My Story of Embodying Reiki to Heal Trauma Associated With Abuse

The Back Story

Yesterday I had a pretty deep conversation with a good friend of mine regarding the struggles to survive fleeing an abusive relationship where I lost my sense of self for over 20yrs. This in depth conversation brought to the surface certain pains and traumas from the abuses the victim part of myself would assume to forget.

However, in reflecting about this conversation and previous ones, it got me thinking about my path on where I was, where I am, and where I am going.  I look back now through a different lens amazed how far I have come since I made that crucial decision to leave an abusive partner who displayed narcissist sociopathic tendencies that nearly killed me more than once.  I am happy to say, his wish was not granted, and not literally buried six feet under.

The Healing Journey

I am still here to not only talk about it, but to share bits and pieces of my healing path to reclaiming my power back in hopes to inspire others on their healing journey.

Probably one of the decisions I made early on was to never doubt my gut or intuition again as it tried to warn me of the dangers that lay ahead at that time.  One of the things that saved my life was my connection to spirit followed by the healing path.

I first had to learn how to trust again and have faith in the unknown which is not simple feat when dealing with the after effects of abuse especially “gaslighting”. I had been beaten down physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. So how do I learn to trust again so I can heal?

How Reiki Helped Me

By embracing Reiki in its full embodiment not only helped me regain sense of self, but my sense of purpose. It helped me to heal the past while staying present, and not let my triggers of the past cause worry or fear of the unknown. It was not easy and I still feel I am a work in progress learning, healing, and growing every day.

This process didn’t happen over night, but over the course of 11 years. I had to learn to surrender to the Universe, which is probably the most difficult task in the entire process. The mind/ego wants to shield and protect you from any repeats of what had happened to you in your past. It is like an loop constantly repeating itself that has to be broken in order to heal and move forward in your life.

I knew I could not trust the system, domestic abuse groups, family, community, and the like as the mighty power of a skillful abuser can sway anyone in their favor creating an avalanche of being re-victimized. So if I could not trust people, who could I trust? Well it was spirit after all that tried to save me from this fate and I ignored the signs.  So I went back to my faith knowing I could trust Spirit. That started the surrendering process leading into my healing.

I started with meditation and started going to church again rediscovering myself in the process. The more I learned to trust in the divine, the more healing took place in my life, which led me down the reiki path. Receiving reiki and learning reiki was the single most best decision I made for myself as it not only changed my life, it saved my life.

However, what I have learned over the years in studying the various different forms of Reiki, is it is not learned in one day as some may believe. I have been learning Reiki now for 11 years and I practice Reiki daily embodying all that Reiki has to offer.

You can not learn that after one class and receive your certificate.  You must master Reiki completely and incorporate it into your life so you can BE REIKI. This process takes years of discipline to develop.

What I wrote in the picture are truly five things you can start to do today that over time will change your life. They stem from the teachings I learned in reiki so I know this to be true. I personally say these in Japanese as a mantra every morning when I wake and every evening when I prepare for sleep. By chanting these precepts, you begin to change the way you see yourself and the world around you.

Moving Forward

This year is the grand year of transformation, a nine year in numerology. It is the year of completion, and I personally look forward to fully and unequivocally shining in my own light at full strength once again. I wrote about the importance of this year in 6 Tips To Guide You Towards Soul-fillment in 2016 if you wish to read more on that topic.

Reiki is more than taking a one day class, receiving a certificate, and laying hands on someone.  I think this is the greatest travesty of misconception of what our Western society believes is important. Reiki is so much more. It is a way of being and a way to self discovery back to soul. Our bodies are designed to heal themselves, so all we have to do is tap into that source energy. Reiki helps facilitate that.  I have been practicing Reiki over a decade now, and even after all this time, I feel like I have so much to still discover about the magic Reiki offers all of us inside and out.

Healing trauma is not easy, but I am so grateful for the system of Reiki and all the teachers I have had along the way to guide me in my spiritual path to healing and self discovery.

For those who are struggling now or feel like you can’t see above water, please keep the faith. I remember days, where I felt like it was the end, and I am not only here, but I am beginning to thrive. You can too.  I am here to help you best I can and so are so many other wonderful reiki healers.

