questions and Answers are very welcome ... Please let us know yours! The responses are the opinions of the writers, and are from their personal experience. Although occasionally their ideas may differ, they are based on the assumptions and concepts of Therapeutic Touch, which may elicit a variety of interpretations. Thus, practitioners are encouraged to study with a variety of TTNO Recognized Teachers, who bring their own experiences to their teachings. Helen Will has been contributing this column for several years. She feels ready to pass this opportunity to another member. If you are interested in working on the Questions and Answers column, please contact TTNO at the Network Office.
“Therapeutic Touch can promote a positive change in Question: emotional affect, increased effectiveness of management systems (e.g., the absorption of medication, the therapeutic One of the people in my Practice Group was saying effects of chemotherapy, and a peaceful transition. that she has found Therapeutic Touch can “fix” anything and everything! That set off some alarm “We as therapists help, support, and quicken that life- bells in my head. Is she right or are there some affirmative impetus (the body’s ability to recover), but it is kinds of health conditions that respond better to the integral being of the healee that accepts and actually Therapeutic Touch than others? permits that healing to occur.” (pp. 218-219)
Responses Conditions that respond best to Therapeutic Touch:
From Helen Will: • autonomic nervous system One of the most important questions Dr. Krieger asks of • lymphatic system her Therapeutic Touch students is, “Why are you using • genito-urinary system Therapeutic Touch?” As Therapeutic Touch practitioners, it • musculoskeletal systems and problems due to is not our role to “fix” things. We are simply conduits to help mechanical problems (particularly bone fractures, with the rebalancing and flow of energy, and once this has wound healing or blister and pustular formation) been established, it is the patient who uses this life force • infections (in which one seeks to change the patterning energy in their own highest and best interest. So, I too have of the immunological response) alarm bells ring when I hear of people “fixing things” with • stress-related illnesses, whose fundamental problems Therapeutic Touch. are concerned with behavioural and attitudinal change • illness due to the side effects of prescription drugs As Dr. Krieger states in Therapeutic Touch as Transpersonal or treatments (nausea, vomiting, radiation, problems Healing (pp. 215- 219), there are many different meanings stemming from fluid and electrolyte imbalance) people have for the word “heal”. I have never heard her use • illness of spirit (demonstrated by lack of meaning in the word “fix”, and indeed think she would not be happy one’s life, loss of purpose, loss of self-confidence, or to hear this used in the same sentence as Therapeutic loss of personal values Touch! • re-balancing of the four traditional vital signs: pulse, respiration, blood pressure and temperature. (Pain has Healing that works for one person may not work for another been recently included as a symptom to be proposed due to such factors as religious and social belief systems, as a vital sign.) personal values and goals, and personal meanings that people may give to their illness. Several systems are only partially successful when treated with Therapeutic Touch: “Like most healing modalities, Therapeutic Touch works best with acute illness of recent derivation, and works • the collagen system least well with genetically derived illnesses, in cases of • lupus denial of illness, or hostility toward the TT therapist. And like all healing modalities, the TT process is bolstered by “The endocrine system has mixed results. It is effective for social acceptance of the healee and his adaptation to, or problems of the adrenals or thyroid but not remarkable for compensation for, the dysfunction caused by his illness. pituitary dysfunctions.”
Page 18 in touch, Winter, 2009 “TT works well with certain problems of the reproductive system such as problems with pregnancy; however it does not do well with dysfunctions of the pancreas, such as diabetes.
“While TT has never healed persons with completely severed spinal cords, several patients (with fully transected spinal cord) report that they can feel specific areas where the TT therapist is working in their vital-energy field without the therapist making skin contact or exerting pressure of any kind.
“TT has also had significant results in cases of manic- depressive illness and in people who are catatonic or in a coma; however, other psychological disorders, such as schizophrenia, have not been successfully treated with Therapeutic Touch.”
I believe that everyone working with Therapeutic Touch™ needs to be aware of this information and suggest reading about this in detail in Dr. Krieger’s book listed above.
Question for next issue: I have been asked to work with someone who has just received a pacemaker and am concerned whether or not Therapeutic Touch will interfere with this. How do you work with a client who has a pacemaker?
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 19 Workshop For Members Sunday, Nov. 15th of the Teachers Collective 10am-5pm $125 in advance In order to meet the increasing demand for courses in Therapeutic Touch™, Body-in-Motion more teachers are needed! 321 Kerr St. (at Lakeshore) Oakville, Ontario TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR THERAPEUTIC TOUCH dvd also available BodySpheres is an approach to exercise, body aware - Doreen Sullivan, TTRP/RT ness, movement enhancement, and imaginative A three-day workshop is offered on play that uses large, inflatable balls. Enhance your balance, co-ordination, flexibility and strength in June 11, 12, 13, 2010 this fun and interactive workshop that will leave Niagara Falls, ON you energized and uplifted. For further information Contact Doreen at 905-354-8873 [email protected] [email protected] 416-839-2064
Page 20 in touch, Winter, 2009 The Therapeutic Touch Word is Out! Where we’ve been... who we’ve been talking to... Compiled by Jodi Cole 905-731-4713 Email: [email protected]
For those of you who attended the conference last week, there is no need to tell you how great it was! The keynote speakers were fascinating. However, it is the presenters at the concurrent sessions I would really like to acknowledge for the fine job they did. I heard nothing but praise about the quality of their presentations. Well done all!
