submitted by Kristen Lecksell
Level 2 HTA Practitioner

My cat Kate came to me almost 15 years ago as a very little kitten – not even 3 months old.  A friend of a friend had rescued her from a family who had abused her, and this friend couldn’t keep her.  This is the picture she sent that melted my heart.  I took her, and despite her abuse at such a young age, Kate was a wonderful companion for nearly 15 years.  About a year prior to her death, I felt that her time with me was coming to a close.  That old familiar feeling of having to say goodbye was pressing in on me.  Nine years prior, I had to say goodbye to another cat companion Miss Emma, which was the first time I’d ever had to deal with making that dreaded decision.  My emotions and energy were all over the place, and  I couldn’t find my center.  I wanted to be better prepared for Kate.  I found a company that would euthanize her at my home, so we wouldn’t have to drive to the vet’s office which she hated.  When Kate’s eating became irregular, I made an appointment with a certified HTA Practitioner who had done some work on her in the past.  I felt relief that someone else would give Kate her last HTA session.

Unfortunately, my plans didn’t work out.  Kate started declining rapidly, and I needed to schedule her euthanasia before her scheduled HTA session.  I so wanted her to have a last HTA session with someone centered and calm enough to do a good job, but that universe had other plans. 

The evening prior to Kate’s euthanasia, I spent most of my time with her.  I put it in my mind that I would give her last HTA session despite my anxieties. We spent her last morning with her laying on my belly, and me giving her a lot of vibrational grooming.  This helped me focus my attention on being present in my own body so I could concentrate on being there for her.  I told her how much she had meant to me, and spoke about past events in our life together.  It was a nice way to calm my anxieties before having to get up and be dressed before I started her HTA session an hour before the vet arrived.  When that hour did finally arrive, Kate and I got on the bed, and I grounded myself for a few minutes, and then I began Etheric Heartbeat™.  My mind would wander, but I kept bringing it back to the task.  Kate received the energy from my hands into her heart, and I imagined it filling up her heart gently.  The more I gave to her, the more she gave peace back to me, and the more I could focus on being a clear channel for the energy to flow.  About thirty minutes or so into the session, I felt the energy overflowing from her heart, so I brought my hands up and out wide so the energy could not only permeate every cell in her body, but also form a large sphere of loving energy around her.  Near the end of the session when I started to bring my hands back to her heart to close the circuit of energy, Kate yawned and stretched out her paw and placed it on my hand.
That was a relaxation response that Carol often spoke about in the Level 2 class!  That warmed me to see that. The peace that surrounded us in that hour was such a gift.  The universe was conspiring to show me that I could indeed do this work even at a highly stressful time as saying goodbye to a dear companion.  What gifts HTA and my Kate gave me that day!

As in any professional practice, HTA practitioners are guided by a Code of Ethics as well as Standards of Practice. These outlines were created as guideposts to assist a practitioner in knowing how and when to take the appropriate action. When our practitioners follow these standard practices, all parties can easily work together in a cooperative manner fostering an environment that best facilitates energy healing.

However, life isn’t black and white most of the time, and a practitioner may periodically find themselves questioning how to move forward in an appropriate manner. It is for this reason we felt like delving a little deeper into some of these standards and ethics here on the blog.

Highest Good
Since we are only to offer energy facilitation in accordance with the principle of highest good, let’s unpack that term.

Intention
Simply put without both identifying and understanding your intention, it’s impossible to know if we’re operating from a clean, loving space where only the highest good can abide.

Cooperative Medicine
Like all living things, animals require several elements in order to thrive. If one of these elements is removed, the being’s ability to thrive may be seriously compromised. We are here to assist the animal with their own natural energy healing process. Only a licensed veterinarian can treat an animal’s physical issues. And it may require all healing elements (physical, spiritual, emotional and mental) to assist the animal in returning to their natural state of thriving. This universal law makes it clear that we would be out of place by obstructing any other practitioner, specializing in any other scope of practice, if they were called in to assist an animal in healing.

I wanted to send my immense gratitude to the Healing Circle for being an integral part of my Whippet Adam’s miraculous healing. Words are inadequate. The energy work – combined with standard veterinary care, healing herbs, essential oils, my own research on diet – resulted in a complete recovery from end stage kidney failure. The vets are stunned. His blood work is NORMAL (apparently this just doesn’t happen from his degree of disease) and he has gained back all the weight he lost. In the throws of the situation and the physical/emotional demands, I just couldn’t do the work myself. We did have an end of life contract, but he kept giving me signs that he wanted to fight through it. It was great peace of mind knowing he was in the Circle and I wanted to share this happy story.

