Dynamic Energetic Healing: Integrating core shamanic practices with Energy Psychology applications and processwork principles
by Howard Brockman
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 Salem, OR: Columbia 2006. $27.95464 pp. 5 pp. refs Howard Brockman is a social worker who also studied Ethics/ Religious Studies, Shamanism, and Energy Psychology, including Emotional Freedom Techniqae and Tapas Acupressure Technique. He does a creditable job of discussing the blend of these elements that he developed in his practice, with a clarity and depth that will be helpful to experienced therapists as well as newcomers to wholistic healing.
Items I found of particular interest:
- Brockman muscle tests (asks questions using Kinesiology) around issues of clients who are not fully grounded in their bodies, and helps them to be fully embodied. He finds that this corrects a common block to full release of chronic symptoms.
- He finds that inviting involvement of clients’ higher self is helpful:
… Clients tell me their problems, of course, and I then ask them to list their therapeutic goals. After further discussion, I ask them to prioritize what feels most important to address first. When they have done this, I ask them the following questions through manual muscle testing: “From your soul, is this indeed your highest priority goal at this time?” and “Is it in your ‘highest good’ to pursue this goal at this time?” When the client’s muscle testing answers affirmatively, we proceed on the chosen goal. When the client’s muscle testing indicates no, together we test to determine if any of their other therapeutic goals meet the criteria of these two questions. Sometimes their soul chooses a goal they have already identified as a starting point. In other cases, however, the client’s starting therapeutic goal is something completely different from whet the client initially listed consciously. In either case, we discuss their ‘chosen’ starting point to ensure that the client is in accord with the entire therapeutic process…” (p. 71)
… Being in physical form means that we define ourselves by our physical body and separate egoic self-identify. Spirit is a dimension that is boundless, nonmaterial, and timeless. Yet in spite of being corporeal, we are also Spirit.
Our task is to resolve this paradox by integrating the two aspects of being through our awareness and our unique free will. In order to do this, we must have a self-validating, empirically based, firsthand experience that generates a reliable internal reference point. This reference point becomes an accessible inner resource for creating an instant link to Spirit. Unless we are blessed with a spontaneous, archetypal mystical experience, it is typically only through some kind of spiritual practice or discipline that we are able to make this link. Otherwise, our tendency as unique and separate human beings is to shift our thoughts away from Spirit and orient to ego, where conscious connection to the power of intention is lost. (pp 74-75)
The above is also an example of Brockman’s clarity in addressing therapy issues, a clarity that is helpfully present throughout this book.
- Using shamanic approaches, he invites clients to connect with compassionate spirits who can be helpful in dealing with their issues. Noting that many in our society are skeptical about this aspect of therapy, he observes that discussions are insufficient to be convincing to many; only experiential understanding of spirit realms can be convincing to them. He also addresses curses, intentional and unintentional, that may contribute to psychological and physical problems and suggests ways to deal with these.
Many more nuggets, anecdotes and discussions make this a highly recommended book. Brockman is a teacher from whom we have much to learn.
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