This week marks a big week in my career as a healer. For the first time as a licensed practitioner, I am bringing my two worlds together. Dr. Julie Nelson Practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Julie Nelson Healing Touch Practitioner. And while I post a lot about Qi, healing and energy, I have mostly based my practice around Traditional Chinese Medicine. Yet, it was healing touch that led me to acupuncture. Specifically, it was through my mentor, Denise Rooney channeling spirit guides in Port Macquarie, Australia that lead me to acupuncture.
Up until then I had been offering healing touch at First United Church, a retrofitted homeless shelter on Vancouver’s Downtown East side. It was through practicing the laying on of hands to folks that I discovered a love of healing. Regardless of their circumstances I loved the effect of peace and calm it provided them. I wanted to do more.
The volunteers, although thrilled with my enthusiasm, politely explained that healing touch was really a volunteer activity not a commercial venture. Not being well educated in the healing arts i.e., Reiki, Therapeutic Touch etc. I became frustrated. I wanted to learn more about energy and how running hands down a person’s body could somehow heal it or at least bring people to peace, not to mention the absolute joy I felt practising it.
So, when the opportunity came to travel to Australia to hang out with my mentor, Denise Rooney, a former probation officer from Manchester England I signed up. It was during those three weeks between surf lessons and channelling that I got to observe someone who receives messages from spirit. Dee was always stopping people – total strangers and giving them messages from departed loved ones. This invariably caused them to break down crying and then being so filled with gratitude they then wanted to talk more about their deceased family member or friend. While fun in the beginning it got a bit taxing especially if we were in a hurry to get some place.
Dee never rushed the process, nor could she ignore it. She would get pinched, poked and talked to by the spirit world if she failed to deliver their messages. It you’ve ever watched Ghost Town with Ricky Gervais you get the idea. It’s just like that!!!
During our three weeks together in Australia we would gather around for a cuppa tea in the evening, light candles and Dee would call in spirit. My burning issue at the time was wanting to make a career change but not knowing what I wanted to do next – or what I “should” be doing with my life. Having a business background can realty trap you.
It was during one of our nightly sessions when my spirit guide Rosemary popped in. Excited at the prospect of getting to actually talk to my spirit guide through Dee, I ask the following, “ I really love doing healing touch. I want to make a career change. Can you help me figure out what I should be doing because I don’t’ want to do business sales and marketing ever again!” Rosemary was quick to respond by saying she would go and find out and sure enough the next night she popped back in and answered my question. “ACUPUNCTURE.”
I’m not going to lie – I was quite let down. Firstly, because I had no knowledge or experience with acupuncture. She might as well said become an astronaut because at 47-years-old landing on the moon seemed like an easier prospect.
I ignored Rosemary’s advice, asking the same question over and over again. Her response never changed, “I told you. ACUPUNCTURE!”
It turns out Rosemary was right. I did eventually enroll in TCM school – only three courses at first to dip my toe in the proverbial water. And despite the hard work and long hours spent studying, I loved the elegance of this healing modality. It’s simple and yet complicated. It can explain any illness and offer a healing path forward.
When I graduated five years later with a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I only practiced acupuncture. I was too new and too shy to practice more than one healing modality. But after a period, I was seeing more and more young women come in with health-related trauma backgrounds. I needed something stronger to ground these anxious women. That’s when I started incorporating healing touch into my practice. The results were remarkable. Still, I practiced healing touch under the radar. I did not advertise. It was just something I felt called to do for certain cases.
Fast forward five years I now practice healing touch regularly in clinic. So many people come in agitated, upset and completely dysregulated. Acupuncture is great but combining these two modalities is powerful beyond words. I’ve seen the results enough to want to start to talk about it and promote it as a separate treatment.
Starting this week August 20th, you can now go online at QI Integrated Health.com and book Energy Healing Therapeutic Touch. Yes, I still use acupuncture, but the focus is on clearing away energy that no longer serves you. I use my hands to ground you, regulate your autonomic nervous system and bring you to peace. The healings are 60 minutes and begin with a health assessment followed by needling then healing touch and grounding.
Some medical plans may cover part of the treatment up to $100 depending on your coverage.
