THERAPEUTIC TOUCH : Its application in psychotherapy

Article written for RIZA Psicosomatica - February 1987

by Maud Nordwald Pollock

In the early 70's one of Americas most respected educational institutions, New York City's New York University, introduced courses in a newly developed `healing with the hands' method called THERAPEUTIC TOUCH through its department of Nursing. Therapeutic Touch (TT) basis it premiss on the newest understandings presented in Quantum Physics and knows the human organism to consist of a series of interpenetrating and interdependent energy fields which permeate the physical body and extending beyond it. When the natural flow of energy is disrupted due to blocks, dis-ease occurs. This `dis-ease' can be physical or psychological. Therapeutic Touch is applicable in either case, as a holistic method to bring about relief.

Dr. Dolores Krieger PhD RN, co-developer and teacher of this method was able to validate it scientifically by showing in several experiments that TT has physiologically provable effect on the human organism; i.e. "it's application increases the oxygen level in the hemoglobin value at a .01 level of confidence".(1) In the late 1970's and early 1980's Dr. Patricia Heidt PhD(2) psychologist and Dr Janet Quinn PhD RN (3)proved in separate experiments that the application of TT produces an average of 17% decrease in anxiety when used with hospitalized cardiovascular patients.

Today, according to Dr. Krieger's estimates over 35,000 health and helping professionals have integrated this `energy system' healing and transformational modality into their practices, amongst these many psychologists and psychiatrists.

Since the early 1980's I have been teaching TT to MD's , psychiatrists, psychotherapists, nurses etc. in Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. I have over the years received reports from my practicing psychotherapists on their experience and results in the application of TT in their treatment programs.

How TT becomes integrated into the therapy depends totally on the type of methods the practitioner use in their work. If the therapy is integrated body/mind work, using Feldenkrais, Alexander or Trager methods or the Rubenfeld Synergy System, the TT can melt into the body work in a covert manner. If the therapist's approach is the verbal type, then the use of TT becomes an overt act. This requires a deep sense of trust between client and therapist, as the latter has to elicit permission to work on the energy field of the former. Vision, confidence and courage are in order for the therapist to implement this new modality. And according to the results that therapist who use this method describe, it is well worth if.

The consensus of North American and European psychiatrist and psychotherapists I questioned who use TT with verbal therapy is; that their experiences seems to be broadly similar, cross cultural despite the language differences and geographic distances.

Once the necessary feeling of trust has been established with the client, s/he can be approached with the possibility of receiving TT treatments. Starting with an assessment of with the use of the hands of what I call the Bioplasmic field. This field extends beyond the physical body symmetrically form the top of the head to the feet, front and back sides from about 3 to 12 inches (6 to 18 cm) away from the skin boundary. By touching this field away form the body the experienced practitioner is able to establish differences in the feel of the field, transform this field and as a result bring about immediate relaxation with leads to potential release of anxiety.

Ten year veteran in the use of TT, Therapist Phillis Klaus of Michigan says: "The therapist might find a difference in energy quality about the throat or chest area, even though the client has a seemingly quiet tone of voice, which would not evidence a problem." This would prompt Klaus to suggest to the client: "Is there something you would like to tell me, or something you are not saying; I wonder what you are holding in your system?" while she speaks and works with the felt disturbance, using TT. This interaction then leads to a verbal or emotional release according to Klaus. "As a therapist you get a different sense of what the person is struggling with, in a non verbal way. Anger, sadness, unresolved grief, TT helps to get to these issues."(4)

Dr. M., a Jungian and Gestalt trained psychiatrist in Italy, had been using TT for 2 years in 1987 when he wrote to me. He wrote the following about his experiences." In a short period of time , the client has a reduction in symptomology, as well as in increased ability to get in touch with their problems, and he/she is able to achieve more complicated and creative psychological solutions. This al comes about obviously by previous psychol-therapeutic work, which seems to become reinforced and accelerated by the application of TT at the right moment."(5)

Not only does the client have a feeling of well being from the final application of TT, towards the end of the therapy session, the therapist also can perceive a sensation of having been energetically charged, and experiences a deep positive feeling of accomplishment of the work.

Psychologist G. Camatari an Reichian trained Italian therapist wrote the following: " I have obtained surprising results with the use of TT, in numerous organic syndromes with a heavy psychological component. The most outstanding case is that of a 74 year old woman , who had been under pharmacological treatment for a long time, she was able to give up her pharmacological treatment, recover from severe depression and acquire a renewed joy of life, after 6 month of treatment with TT, relaxation therapy and analytical discussion." (6) According to Klaus the depressed patient's field shows itself as dense feeling and heavy, it has to be mobilized very gently when using TT.

Dr. M. warns that when TT is not used in the right circumstances the client can become more agitated and the therapist drained. The former I attribute to the highly sensitized encounter of working with someone's field blocks, where by unblocking, feelings are stimulated that the patient was not ready to confront; similar to the intensified pain felt sometimes after acupuncture treatment, the TT treatment may move the patient into a new dimension of feeling too quickly, creating more stress momentarily. Becoming drained is as a result of inattention of the part of the therapist, of not being what I called centered, in which case the therapist own vital energy is transmitted during the TT session. In working with highly agitated clients TT can only be implemented after much experience and with consideration as to the possible effects.

The initial validation of the effectiveness of TT in psychotherapy are now being established in the US as well as Europe. I am sure in the coming years a growing body of work will no doubt reinforce these existing early verifications, as more and more psychologists and psychiatrists reach for a more holistic approach to working and incorporate this powerful too into their practices.

Therapeutic touch is not only a method that allows access to a heightened human potential of the practitioner. It is a form of consciousness that opens a new understanding to these , of how to perceive themselves and how to relate to others form a totally different reality prospective.

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1)Krieger, Dolores:,"Therapeutic Touch: the Imprimatur of Nursing." (American Journal of Nursing Vol 75. 1975)

2)Heidt, Patricia: "Effects of Therapeutic Touch on anxiety levels in hospitalized patients." (Nursing research 1981 30.) pg 32-37

3)Quinn, Janet F.: "Therapeutic Touch an energy exchange: testing the theory" (Advances in Nursing Science. January 1984) pg 17

4)Klaus, Phyllis Conversation between Ms. Klaus and M.N.Pollock 28/9/86

5)M.G. MD Letters written to M.N.Pollock, October 1986

6)Camattari, Gianni Letter written to M N Pollock, October 10, 1986