I’ve heard exciting news from Roslyn Levin, who wrote: “I am very excited to tell you that I won an award at the Sumi-e for Today exhibit at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. The exhibit continues until October 27th. The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre is following the sumi-e exhibit with the 2nd annual Shodo (Japanese Calligraphy) Competition. The work in this exhibit was juried by a panel of five master calligraphers in Japan. I have a work in this exhibit as well. I also am excited that my work will be featured as the Artist in Residence in the next edition of In the Hills Magazine! And finally I am so pleased to have had a solo exhibit at the Curiosity House Bookstore and Gallery in Creemore, ON. The exhibit ended on December 3rd to make way for the next show.” Congratulations Roslyn!
Maria Rossiter-Thornton has news about Rwanda, Africa where Therapeutic Touch™ is being used with AIDS patients.: “Through the work of positively AFRICA’s Volunteer Executive Director, Peggy Frank, the Nurse Healers Association and the Stephen Lewis Foundation among others, an exciting new Therapeutic Touch project began in Rwanda and will spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
“The project was initiated in 2005 when Peggy and her partner taught a Therapeutic Touch beginners class in Rwanda, using Maria Rossiter-Thornton’s small handbooks as teaching aides. It really took flight in 2006, when Peninah Abatoni, the manager of the Village of Hope (VoH) in Kigali, Rwanda, attended 10 days of intense training at Indralaya, in Washington State. Maria Arlington, Julie Benkofsky Webb, Dr. Krieger and others assisted with Peninah’s training.
“Peninah excelled and returned home inspired to practice and teach. Peggy also returned to Rwanda in 2007, and together they trained those working at the Rwanda Women’s Network (RWN) clinic in Kigali. Penninah continued to teach after Peggy left Rwanda and has now taught over 400 women. Those 400 provide care to over 4000 people in the area around Kigali! These numbers continue to grow as more people take the training and spread the practice. The ripple effect of the single training at the VoH is enormous.
“Rwandan home-based care involves traveling long distances on foot to rural dwellings where mats on the ground are the patient’s bed, women are often at home unattended, and food is sparse. Additionally, HIV+ women are often depressed and traumatized from the genocide (frequently, rape is the source of their infections), their diagnosis (AIDS), and the stigma of the disease in their communities.
“The caregivers, often themselves HIV+, provide comfort, compassion, information, encouragement and Therapeutic Touch sessions. The comfort and healing Therapeutic Touch provides has led to this project’s success in Rwanda. The work of these women has inspired positively AFRICA and Therapeutic Touch International to work together and raise funds for African trainees to come annually to Indralaya (Washington State) and Pumpkin Hollow (New York State) where Therapeutic Touch classes occurs in June and July.”
Peggy, a widow and 22-year survivor of HIV, inspires the caregivers and helps them overcome a sense of hopelessness. While in Africa, she not only taught at the Village of Hope but also taught Therapeutic Touch to patients at an AIDS hospice in Zimbabwe, to hospice staff and volunteers in South Africa, and to Anglican sisters doing home-based care in Lesotho. If you would like to learn more or assist Peggy, please contact her at [email protected].
Donations can be made to positively AFRICA for Therapeutic Touch training in Africa. These funds will be used to pay for facilities and food for the women desiring Therapeutic Touch training. Please note that positively AFRICA donations are directed to the projects specified. Thanks Maria for sharing this with us.
Next time I write, Christmas will have been and gone and my husband will have retired! Change is in the air! Don’t forget to keep those submissions coming. Jodi Cole
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 21 Our Experiences with Therapeutic Touch™
Healing Hands Always Amazing
I would like to share this amazing and humbling experience I never ceased to be amazed at how effective Therapeutic I had a few years ago. As Manager of the Dementia Care Touch is in assisting the body’s healing processes, whether unit in our facility, I often gave Therapeutic Touch sessions up close or at a distance. In the past year, I’ve worked to residents. One day, I happened to stop by another floor with my husband’s knee, stressed from repetitive use on a (very unusual for me), and a staff member there, who daily 12-hour shift as a trucker. Paul has become a regular remembered that I did Therapeutic Touch, asked if I would receiver of Therapeutic Touch, often requesting a session give a treatment to a very frail, dying woman who had been just before he falls asleep. It helps him drift off pain-free, thrashing, reaching out, for the last three days. The family even if his knee has been troubling him all day. and staff were very upset that this woman was in such a distressed state. While the family knew nothing about One of my regular clients has commented on distance Therapeutic Touch, they were willing to try anything to bring Therapeutic Touch, saying that she can feel when the some relief to their mother. session is occurring. I got a call from her one day, saying that her toddler had fallen at daycare that week and bitten I asked her children—two daughters and one son—to his tongue almost right through, making it impossible for him share something that their mum loved to do in the past. to nurse. He hadn’t nursed at all for the past