Much love,
Karen G. & Adam HTA-AP Practitioner

By: Drea Robertson

Build a better animal human bond… hmmmmmm… what does that really mean?

Well, let me tell you what it means from my experience.

Eighteen years ago, my then fiancé and I sought out to adopt a puppy. We thought we had done so well with house plants, we should expand our responsibilities and get a dog, and perhaps one day, maybe be able to raise a child. 😊

We found this amazing little dog, a buff cocker spaniel, who won our hearts. She was in a group of other puppies all playing and biting the ears of one another. She was the only one who crawled in our laps, nestled in, and fell asleep. She was “the one”! Molly quickly earned our deep, unconditional love. She was our heart dog.

Molly was athletic, smart, intuitive and reciprocated the love we had for her. She was with us through our younger years, our wedding, the birth of our first, second and third child. She grew with us; she was one of our children.

Molly aged, as we all do. She became slower and less aware of daily sounds as her hearing declined. Her excited wagging tail greetings as we walked in the door became fewer and fewer.

On May 14, 2014, our heart dog transitioned. It was and continues to be one of the hardest and saddest days of our lives. The thought of that last good-bye still brings a thick lump in my throat.

Two months later, we met Bella. She is a black and tan cocker spaniel. When we learned that she was born on the same day that Molly crossed Rainbow Bridge, that’s all it took. Bella was all set to be our next heart dog.

I wish it was that easy. This time we brought a puppy into our home with three young children, a super busy lifestyle and a lingering amount of pain from the loss of Molly. I felt that the pain of that deep loss would lessen by having another dog. It didn’t; in fact, it may have gotten worse.

Disappointment, frustration, even shades of anger set in. Months went by and while our family loved and genuinely cared for our dog Bella, I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t find that heart dog connection with her.

I talked with Carol Komitor, my boss and the Founder of Healing Touch for Animals® (HTA), about this missing dedication to a heart dog. She asked, “Are you doing the work?”

What she meant by that is, was I using the HTA techniques I had learned in the Healing Touch for Animals® (HTA) Level 1 class. I had this “well-duh” moment because I have this education and yet, hadn’t used it. I pulled out my workbook and started the Bridging™ technique.

This simple process, with easy hand placements, carried through with my unconditional love and highest desire to “build a bond” with our new family dog was unbelievable. Within 20 minutes, the bridge between us was founded, and our love became connected at the heart. While not replacing our love for Molly, Bella is now our heart dog.

~May your bridges be resilient, may they last forever and
may you find and keep a deep bond with your beloved pet.~

by Carol Komitor, HTA Founder

Janet Mentgen, BSN, RN, HNC, HTCP/I, the Founder of Healing Touch Program™ (HTP), had a profound influence in my life for which I am very grateful. Janet was the instructor for all of my Healing Touch training and was my mentor through my process of becoming a Healing Touch Certified Practitioner and Instructor (HTCP/I).

Because of my background as a veterinary technician and at Janet’s direction, HTP began referring people to me with questions about applying Healing Touch to their animals. People were having difficulty with animals accepting the work. This is when I realized that people did not understand the energy system of animals. I began to combine my energetic knowledge as a Healing Touch Certified Instructor and my animal understanding to develop specific energy techniques to assist animals in their life processes.

My animal experiences gave me the drive and desire to offer these healing techniques to animals and their people through experiential courses. Janet and I discussed my developing and teaching a Healing Touch course for animals. She supported me in developing and creating an independent program for animals using the name Healing Touch.

Through my private practice, I developed techniques that support the animals’ energy system. The development continued until the Level 1 techniques were tried and true. The energetic information continued to build upon Level 1 and the consecutive HTA levels developed as the healing deepened with the animals and results happened beyond my initial vision.

In 1996, the Healing Touch for Animals® (HTA) program was launched by the teaching of the first HTA course in the Hill Country of Texas. My initial vision was to teach HTA in the Denver area a couple times per year. To my delight and gratitude, HTA has turned into a multilevel international certification program for animal holistic healthcare.

I am grateful for each of you who embrace this work because you carry the ripple of healing energy into your communities. As a result of all the HTA Practitioners, this work continues to expand and grow.

by Carol Komitor, HTA Founder

After 25 plus years of teaching, Healing Touch and Healing Touch for Animals®, I am in constant amazement of the results of energy therapy!

