OTHER THERAPIES AT BIRKBECK

AROMATHERAPY : PLEASE NOTE THIS SERVICE IS REFERRED TO A PRACTITIONER IN ANOTHER CLINIC OR PERFORMED AS A HOME VISIT.

Aromatherapy is the use of powerful, natural, fragrant plant essences - essential oils for well-being, home and lifestyle enhancement and to help maintain good health and looks. Aromatic essential oils are among the best natural energisers and through making you feel good they can also provide a great boost to your self-confidence. Aroma alone can influence a person's mood and the right one can enhance efficiency, or capability as a result of a more relaxed approach.

The pace of modern life makes particular demands on each and every one of us. Demands not only associated with a high powered job, but also those from shopping, running a family home with the varied demands of young children, or any combination of these. It is here that Aromatherapy can really help in redressing the balance by soothing away the effects of a strenuous day. As any woman knows, time of life and month can have direct bearing on the emotions and associated changes. At times like these, a caring massage or aromatic bath can contribute to restoring a sense of well-being and general contentment.

The effects of Aromatherapy may be calming or stimulating, depending on the needs of the individual and the oils used. Essential oils work holistically; they heal mind, body and spirit. When combined with massage, the oils are easily absorbed into the skin, helping to eliminate toxins from the body.

Reflexology : please note this treatment is referred to a practitioner in another clinic or on a home visit basis.

Reflexology is a gentle complementary therapy that promotes relaxation and combats stress. It helps to relieve pain and speeds the body's natural healing process. Following stress, injury or illness the body is in a state of imbalance and reflexology can be used to restore and maintain the body's natural equilibrium. The trained reflexologist uses gentle hand pressure to the feet, which relieves stress and improves the circulation, restoring the flow of energy and nutrients to the whole body.

A reflexology session takes about an hour. First the feet are gently massaged to relax and prepare them. This is then followed by a deep reflexology massage over the whole of the foot with further treatment over any problem areas. The massage is not painful but some areas may feel tender or 'different'. The treatment ends with a further relaxing massage using a herbal cream.

Reflexology has a long history; the Egyptians, Chinese, Indians and other ancient cultures have pictorial and written records of healing foot massages.

In modem times doctors, psychologists and other therapists have rediscovered it in Europe and America. In particular, the American surgeon Fitzgerald in 1913 reported that pressure on certain reflex zones of the body could anaesthetise other areas. Eunice Ingham developed this in the 1930's into reflexology as we now use it.

Reflexology is a gentle complementary therapy. It does not claim to diagnose or to effect instant magic cures for all ills! It is a natural therapy that can help many people especially with stress related conditions. It has been used successfully on back pain, insomnia, menstrual problems, migraine, asthma, arthritis and many other problems.

Hypnotherapy : please note this treatment is referred to a practitioner in another clinic.

Hypnotherapy can be used to help you deal with a variety of problems be it emotional or behavioural. The skills of a professional therapist can help you produce benefits that can be long lasting and often permanent.

Hypnosis is a natural healing state and is experienced by everyone every day, usually when passing into or out of sleep. The actual experience of being hypnotised is very difficult to describe, neither asleep nor awake. All hypnotic states are characterised by a tremendously pleasant state of conciousness into which individuals allow themselves to enter so that desired , beneficial suggestions may be given directly to the unconcious mind. Thus, hypnosis is a natural effective way of making contact with the inner (unconcious) self, a source of many of our problems as well as a tremendous resevoir of unrecognised potential strength and knowledge, the forgotten assets.

You cannot be hypnotised against your will and even when hypnotised, can still reject any of the suggestions if they are not appropriate.

Hypnosis can be used for suggestion therapy or analytical therapy. Suggestion therapy usually requires just one or two sessions and is useful for smoking cessation and weight control or other behavorial problems.

Analytical therapy or hypno-analysis is used to recover a post traumatic event that causes present day conflict. For example, a child falling into a river could grow up with a fear of water, so through hypno-analysis, the memory of the event can permanently relieve the adult of the symptom that was created in early life.

Hypno-analysis can therefore bring insight into the causes and sets out to remove the underlying conflict that leads to the specific problem.

Hypnosis can help you achieve your true potential and put you back in control.

Often lack of confidence prevents us from attempting to achieve, so by elimination of the negative traits we can become happier and more confident, enhancing every area of our lives.

When you come into the consulting room, you will be made comfortable, and the procedure will be fully explained to you before hand. At the end of your session you will be encouraged to learn how to put yourself into this wonderful relaxed state so that you can combat modern day stresses and negativities by yourself, as and when they arise, leaving you free to be more creative and self-assured.