four days. She They shared that she loved to sit at the kitchen table with asked if I’d work on him that day while he was in daycare. friends and guests. When she picked him up after work, he said that his tongue felt better, and he resumed nursing without difficulty. As I gave the session, the family and the chaplain chose to stay in the room. I took extra time to ground myself, and I What I find so amazing about Therapeutic Touch is how one lost track of time, but realized that there was less movement single session can sometimes have profound effects. I met from the patient. I visualized her sitting at her table, being at up with a friend at a book launch. She worked in palliative peace and happy. At one point, I saw something like a white care and had wrenched her shoulder, making her job of shadow sitting near her at the table, and then the patient lifting patients extremely painful. Ten minutes of Therapeutic moved to sit in the chair where the white shadow had been. Touch—in a busy hallway, because that was the only space It was at this point I realized I had tears running down my available to us at the time—and her shoulder felt fine. A cheeks, although I wasn’t sad. I distinctly remember the year later, it still gives her no trouble. feel of a warm, firm hand being placed on my shoulder and thinking, ‘goodness, the family is comforting me even as Whenever I’ve been in an office environment, invariably they deal with their own emotions.’ This gesture was very my Therapeutic Touch skills become useful to my fellow comforting to me at the time. workers and supervisors, whether they are experiencing physical stress from sitting too long or they’re recovering The elderly woman was lying completely still now, and from injury or illness. Just as most offices have a designated her breaths were very shallow. She died peacefully during worker who is trained in First Aid for emergencies, I’d love the session, which lasted about 20 to 25 minutes. There to see a dedicated Therapeutic Touch practitioner in every was a sense of peace in the room as the chaplain, family workplace. What a difference that would make to workplace members and I hugged each other. I returned to my own health! floor. The next morning, I met the chaplain in our mailroom, and I commented to her how nice it was that the dying Bonita Summers, RP woman’s family member tried to comfort me with the touch on my shoulder as I gave the session. The chaplain was standing across the bed from me and told me that no one in that room that day put a hand on my shoulder!
Elaine Davidson
Page 22 in touch, Winter, 2009 TTNO VOLUNTEERS: OUR GREATEST ASSET Congratulations to all! Our 2009 Conference was a great success. The coherence of the presentations throughout the weekend resonated fully, bringing our Vision to Reality. The concurrent session presenters are volunteers from our own membership, graciously sharing their experience. Their contributions are sincerely appreciated.
We are part of a strong and vibrant network, and we can all be very proud of our accomplishments. None of this would be possible without our volunteers. It has been a tremendous pleasure for me to have been the Volunteer Coordinator on the Conference Committee. It is an opportunity to get to know many wonderful people and to learn and grow together. I will be taking the Chair of the 2010 Conference Committee. This creates a vacancy, so please consider joining the Committee. We each have unique talents and strengths, and by sharing them, we make them stronger. You may contact me at 4annefrances@ sympatico.ca.
I am very grateful to all the following volunteers who helped throughout the event, realising indeed that Therapeutic Touch WORKS! In addition to the Board Members, Conference Committee, and Office Manager Hala Riad, thank you to : Mary Ann Alexander, Shirley Boon, Helga Brown, Dianne Bussmann, Mimi Craig, Susan Craig, Shirley Dalglish, Darlene Daudlin, Diane Demidow, Janet Goodfellow, Nancy Hall, Flora Hartlieb, Lillian Hutchinson, Lynda Joyce, Denise Labbé, Gail Lafortune, Tamara Lafrance, Sue Langer, Peg A. Lawson-Gowan, Susan Leuty, Marilyn Mighton, Evelyn Mitchell, Tina Moroney, Louise Nault-Gallant, Rose Philip, Connie Price, Dawn Romard, Maria Rossiter-Thornton, Regina Sheere, Jan Skelton, Claire Stark, Barbara Stone, Doreen Sullivan, Pam Wert, Cherry Whitaker, Linda Woznica.
Thank you also to the Guelph Practice Group, the Silent Auction helpers, and any others I may have missed.
THANK YOU Anne Frances Morris, Conference Committee Volunteer Coordinator
Hospice Peel is now The Heart House Hospice
Heart House Staff, from left: Theresa Greer, Executive Director; Debbie Abate, Hospice Care Coordinator and leader of The Therapeutic Touch Practice Group; Geraldine Aguiar, Director of Volunteer Development and facilitator of Therapeutic Touch workshops.
Welcome to the new Heart House Hospice, known for the last 24 years as Hospice of Peel. They felt it was time to freshen their message and help people better understand their role and contribution in the community. So, on June 22, 2009 the new name - Heart House Hospice - was formally announced, with a new logo and a new look and feel.
Located 855 Matheson Blvd, E. (near Tomken Rd.) Heart House Hospice serves the communities of Mississauga and Brampton. The staff and volunteers provide 52 weeks of emotional, spiritual and practical physical companionship. They attend to the client’s non-medical and respite needs during their end-of-life experience, and the needs of their loved ones during bereavement. Many of the team of devoted, compassionate and supportive volunteers learn Therapeutic Touch. They are encouraged to use it with clients following a Level 1 workshop.