 Tips on Finding a Qualified Practitioner

If you struggle with healing from trauma associated with abuse, here are some tips in choosing a reiki practitioner.
  1. Make sure you find a qualified practitioner who has trauma informed care as part of their training.
  2. Make sure you find a practitioner who has been practicing Reiki for a long time as trauma has its own intricate needs.
  3. Ask questions about the Reiki practitioner’s training and belief system
  4. What system of reiki did they study?
  5. What was included in their studies?
  6. What level of Reiki have they completed?
  7. How long have they been practicing Reiki?
  8. Do they practice reiki every day? (My apologies as many reiki practitioners may disagree,  I feel THIS is the most important question). If they are not practicing reiki every day, how can they possibly understand how to help you? This goes beyond just reiki, but understanding trauma and all its intricate components.
  9. What is their level of experience and training in working with people with trauma?
  10. How many clients have they used Reiki for healing trauma?
  11. Ask how they use Reiki in healing trauma.
This is just a simple guide, but you can also check out the article I wrote on Reiki Can Do No Harm or Can It? for more tips and guidance.

I hope what I wrote helps someone out there in need who needs something to help them survive in order to thrive. Please share the love and compassion.

With love and light,

Laura  Joseph

Healing With Spirit 
Spiritual MediumSpeakerHealer

To schedule a private session, to book a corporate wellness event, or speaking engagement, please private message me

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 © 2016-2018 Laura Joseph. All Rights Reserved. This information is for general educational uses only. It may not apply to you and your specific medical needs. This information should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation with or the advice of your physician or health care professional. Communicate promptly with your physician or other health care professional with any health-related questions or concerns. This article does not share the opinions of Healing With Spirit or its affiliates.  Be sure to follow specific instructions given to you by your physician or health care professional.

Adventures in Reiki with Surgery

Have you ever employed reiki for surgery?

I don’t normally share my personal stuff publicly, but feel this might help another somewhere somehow and felt compelled to share my surgical story and the power of reiki healing.

For years I suffered from various issues that ultimately led to surgery recently involving my ovaries. Leading up to the surgery itself, I had been experiencing an increasing amount of anxiety and insomnia. I was stumped as to what was possibly causing such a surge of emotions, because I do practice what I preach with lots of rest, ‎healthy eating, exercise, meditation, and self reiki‬. So I was a little surprised as to why the sudden increase.

I feel the source could be part karmic‬ and part life changing. I really don’t want children at this stage in my life, but at same time, I mourn the loss of my own. Without going into details, I suffered years of abuse much of my life. Although, I have spent the last 10 years  working on healing the roots from all the traumas associated with abuse.

So I decided to just sit and embrace whatever emotions‬ surfaced at that time. This is important to pause and ‎nurture‬ the child within while staying present at all times. If this was so called past stuff emerging, I embraced what is. I accepted and through mindfulness based techniques, reiki, and other energy work, I lovingly assisted these issues to past through me.

I also chose two mantras to repeat:

The first one: “I accept‬ what is. I  surrender‬ to what was, and I have faith‬ in what will be. … and so it is.”

The second one is the Gokkai in Japanese or the Reiki Precepts in Japanese: “Kyo dake wa (Just for today).

Ikaru na (Do not anger).

Shinpei suna (Do not worry).

Kansha shite (Be grateful).

Gyo o hageme (Work diligently/dutifully).

Hito ni shinsetsu ni (Be kind to others).”

The surgery experience

I went to the hospital and experienced a phenomenal staff with some profound spiritual experiences which is a story for another time. I will say my surgery was more than a medical procedure for the physical body. That part went superbly well and experienced no pain afterwards. This was part of a larger spiritual journey and healing karmic cords not just in my life, but the lives of those nurses brought into my life to care for me pre-op and post-op.

I recently had my post-op follow-up with my surgeon. Since my surgery, I’ve been doing lots of reflecting and realization.

