I started doing energy therapy for pets and animals before I knew about Healing Touch for people. It began when my mom and her wife found themselves falling into the role of Crazy Cat Ladies. A series of homeless kittens and cat families made their way into their lives until one day they were sharing their home with seven cats and feeding a menagerie of outdoor cats as well. These outside feral cats have been willing to forgive being spayed/neutered because they enjoy the easy food and peaceful surroundings my mom and her wife provide. And these feral cats were among my first energy therapy clients. Working with them has taught me a lot about energy healing and has had a significant impact on the way I approach energy therapy for animals.
Sessions are distance sessions. My mom’s feral cats aren't relaxed or at-ease in the company of strange humans, so a hands-on energy session would have been uncomfortable, if not impossible. However, the cats typically showed tremendous benefit from distance sessions. Because distance sessions are effective and comfortable for the animal, their humans and me, I now do distance healing on all animals, even the friendliest, most people-loving pets.
I use a combination of energy therapy techniques. I first learned about energy therapy by studying Reiki and Spring Forest Qigong. Since then I’ve become certified as a Healing Touch Practitioner, studied Healing Touch for Animals and learned shamanic journeying. I use a combination of all of these techniques when working with animals.
Sessions are 40-50 minutes. Animals seem to be pretty energetically open, so sessions typically don’t take as long as they do with people. The session can be set for a time when the animal’s person is nearby to watch their pet’s reaction and hold space for healing. But I have also done sessions during the workday when the pet is home alone.
Energy therapy is not a replacement for veterinary care. I have no veterinary training, so I cannot diagnose an animal’s condition. With energy therapy, I clear and balance the energy field in order to reduce stress and anxiety, modify behavior, support the animal through illness, injury or in overcoming trauma/abuse and to ease the end-of-life transition.
Animals don’t fear death the way many humans do. One of my mom’s feral cats taught me this lesson. She was an old mother cat, known as Outside Mama, who had enjoyed the sanctuary of my mom’s backyard for many years. Gradually she became less active and eventually she stopped eating and spent most of her time curled up among the azaleas. My mom worked tirelessly to entice her to eat and even brought her onto the screened porch where she would be safe. I did several energy healing sessions with her, and her spirits always seemed high but her physical condition did not improve. Finally, I got the message that she was deeply grateful for the care and safety my mom provided - she felt like a queen in her cozy spot on the porch - but she was ready to go. It was a profound teaching and we were all grateful to her for the lesson in fearlessness and acceptance.
Energy therapy can be helpful for all kinds of animals. I've worked primarily with cats and dogs, but horses, birds, reptiles, fish, wild animals and exotic zoo animals can also benefit from energy therapy.
If you are interested in setting up an energy therapy session for your pet, or if you just have questions about how it works, please use the contact form at the bottom of the home page to reach out to me.