On the third Wednesday of the month, Debbie Abate leads a Practice Group at Heart House. The workshops are arranged by Geraldine Aguiar and are well attended. Although workshops are open to anyone, reduced fees are given to Hospice Volunteers. Geraldine and Debbie can be reached at 905-712-8119. Submitted by Mary Simpson
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 23 Therapeutic Touch™ Research Research on outcomes of Therapeutic Touch, conducted As noted in the title, this is a double-blind study. In such by Julie Anne Whitley and Bonnie Rich, explored the a design, the person offering the sessions was unaware hypothesis that Therapeutic Touch reduces stress in of the measurements being taken, and the people taking preterm infants. Their article, “A Double-Blind Randomized the measurements as well as the consenting parents, did Controlled Pilot Trial Examining the Safety and Efficacy of not know which infants were in which session group i.e., Therapeutic Touch in Premature Infants” was published in Therapeutic Touch or Non-Therapeutic Touch. In research, Advances in Neonatal Care Vol. 8, No 6 pages 2-20. such a design is important to ensure reliable results.
The researchers begin by noting that for full-term infants, The infants in the study were 29 weeks or less in age. The comfort touch is pleasurable and essential in establishing infants were ‘nested’ in an incubator. In both groups, the nurturing, protective attachment relationships. Indeed, practitioner stood in the same position, the same distance relaxing gentle massage, as a comfort approach, has been from the baby, but in NTT condition, hands were held behind reported to increase weight gain and shorten hospitalization the back and the practitioner counted backward in serial among stable, growing preterm infants. sevens to divert the focus of intention away from the baby.
However, this is not the case for pre-term infants who are Results: Hypothesis 2, which states there will be “no less than 32 weeks gestation. The authors note, “These adverse effects of receiving TT in infants from with in 29 infants are not as neurophysiologically prepared to weeks’ gestation” and measured by frequency of apnea and integrate and organize behavior as their older counterparts. hypoxia during the intervention periods (p10) was upheld. Negative behavioral responses to touch and handling may range from startle reflex and agitation to blood pressure, The HPV in infants who received Therapeutic Touch heart rate, oxygen desaturation, respiratory and endocrinal showed a greater increase in parasympathetic activity changes.”(p2) “In premature infants, the sympathetic compared with the non-Therapeutic Touch group indicating nervous system, whose function is to cope with external a reduction of physiologic stress vulnerability. Hypothesis challenges (‘fight or flight’), matures sooner than the 2 is thus supported. Hypothesis 1, that Therapeutic Touch parasympathetic system, whose function is to help the return “will produce measurably increased heart rate variability to homeostasis and calm.”(p9) The researchers understood (measured as HPV) as a result of a relaxation response in that the “Sympathetic tone is dominant in the premature infants born less than 29 weeks’ postmenstrual age.”(p 10) infant, whereas parasympathetic tone (specifically vagal was upheld. The authors further state: “The results of the nerve tone) increased with gestational age.”(p8) analysis revealed a significant greater variability in the high frequency range and thus a lower low-to-high-frequency Therapeutic Touch, because it does not require physical ratio in the TT group compared to the NTT group, which touch, seemed an approach to the dilemma of comfort and means that the parasympathetic systems in the TT group stress reduction in the extremely premature infant. may have been demonstrating greater maturation than the NTT group.”(p. 13) In their search of the literature, the authors found a 1984 study, which used mock or sham Therapeutic Touch as a Julie Anne Whitley is a Registered Nurse who earned both control. This research found infants became more agitated a BScN and Masters while working at McMaster Children’s by the individual who was moving her hands to simulate Hospital in Hamilton for nearly 34 years until her retirement Therapeutic Touch. last year. She first learned about Therapeutic Touch in the early 90’s during a course on Critical Thinking and carried The researchers designed a double-blind randomized study on to earn Practitioner’s status with Diane May. Her Masters involving twenty infants whose gestational age was less Thesis grew from her desire to bring Therapeutic Touch into than 29 weeks. Ten of the infants received sessions and ten the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. non-sessions. The infants were statistically similar and were randomly assigned to session or non-session. Each infant Bonnie Rich is an Advanced Practice Nurse at McMaster received either Therapeutic Touch (TT) or no Therapeutic Children’s Hospital who was drawn into the Masters Touch (NTT) for five minutes on three consecutive days at Therapeutic Touch study by Julie. While Bonnie is not a the same time of day. Their heart period variability (HPV) practitioner, she became an avid supporter and joined with was measured five minutes before, during and after the Julie in a subsequent multi-centre trial of Therapeutic Touch session/non-session phase. HPV is considered a sensitive for pain in premature infants. The results of this research physiologic indicator of infant vulnerability to stress. Heart will be available in early 2010. rate alone does not offer the same information.