  1. The more I partner with my soul, unite with soul, live soulful, the more I reclaim my power. I no longer accept the demands or perceptions of what society wants to dictate to me. Instead I trust my soul, and lively more authentically.
  2. The Power of energy healing such as reiki‬ is way under estimated. It is because of the self reiki prep I did pre-op and all the distance healing sent from all of you, I experienced no pain after the day of surgery. I had some discomfort, but nothing worth taking even a motrin for that reiki couldn’t do.
  3. The only complications I had were due to being told by the surgical prep team, I was not going to be fully incubated due to history of brain bleeds only to wake up to realize I was completely out for over 2 hours. I experienced some unanticipated brochiospasms, difficulty in speech and breathing, and faintness. If I knew I was going to be fully put under anesthesia, I would have prepared there too. This only goes to the power of reiki again, because of what i did experience when reiki was used.
  4. My surgeon, although an Osteopath, was a little shocked I took “no” pain meds after surgery. I told her I had a wonderful team of healers and reiki practitioners behind me so it was not necessary. I thought to myself, if modern medicine and our society as a whole would embrace again the ideology and belief that our bodies were designed to heal themselves and used treatment options to embrace this, the drug use in America may look different.

I wanted to share my story, because I wanted everyone to be reminded that our bodies are designed to heal themselves. The power to heal lies within us all.

Not only doing reiki, but living reiki and being reiki is even more important. I thank you for being a part of my spiritual‬ journey‬.

Have a great reiki filled fall day.

With light, love, and appreciation,

Laura
Healing With Spirit 

To schedule a private session, to book a corporate wellness event, or speaking engagement, please private message me

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 © 2015-2018 Laura Joseph. All Rights Reserved. This information is for general educational uses only. It may not apply to you and your specific medical needs. This information should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation with or the advice of your physician or health care professional. Communicate promptly with your physician or other health care professional with any health-related questions or concerns. This article does not share the opinions of Healing With Spirit or its affiliates.  Be sure to follow specific instructions given to you by your physician or health care professional.

Upcoming 2015 Celebration of Reiki Conference

I am honored to be one of the featured ‘Reiki Reaches Out’ panelists this year for The Reiki Conference on April 26th in Brookline for my work the effectiveness use of Reiki to assist in healing survivors of abuse; domestic abuse, child abuse, and sex abuse. Hope to see you there. This will be a life changing event.

Conference Details:

Conference Theme: Living Reiki

Please discover what the 2015 Celebration of Reiki Conference Program has in store for you.

Sunday, April 26, 2015
8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Holiday Inn, 1200 Beacon Street, Brookline, Massachusetts 02446
 

Reiki In Unexpected Places Panel – Moderator:  Jacki Katzman.  
Panelists: Lisa Biagetti (Reiki services to Wheelock College students; Reiki services at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital with parents of children with traumatic injuries), Laura Bonetzky-Joseph (Reiki services to survivors of domestic abuse), Judy Bousquin (Reiki services for homeless and poor women at The Woman’s Lunch Place), Frederic Burnett (Reiki services with vulnerable youth in the Caribbean), Matthew McDonald (Reiki service to individuals living with HIV and to the LGBTQ community). Deborah Strafuss (Reiki services to individuals with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers/families)

Laura is a holistic health professional, writer, Reiki Master Teacher, Registered Certified Medical Assistant, and Massachusetts Survivors Outreach (MASO) board member and volunteer, who has worked a cumulative in healthcare for over 15 years.  As a survivor of abuse, Laura discovered a discord in the healing process within abuse organizations, the legal system, and the healthcare system. Laura realized that, by using complementary therapies such as Reiki, in conjunction with traditional medical care, she finally began to heal.  Through her own healing, research, work as a holistic healthcare provider, and volunteer for survivors of abuse, she realized that we have the “cure,” so to speak. Survivors do NOT have to become a statistic in the legal system nor the healthcare system.  The need is great and at epidemic levels.

Laura’s goal is to get Reiki practice more accepted as a viable treatment option for survivors of abuse, solicit the appropriate partners for medical research, provide accredited training for holistic health professionals and allied health professionals, and end the cycle of abuse through healing.  With properly trained reiki professionals, the results of using reiki as a treatment option for victims of abuse are life changing.

With lots of love and appreciation,

Laura
Healing With Spirit 
Spiritual MediumSpeakerHealer

To schedule a private session, to book a corporate wellness event, or speaking engagement, please private message me

SIGN UP FOR MONTHLY E-NEWS

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 © 2015-2018 Laura Joseph. All Rights Reserved. This information is for general educational uses only. It may not apply to you and your specific medical needs. This information should not be used in place of a visit, call, consultation with or the advice of your physician or health care professional. Communicate promptly with your physician or other health care professional with any health-related questions or concerns. This article does not share the opinions of Healing With Spirit or its affiliates.  Be sure to follow specific instructions given to you by your physician or health care professional.

