What is Therapeutic Touch?

Therapeutic Touch is a holistic, evidence-based therapy that incorporates the intentional and compassionate use of universal energy to promote balance and well-being. It is a consciously-directed process during which the practitioner uses the hands as a focus to facilitate the healing process. The intent is to re-pattern the client’s energy field toward balance, alignment and health thereby enhancing the body’s own ability to heal. Therapeutic Touch was first brought to our attention in 1972 as a modern healing method, by Dolores Krieger, PhD, RN, and her colleague, Dora Kunz.

The goals of therapeutic touch are:

• Promote a relaxation response in the body
• Reduce anxiety and stress
• Reduce pain
• Improve sleep
• Improve the body’s natural healing process
• Foster a sense of wellness and well-being

The assumptions of therapeutic touch are:

• In a healthy state, life energy flows freely in and out of a person’s energy field in an organized way
• When a person is experiencing difficulty due to stress, an injury or illness, energy flow can be obstructed, disordered or depleted
• Therapeutic Touch practitioners help to restore the flow of energy in the field and move it toward wholeness and health.