Mei-fei Elrick Research Chair
Page 24 in touch, Winter, 2009 Our Vision & Reality Conference, 2009
On Saturday morning, as I looked around during the with Market Place in the centre so we don’t miss anything, opening meditation, the thought occurred, “I’m at my Family the Hospitality Room close by with lots of tables, the Reunion again,” and gratitude washed over me like a wave fridges and microwaves available for homemade lunches leaving me a bit weepy. I’ve been to all the conferences, and that keeps our expenses down. Linda is so welcoming and each year we say, “That was the best!” (And the conference generous, makes all feel welcome. committee nervously whispers, “How can we top that?”) I asked some attending TTNO members for their thoughts. “The opening—chimes and meditations brought us together focusing on getting the most of the weekend. The Saturday Submitted by Mary Simpson, Oakville night banquet—great food (Crystal says it was the best chicken ever!), fabulous entertainment and the opportunity “The conference is like “old home week”. Just catching to dance the night away! The closing ceremony and singing up is the best time. As usual, the speakers were great, as “It’s in Every One of Us” was a family group hug. was the food and the venue, but it is such a soul-refreshing experience to be with like minds and let the outside world “All this and our fabulous speakers with messages that just carry on without you even for just a little while. I love follow the conference theme. The conference book to keep making this an annual event and have started saving my our memories for years, along with CDs of our favourite loonies and toonies already.” Sue Oliver, Grimsby presenters. The opportunity to win a great door prize donated by the Market Place vendors, and getting the best “I look forward to the Conference for weeks before, thinking Silent auction bid on something you loved. These are a few of all my sisters [and brothers] that will be there. I miss the of our precious things to remember all year through. Hard ones who aren’t there. We come from across Canada, USA to believe the time passed so fast, and now we dream of and international. One of my mentors was sick just before next year.” Mary Bant, Minden our celebration, and I prayed that she be well and able to participate, then so glad she was with us. Her expertise “I was particularly struck by Howard Eisenberg’s story and makes our Conference excel. presentation. Despite what happened to him he seemed accepting and understanding instead of being angry and “I love the pyjama parties in our rooms, late-night chats, resentful. He personified the best results of what Dora swims in the pool with the stars shining above, the homey taught us about letting go of resentment, “the poisonous familiarity of the Hotel with their helpful staff, the conference undercurrent”. He simply got on with his life in a positive area so well organized and self-contained in an inviting way. “A real-time modern-day hero”, I think. area, Linda Nelson, Peterborough
Ramblings with Mary Simpson Adam DreamHealer is in Toronto April 11, 2010. The ad says we will learn The Molecular Biology behind how our intentions create our reality; how and why everyone should participate in their own healing. How to create visualization routines for healing and their use as a healing tool. He’s always interesting—and so sensible!
From his newsletter: “The Global Intention Heals Project” has successfully proven that our intentions can change the physiology of others. At the exact time that intentions were sent to the subject, Christine, the scientists recorded a change in her brain waves. Two other world-renowned scientists will be analyzing the data. We cannot overestimate the importance of the initial findings of this research. It scientifically confirms the power of thought and positive intentions. Every time we send thoughts to someone, we are sending the energy of our intentions. This has been known and practiced since the beginning of time. Now we have scientific proof that the sending of intentions does affect another person’s physiology at a distance. ~~~~~~~~~ I receive a monthly DVD of short movies and full-length features from “The Spiritual Cinema Circle - The Heart and Soul of Cinema”. This month, “The Shift” by Wayne Dyer, illuminates his teachings on the midlife longing for purpose: “Don’t die with the music inside you”. It was excellent! Check it out on line; just Google the name. ~~~~~~~~~ In “What is Enlightenment” magazine, Andrew Cohen [wie.org/cohen] wrote: “I don’t believe that clarity and liberation of mystical insight is a free ride. I am convinced that the awakening of the spiritual impulse in our own hearts and minds is actually an evolutionary trigger—an urgent whisper from the Self to Itself, God’s quiet voice imploring us to relinquish our attachment to our culturally conditioned ignorance, our materialism, and our pathological narcissism. Why are we being called? So we will take responsibility for the evolution of our own consciousness and culture, publicly, in such a way that raises the bar for all of us at the leading edge.” I think that’s a great start for 2010!
