This article was first shared in “Authentic Solopreneurs” on Medium: https://medium.com/authentic-solopreneurs/the-pros-and-cons-of-three-most-common-paths-to-healing-cc9828d2906d

Sometimes life takes us in unexpected directions. I never imagined that one day, I would become a person who helps others as an energy healing practitioner and life coach! But after I experienced a personal transformation 8 years ago, I felt like the Universe was offering me an opportunity. So I took a leap of faith.

My driving motivation was (and still is!) to help others who are in the same place I used to be in — depressed, aimless, and frustrated. I pledged that I would dedicate myself to building people up, so they can in turn uplift the world.

Over the years, my practice evolved as I thought a lot about how to best serve my clients. I began to notice that their healing journey seemed to follow these three paths:

• Let Go
• Take Care
• Step into Growth

Each of them have their strengths and weaknesses, so I’d like to share with you my observations of each healing path, based on my experiences.

This is where I started out when I first became a practitioner.

Many of my clients come to me with a problem — it could be emotional pain, physical discomfort, past trauma, or a mental block. They want to do something about it but don’t know how, or are searching for something that works, so they reach out for help.

The Emotion Code™and Body Code™ are effective tools that clear unwanted energies causing the issues from a subconscious level. It’s often described as an ‘energy detox’ — a targeted removal of unhealthy energies so the body’s innate healing power kicks in.

It certainly does work well! Many of my clients feel lighter and more at peace after clearing these negative energies.

Yet, as much as I love these modalities, I found that sometimes, simply clearing energy wasn’t quite enough for some of my clients. Some extra oomph was needed to help them move forward.

That’s when I discovered another amazing tool — the MAP Method™. MAP helps us rewire the brain so we can mentally disconnect from disempowering beliefs, emotions, parts, memories — basically anything that holds us back. It helps us take care of the mind, clearing and organizing the mental clutter so we open up more bandwidth.

MAP works very fast for common problems, and at a much slower pace for heavy trauma and severe psychological disorders. My clients notice shifts happening rapidly right before their eyes. Whatever used to bother them didn’t bother them anymore! They were super excited by the rapid and vast improvements.

But when the exhilaration fades away, they didn’t know how to take this new energy forward to move towards their goals and dreams.

This is where I began to offer coaching.

The first two paths to healing are practitioner-led, so the client doesn’t have to do much proactively. He/She simply needs to be willing to trust the process and be present and aware. For this third path, I let the client lead the sessions instead, while I maintain presence and awareness.

In this safe space, I offer empathic support to help my clients focus consciously on the goals and dreams they want to achieve. I ask questions to encourage my clients to self-reflect, so they’re able to receive new insights on their own, form new connections, and come up with new actions.

During the coaching process, if my clients feel triggered and an energetic block shows up, I usually facilitate a quick energy clearing session. My clients often would have worked through the first two healing paths, so on this ‘Step into Growth’ path, they tend to notice vast and rapid improvements. It’s quite exciting to witness!

These three healing paths might sound like a linear journey, but it’s very different in reality! People zig-zag between paths and move forward or back. That’s completely natural and to be expected.

I feel it’s also worth mentioning an important ingredient that nourishes the healing journey — Hope.

Hope is like a guardian angel. It’s there for anyone at any time, but it’s discreet. It waits patiently in the wings, with love and compassion, for us to open our hearts to it. The more we connect with hope and allow it in, the more we can find the inspiration and motivation to keep moving forward.

After my first experience with the Emotion Code, my baseline mood changed from ‘depressed’ to ‘incredibly good’ — as if sunbeams were radiating out of my body and I was floating off the ground! Even though that euphoria did wear off after a while, what remained was the sense of hope that things would get better. Eventually, they truly did.

Hope and help are always there if we seek it!

Life is messy — and so are we. It’s normal to wander between the different paths to healing. We’re human so we aren’t perfect, and that’s perfectly ok.

I still have my downtimes, too. When that happens, I remind myself what I learned 8 years ago, where it all began — there is nothing wrong with me. I am ok just as I am. What I need now is to let go of my baggage and learn how to think differently.

I hope this is helpful for anyone who’s exploring the kind of help they might need right now. I would love to hear your thoughts if anything resonated with you! Please feel free to send me a message here.