| Although the art of healing dates back to ancient times, in the last three decades it has evolved into both a scientific practice and a viable profession. Variously known by such names as spiritual healing, energy healing, psychoenergetic healing, psychic healing, mental healing, and now, more commonly, simply "healing," the field now has attracted practitioners in the United States estimated to number from 15,000 to perhaps 500,000 or more. This Clinical Research Project reviews representative healing literature and reports the findings of a pilot qualitative study of four licensed clinicial psychologists who integrate healing practices with traditional psychotherapy. The author examines the theoretical basis of healing---the existence of a field of unseen energy. Now most commonly called "subtle energy," this energy is thought to exist around and within the human body and is generally conceived of as higher levels of vibrations beyond normal perceptual abilities. She reviews efficacy studies of Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, and related forms of healing in the treatment of anxiety and stress and the enhancement of psychological well-being. Although she finds the research to be generally flawed, she concludes that the numbers of positive and mixed positive results suggest that a positive phenomena is likely at work. The author reports on commonalities among subjects in attitude toward the field of psychology, theoretical foundations, and phenomenological experiences of healing. Additionally, the range of subjects' approaches to integrating healing and psychotherapy are detailed as models for examining the implications of healing on the practice of psychotherapy. Questions addressed are those of ethics and legality, with attention to concerns regarding the use of touch in psychotherapy, scope of practice, and standard of care. |