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 25 THE CANADIAN THERAPEUTIC TOUCH™ NETWORKS
ATLANTIC (ATTN) MANITOBA (MTTN) P.O. Box 24073, 21 Mic Mac Blvd Mailing Address: MTTN, c/o Lil Smith Dartmouth, NS B3A 4T4 669 Queenston St., Winnipeg, MB R3N 0X6 Phone: 1-888-339-1224 Fax: 902-454-2919 204-489-7977 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.mts.net/~mttn Website: www.atlanticttn.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Coordinator: Barbara Stone, Dartmouth NS 902-469-0317 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Treasurer: Barbara Stone, Dartmouth NS 902-469-0317 Secretary: Judy Donovan-Whitty, Charlottetown PEI 902-569-3496 Chairperson: Lil Smith 204-489-7977 Education: Janet Manthorne, Bridgewater NS 902-543-4266 Vice President: vacant Events: Sharon Unsworth, Sydney NS 902-567-2432 Registrar/Treasurer: Lorraine Gauthier [email protected] Fundraising: Charlotte Quirk, Dartmouth NS 902-865-0059 Members at Large: Laura Carroll 204-452-1107 Membership: Kathy Chaddock, Halifax NS 902-423-2362 Publicity: Sandra Noah, Salmon River NS 902-649-2201 Practice Group Liaison: Barbara Stone, Dartmouth NS 902-469-0317 Practitioner Liaison: Janet Manthorne, Bridgewater NS 902-543-4266
QUEBEC (TTNQ) Le Reseau du Toucher ALBERTA (TTNA) Thérapeutique du Québec 908 Canaveral Cr. S. W., Montreal, Québec Calgary, AB T2W 1N5 514-624-0920 Email c/o: [email protected] Email:[email protected]
BOARD OF DIRECTORS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Monique Gregory 514-694-6994 Coordinator: Linda Terra, Calgary 403-238-3734 Vice-President: Susan Hamilton 514-624-0920 Secretary/CTTN Rep: Marion Cameron, Edmonton 780-988-7211 Secretary: Susan Hamilton 514-624-0920 Membership: Diane Kroeger 403-243-7432 Membership: Leo Gregory 514-694-6994 Members at Large: Karen Komanac, Calgary 403-242-8807 Practitioner Liaison /CTTN Rep: Irma Bubolic 514-483-6688 Linda Woznica, Edmonton 708-468-9326
ONTARIO (TTNO) P.O. Box 156, Stn. U, Etobicoke, ON M8Z 5P1 BRITISH COLUMBIA (BCTTNS) TTNO OFFICE: 416-231-6824 Phone: 604-294-0880 Referrals 416-65-TOUCH (416-658-6824) [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.bctherapeutictouch.com www.therapeutictouchontario.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Chair: Brenda McNee, Toronto 416-920-5647 President: Gail McGrath 604-294-0880 Past Chair: Evelyn MacKay, Rockwood 519-822-4174 Secretary: Marie Preissl 604-526-6836 Secretary: Alison Cooke, Stirling 613-395-3691 Treasurer: Brenda Jamieson 604-738-0453 Treasurer: Susan Keith, Mississauga 905-278-9800 Membership: Alex Jamieson 604-738-0453 Practice Groups: Gail Lafortune, Ottawa 613-834-4524 Publicity: Jean Ruttan* 604-463-7771 Research: Mei-fei Elrick, Guelph 519-822-1295 Practice Group Coordinator: Sharon Buzik 604-581-2404 Membership Liaison: Janet Fallaize, Ajax 905-683-9264 Research: Gaye Cross 604-921-7048 Practitioner Liaison: Patricia Tamosetis, Golden Lake 613-625-2277 Education Co-Chairs: Cheryl Larden 604-943-8915 Jane Graham, Toronto 416-778-6854 Linda Sampson 250-245-7381 Teacher Liaison: Sharron Parrott, Windsor 519-258-0440 Member at Large: Lynda Harvey 604-980-8604 Members-at-Large: Linda Pearce 416-503-4391
Judith Kanee 416-489-8432
Page 26 in touch, Winter, 2009 CANADIAN THERAPEUTIC TOUCH™ NETWORKS CANADIAN THERAPEUTIC TOUCH™ NETWORKS RECOGNIZED TEACHERS Practice/Support Groups Teachers will travel to other areas on request. The people listed below will give you information Each network sets its own criteria for curriculum and teaching. about Practice/Support Groups. * indicates a teacher of all levels. (Information for these pages is supplied by the individual networks and is NOVA SCOTIA London: Jitka Malec 519-668-2409 accurate up to and including November 15, 2009 (see note in box below)) Dorothy Salmon 519-641-2761 Loring: Cynthia Graham 705-757-1383 Toronto: Ellen Baker* 416-225-2088 Bridgewater: Janet Manthorne 902-543-4266 NOVA SCOTIA Midland: Norma Piitz 705-549-5165 Marleene Burfield*, RN (Scarborough) 416-438-7720 Dartmouth: Barbara Stone 902-469-0317 Helen Will 705-534-1101 Jodi Cole*, RN, BA 905-731-4713 B&B Nelson 902-852-4427 Beaverbank: Charlotte Quirk [email protected] Mississauga: Debbie Abate 905-712-8119 x225 Crystal Hawk*, M Ed 416-922-4325 Halifax: Dianne Simister 902-455-7355 Bridgewater: Janet Manthorne* 902-543-4266 Moffat: Martha Hoey 519-823-5847 Jane