Listed below are some of the conditions for which hypnotherapy is indicated as a practical treatment:

• Breaking unwanted habits e.g. smoking, drug abuse, alcohol, enuresis, nail biting, stuttering.
• Obtaining relief and often remission from such symptoms as asthma, migraines and gastro-intestinal disorders.
• Dermatalogical conditions.
• Gynaecological problems.
• Hypnosis can free the individual from phobias, compulsions, emotional problems, insomnia, guilty feelings, jealousy, inhibitions and many of the worries and anxieties of every day life.
• The use of self hypnosis will prevent stress and tensions caused by modern day living, reduce high blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Hypnotherapy for effective weight control.
• Increasing performance in work, study and sport.
• Improving concentration, memory and developing imagination.
• Boosting self-confidence and achieving more of the potential which we all posses.

Barbara, formerly of the Alternative Approaches Therapy Centre Bexley, is based now in Dartford where she works with individual clients as well as running a variety of courses (more information can be given on request). She lectures for the London College of Therapeutic and Transpersonal Hypnosis.

Barbara Lewis BSc (hons) Psych DCH. THH (Dip) MBSCH. MGCP.

Reiki : please note this treatment is referred to a practitioner in another clinic or performed as a home visit.

Reiki is the Japanese word meaning Universal Life Force Energy. When Reiki is activated and applied it addresses the body, mind and soul. It accelerates the body's own ability to heal physical ailments and opens the mind and soul to the causes of disease and pain. It asks that you take responsibility for your own life, which will lead you to the joy of well being.

Brief History of Reiki

The Usui system of Reiki is a natural healing art which is thought to have originated in Tibet thousands of years ago. It was rediscovered by Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese Christian educator who, in the 1800' s, responding to a challenge from his university students, developed this system of healing, as we know it today.

Through travel, study, research and meditation, he rediscovered a healing system based on ancient Buddhist teachings and written in Sanskrit. He spent the rest of his life practising and teaching his method of natural healing, which involved attunements to the Reiki energy and the laying on of hands. He trained others to teach and one of these was Dr. Hayashi who trained Mrs. Takata a Japanese American woman and it is through Mrs. Takata that Reiki eventually came to the west.

Reiki Treatment

Receiving Reiki is a very simple, non-intrusive and extremely powerful process. A treatment lasts between 60 and 90 minutes. It is usually carried out with the patient lying down, fully clothed and covered with a blanket on a treatment couch. The practitioner gently channels the Reiki energy through the hands to the recipients' head, front of the body, back, knees and feet. This enables the energy to flow right to the source of the problem and not just the manifesting symptoms. Even though focus is given to the body's major organs, every cell in the body benefits. Reiki works wherever the recipient needs it most and can be applied to any part of the body that has been injured .even through bandages and casts. Reiki relieves pain and acute symptoms quite rapidly whilst chronic problems may require more extensive treatment. The number of treatments required depend upon the root cause of the problem and the amount of energy needed to restore the well being.

Effects of Reiki

You will generally feel a pleasant sensation of warmth or gentle tingling in the area being treated. As the energy comes into balance, stress and tension is released and there is a deep sense of relaxation and a feeling of well being.

Reiki complements the effectiveness of most forms of medication and treatment. It is a completely safe, natural way of treating disease. It is a healing energy, which restores wholeness and health, releases negative emotional states, reduces stress and brings natural balance to the whole person.

Reiki

• Is a natural healing art and science using Universal Life Force Energy to promote balance, wholeness, healing and consciousness.
• Is a technique to balance your energies throughout your whole physical emotional, mental and spiritual bodies.
• Is a releaser, activator, energiser and transformer of energy.
• Is energy.
• Is not dependent on a belief system. It works whether you believe in it or not.
• Supports and accelerates the body's natm31 abillty to heal itself.
• Adjusts itself according to the needs of the recipients.
• Loosens up blocked energy and promotes a state of total relaxation.
• Vitalises body, mind and spirit.
• Re-establishes spiritual equilibrium and mental well being.
• Cleanses the body of toxins.
• Is an extremely pleasant and holistic method of healing.

Kinesiology

Most muscles in the body have a common link with the nerve pathways that control the organs, so by using a series of muscle tests it is possible to find where imbalances are. Treatment may include nutritional supplementation, activation of specific reflex points, the use of various specialised structural techniques and energy balancing techniques. Kinesiology can treat many conditions including digestive/bowel problems, hormone problems, asthma allergies, ME, chronic fatigue, headaches / migraines. Kinesiology can also test for food allergies/ sensitivities as well as nutritional deficiencies. 

Janice Bryant