What is Reiki?

A study done in 2007 by the National Health Interview Survey indicates that 1.2 million adults and 161,000 children received one or more sessions of energy healing therapy such as Reiki in the previous year. According to the American Hospital Association, in 2007, 15% or over 800 American hospitals offered Reiki as part of hospital services.

What is Reiki? 
Reiki is a Japanese hands-on healing modality that is natural non-invasive and promotes healing. It is primarily used for stress reduction and relaxation, but is all effective in relieving pain, depression, and panic disorders.  Reiki is also assists in promoting the healing of fractures as well as alleviating many other physical and emotional challenges.

This form of healing is based on the idea that an unseen life force energy flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. The practitioner administers the treatments by laying the hands.  If one is frequently sick or under a lot of stress, the chances are one’s life force energy is low.  Now if the life force is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.  Reiki is a very simple and natural method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that anyone can use to improve their quality of life. This safe alternative is effective in helping many known physical and psychological illnesses and always creates a beneficial and positive effect. Reiki does work in conjunction with all other alternative or traditional medical treatments.

Reiki is not taught, but is transferred to the student during a Reiki class through a process called and an attunement.  During an attunement a Reiki master allows the student to tap into an unlimited supply of life force energy to improve one’s health and enhance the quality of life.  This healing method has been taught to thousands of people from all over the world.

Reiki comes from the Japanese words Rei meaning Higher Power or Wisdom or Soul (depending on interpretation) and Ki meaning Energy.

What does a treatment feel like?

A reiki treatment gives you sense of warm energy surrounding your body as well as flowing through you.  When undergoing a treatment, you are treated as a whole meaning your mind, body, and spirit.  A sense of well-being and peace is felt with many miraculous results.

Is this Religious?

No, even though it is spiritual in nature.  There is no structured faith base or dogma crossing all cultures.  It works not matter what faith you have as it’s natural healing uses universal spiritual laws to promote wellness and peace.  However, this can enhance your own faith and religion.Check out our Calendar or Events page for more information.   Contact us in Hingham, Massachusetts, to learn more about Reiki treatment for stress reduction, spiritual healing, and relaxation.

Check out our Calendar of Events page or Services Page for more information.  Review what others say in our testimonials

Small selection of what others have said about Laura’s Reiki treatments and or classes:

  • “I have attended, one of Laura’s Reiki meditation and attunment evenings and came away feeling like a new person…”
  • “The Reiki one course was a unique and powerful experience and yet another opportunity to open the portals into the spiritual world. Laura walked us through the important aspects of the origin of Reiki, led each of us through the attunement process and gave us ample opportunity to practice what we had learned. She is a knowledgeable and a patience teacher….”
  • “…She is an awesome teacher and a beautiful soul!!!”
  • “It was an awesome learning experience…”
  • “I left my skeptism at the door because I’m curious if all I’ve known and all that I’ve had is really all that I’ll ever be…After just a couple visits I know I’m more…I’ve learned to cut the string of baggage past…”
  • “Without the help I have received here I do not know where I would be today or who I would be.”

With lots of love and appreciation,

Laura
Healing With Spirit 
Spiritual MediumSpeakerHealer

 

To schedule a private session, please private message me

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The Reiki Effect

Reiki is a Japanese complementary alternative mind body medicine therapy that works with the human body’s bioenergy field. It uses vibrational, or subtle energy, administered most commonly by a light touch to assist the body’s ability to heal itself.

Reiki has gained acceptance and popularity over the years and is widely used and accepted as an effective therapeutic treatment in many medical offices and hospitals across the country.

As time goes on, there are more and more medical studies coming out on the efficacy of Reiki as a viable alternative treatment option. It is also used in conjunction with other conventional medicine treatment options.

This graphic summarizes the benefits of Reiki when administered by a qualified Reiki Professional. To learn more about reiki, click here.

With lots of love and appreciation,

Laura
Healing With Spirit 
Spiritual MediumSpeakerHealer

 

To schedule a private session, please private message me

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