Milligan*, M Ed 416-694-1636 New Glasgow: Cherry Whitaker 902-925-2042 Dartmouth: Barbara Stone 902-469-0317 Muskoka South: Bonnie Christie 705-646-2095 Theresa Moore*, RN MScN 416-493-7646 Pictou: Linda Chisholm 902-485-4548 Evelyn Mitchell* 902-462-1975 Niagara Falls: Doreen Sullivan 905-354-8873 Maria Rossiter Thornton*, RN 416-926-8944 Saulnierville: Annette Comeau 902-645-2698 Halifax: David Maginley [email protected] Pierrette Guise 905-356-2884 Wellesley: Ellen Hadley 519-656-3493 Sydney: Elaine Hawrylak 902-539-0074 Salt Springs: Cherry Whitaker* 902-925-2042 North Bay: Monica Giles 705-724-5163 Wilno: Karen Schimansky*, RN 613-756-6172 Yarmouth: Sandra Noah 902-649-2201 Oakville: Mary Simpson 905-825-0836 Windsor: Flora Hartleib*, RN 519-974-2157 Windsor: Catherine Boyd 902-798-8628 Orangeville: Roslyn Levin 519-925-2401 Claire Massicotte*, RPN 519-948-9453 Ottawa: Gail Lafortune 613-834-4524 QUEBEC Sharron Parrott*, RN 519-258-0440 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Parry Sound: Anna Brisson 705-342-5769 Barbara Bennett 705-389-9828 Montreal: Irma Bubolic, RN 1 514-483-6688 Pembroke: Berlyne Mills 613-687-2921 MANITOBA, SASKATCHEWAN Charlottetown: Judy Donovan-Whitty 902-569-3496 Susan Buscemi Peterborough: Linda Nelson 705-755-0269 Kensington: Carol Evans 902-836-5200 Pierrefonds: Susan Hamilton*, RPN 514-624-0920 Port Perry/Uxbridge: Helen Thompson 905-852-5929 Winnipeg: Laura Carroll* 204-452-1107 Stratford: Sandra Fraser 902-569-5310 Terrie Slack 905-982-0389 Lil Smith* 204-489-7977 Richmond Hill: Gail Sandler 905-770-0225 ONTARIO Llyn Wren* 204-477-1757 QUEBEC Roseneath: Pat Hall 705-924-9320 St. Jean Baptiste: Jacqueline Marion* 204-758-3861 Sarnia: Margaret Pennesi 519-336-9990 Ajax: Janet Fallaize*, RN 905-683-9264 Montreal: Irma Bubolic 514-483-6688 Sault Ste. Marie: Margaret Saarela 705-759-2024 Barrie: Arlene Cugelman*, RN 705-721-1850 Scarborough: Marleene Burfield 416-438-7720 Belleville: Alison Cooke* 613-395-3691 ALBERTA St. Catherines: Margaret Deane 905-646-4945 Jean Dunnett 613-969-7483 ONTARIO St. Thomas: Melinda Whitehead 519-633-2506 Burlington: Diane May*, RN 905-569-9822 Calgary: Linda Terra* 403-238-3734 Helen Spangenberg 519-769-2374 Carrying Place: Donna Logan Van Vliet*, RN 613-962-1004 Melanie Graham 403-249-9489 Ajax: Janet Fallaize 905-683-9264 Stouffville: Marita Concil 905-642-5403 Chatham: Louise Brodie*, RN 519-354-0534 LeeAnn Wiseman* 403-873-0457 Aurora: Margaret Shearman 905-841-6059 Sudbury: Susan Lee 705-524-5084 Cheryl Dickson*, RN 519-674-0602 Edmonton: Linda Woznica 780-468-9326 Vera Turner 905-833-5969 Thunder Bay: Jean Riddell 807-622-7790 Elliot Lake: Dianne Bussmann* 705-461-7599 Lethbridge: Joy Petheridge Baxter Barrie: Arlene Cugelman 705-721-1850 Sue Langer 807-939-2984 Elora: Deborah Gould*, RN 519-846-2770 Margaret Cottle 705-719-1463 Toronto: Maureen Smith 416-967-0381 Glencoe: Regina Sheere 519-287-5526 Beamsville: Beth Schat 905-563-8495 Maria Rossiter-Thornton 416-417-2744 Golden Lake: Patricia Tamosetis* 613-625-2277 BRITISH COLUMBIA Belleville: Nancy Sherk 613-395-2973 Wardsville/Glencoe: Regina Sheere 519-287-5526 Grimsby: Rose Phillip BEd 905-309-4755 Alison Cooke 613-395-3691 Phyllis Ann Millyard 519-693-4347 Guelph: Mimi Craig*, B Ed 519-827-1819 Burnaby: Marie Preissl 604-526-6836 Belleville: Theresa Dodds 613-392-1848 Wawa: Aldona Mitrikas 705-856-2090 Evelyn MacKay* 519-822-4174 Delta: Cheryl Larden* 604-943-8915 Suzette Morgan 613-395-3473 Welland: Louise Aikman 905-938-2345 Hamilton: Laura Pokoradi*, RN 905-385-9217 Duncan: Judith Schweers Bolton: Ching Hsiung 905-848-1622 Whitby: NancyTurner 905-666-5503 Huntsville: Shirley Boon*, RN 705-789-7434 Golden: Maryke Patterson-Robinson 250-344-5325 Bramalea: Gabriele Boer 905-791-8637 Susan Scherbak 905-430-9600 Keswick: Denise Labbé*, RN 905-476-5455 Nanaimo: Linda Sampson* 250-924-5797 Brampton: Lillian Hutchinson 905-457-2211 Whitby: Lynn Vukosavljevic 905-668-9683 Kingsville: Connie-Jean Latam* 519-325-0723 North Vancouver: Lynda Harvey 604-980-8604 Brantford: Doris Marcellus 519-752-7044 Dorothy Pierce 905-668-8474 Kitchener/Waterloo: Carolyn Buchanan* 519-503-1852 Doreen Matrovich 604-929-3719 Raymond Poole 519-753-4150 Wilno: Karen Schimansky 613-756-6172 Sue Frid*, RN 519-885-3764 Richmond: Brigid Ting 604-274-7676 Brockville: Audrey Harkness 613-348-3736 Windsor: Flo Hartleib 519-974-2157 Heather Gurd* 519-885-4313 Surrey-White Rock: Faye Torgerson 604-576-8176 Burlington: Lynda Hill 905-681-2575 Sharron Parrott 519-258-0440 London: Jitka Malec*, RN 519-668-2409 Winlaw: Camille Roberts* 250-226-6886 Connie Price 905-637-5442 Windsor: Claire Massicotte 519-948-9453 Carole Wray* 519-668-0272 Carrying Place: Donna Logan Van Vliet 613-962-1004 Loring: Cynthia Graham*, RN 705-757-1383 Chatham: Louise Brodie 519-354-0534 Midland: Helen Will*, RN 705-534-1101 Cheryl Dickson 519-674-0602 MANITOBA, SASKATCHEWAN Mississauga: Diane May*, RN 905-569-9822 Collingwood: Nancy Lee Johnston 705-445-4032 Marguerite Langley*, RN, MA 905-271-8224 Elliot Lake: Dianne Bussmann 705-461-7599 Winnipeg: Llyn Wren 204-477-1757 Susan Keith*, RN 905-278-9800 Etobicoke: Karen McKeown 416-742-5628 Moffat: Martha Hoey 519-823-5847 Moony Khan 416-234-5504 Niagara Falls: Doreen Sullivan*, RDH 905-354-8873 Fergus: Deborah Gould 519-846-2770 ALBERTA Oakville: Mary Simpson*, RN 905-825-0836 Gananoque: Elaine Davidson 613-382-3772 Orangeville: Nancy Hall* 519-938-9268 Georgetown: Lynn Carscallen 905-877-1238 Calgary: Linda Terra 403-238-3734 Ottawa: Gail Lafortune*, RPN 613-834-4524 Golden Lake: Patricia Tamosetis 613-625-2277 Peterborough: Linda Nelson* 705-755-0269 Grimsby: Rose Philip 905-309-4755 BRITISH COLUMBIA Pickering: Karen Marks, RN 905-649-3030 Guelph: Evelyn MacKay 519-822-4174 Richmond Hill: Gail Sandler* 905-770-0225 Mimi Craig 519-827-1819 Burnaby: Marie Preissi [email protected] Roseneath: Pat Hall* 705-924-9320 Hamilton: Robin Anne Child 905-648-6079 Delta: Cheryl Larden 604-943-8915 Sarnia: Margaret Pennesi*, RN 519-336-9990 Huntsville: Ruth Brandt 705-787-1445 Duncan: Judith Schweers 250-748-5993 St. Catharines: Marg Deane*, RN 905-646-4948 Shirley Boon 705-789-7434 Golden: Marijke Patterson-Robinson 250-344-5325 St. Thomas: Melinda Whitehead 519-633-2506 Keswick: Denise Labbé 905-476-5455 Ladysmith: Linda Sampson 250 924-5797 Stouffville: Pamela Beach* 905-852-6440 Kitchener: Margo McIntosh 519-894-0002 Lionsgate: Linda Harvey 604-980-6604 Sudbury: Susan Lee* 705-524-5084 Kitchener/Waterloo: Susan Frid 519-885-3764 Maple Ridge: Jean Ruttan 604-463-7711 Joyce Mingiardi 519-570-1258 North Vancouver: Doreen Matkovich 604-929-3719 Richmond: Lynn Steeves 604-273-3211 Surrey/White Rock: Faye Torgerson 604-576-8176 Vancouver-Langra: Alex Jamieson 604-738-0453 Winlaw: Camille Roberts 250-226-6886
The PIPEDA (Privacy Act) requires that the Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario (or any organization) has written permission to publish a person’s name and contact information in in touch.
Names in this section are included only if a signed PIPEDA form is on file with the Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario at the submission deadline.
in touch, Winter, 2009 Page 27 Moving in to the Silence Guided Imagery and Meditations Guided imagery and meditation offer access to an intuitive pathway that can lead to a place of sanctum, one that secures a personal sense of well-being and inner peace. Take an inner journey with these guided images and enjoy the meditative peace that can free the heart, mind, body and spirit.
This CD is produced for The Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario. For more information on obtaining your copy for personal use, Practice Group or Teaching, please contact: The Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario PO Box 156, Station U Etobicoke, ON M8Z 5P1 Phone 416-231-6824
The Therapeutic Touch™ DVD is receiving lots of rave reviews!
The DVD includes a discussion of Therapeutic Touch by Mary Simpson and Crystal Hawk, the two founders of the TTNO. In addition, there is a demonstration of a Therapeutic Touch Session with commentary. A Therapeutic Touch Session without commentary is also featured. This valuable footage was created to be a resource for teaching Therapeutic Touch, for use in our Practice Groups, to reinforce our learning, and as a way to introduce Therapeutic Touch to the general public.
To obtain your very own copy, order the DVD from the TTNO Office. Send a cheque, or you may order it with Visa or MasterCard. The cost, $28.88, includes tax and mailing costs.
If undeliverable, please return to Canadian Publications Mail in touch Newsletter Agreement #40034150 The Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario P.O. Box 156, Station U Etobicoke, ON M8Z 5P1