Knowing that energy flows inside and outside of the body is one thing, but being able to provide a balanced and clear energy system, during a session, brings JOY to my heart. The satisfying sense of awe comes over me and I feel blessed, grateful and humbled with each session.

When we can work with both animals and humans, it gives us a great understanding of how different we really are and yet how we can connect through balance. Adding the energy perspective to our healing work offers the deepest of bonds and FEEDS the soul.

For all who practice energy therapy, embrace the fact that your hands and loving hearts reach far beyond the physical form! You make our world a better place…

My client quickly purchased a Thoroughbred whose original owner was not pleased with her racing results.  The owners decided they didn’t have time to place an ad in the paper and was going to have Dakota put down.  My client offered to buy her for a small fee and was hoping to find a new home for her while she trained her to do more than run in a straight line.

Though she doesn’t believe Dakota was abused, she definitely was not treated well and had severe anxiety to the point of visible trembling. During my first appointment I found she did not have any trauma to release and realized she just needed to understand what was happening to her. During HTA techniques, I energetically spoke to her, and amazingly, all of her trembling went away and never returned.

At the second appointment, her energy system was strong.  I decided to use that time to give her an update about a potential new owner that was going to be visiting her.  Then I remembered I had just received Magnify Your Purpose.  I offered this oil to Dakota and gently spoke to her during a heart technique.  The moment I spoke of her caretaker, Dakota walked up to her and lovingly nudged her.  Then I told Dakota that her purpose was far greater than the track, and this was the beginning of a new journey for her, and her caretaker would do her best to find the perfect home for her.  She immediately looked at me, then walked up to me placing her face less than an inch from my face.  I continued to honor and encourage her and ended with a kiss on her nose.

It was an incredible moment when she realized she had far greater purpose in her life.

After looking at 42 horses over 8 months, Dakota was chosen to be a part of a new family.  Her new owner reported Dakota has been calm and relaxed since being picked up and really enjoyed meeting her new stall mates. Amazing!

by Debra Saxton (reprinted from Healing Touch California enewsletter)

Much of our enewsletter focus in on our human community, but there is another group that also has a vested interest in Healing Touch: our friends in the animal kingdom. I’ve heard various stories from HT practitioners that indicate how much animals love HT sessions. One practitioner shared a story about giving a session to a friend’s ailing pet. By the end of the session, she looked up and saw that all the other animals in the home were lined up, each hoping for a treatment as well. They all got their treatments.

Wanting to support animals and pets is our natural inclination. Healing Touch for Animals® (HTA) founder, Carol Komitor has taken that one step further, and raised an organization dedicated to providing HT for animals. Recently, Madeleine Ferbal, aka Maddie, talked with us about HTA and its commitment to animals. Maddie is our board member who represents HTA, which is one of the HT organizations that we support. What she shared about animals and their human counterparts will give us a better understanding of how best to support our pets, and may open our eyes to ways they support us that we might not have known.

Maddie first talked about the difference between the animal biofield and that of humans. According to her, animals have a field that is much more expanded than their human counterparts. “It could be as much as 10 times larger than the animal,” she explained, adding that the expansion is largely due to their predator or prey position in the world, their instinctual nature. It can retract somewhat when animals are feeling safe, just like in humans. The expanded field also means that we, as humans, are always sitting in the animal’s energy field. “When you are working on an animal, you are inadvertently affecting the human, because that human is always going to be in the animal’s  field,” she shared.

Another difference Maddie mentioned is that animal fields are integrated, not layered as they are in humans. She compared animal fields to the pixelated images that came from the first digital cameras. “It is one big pixelated or integrated energy field,” she described. The integration makes it much easier for animals to release energetic congestion when clearing their fields, whereas in humans, energetic baggage can get stuck between the layers of the human field. She further explains that the animal fields are like having radar receptors along the edge. These receptors tell them when there is danger or safety around them.

Animals are prone to diseases similar to those experienced by humans: cancer, tumors, diabetes, allergies and more. Recognizing that human ailments come from stress, environmental toxins, emotions and trauma it made us wonder about the causes of such ailments in animals, and if they are similar. “It could be the same things,” explained Maddie. “Since we are so connected with them, they could be taking on their owner’s stuff.” When assessing an animal’s fields, depending on her clients, she may also assess the animal’s human, to see if there is an energetic correlation between the chakras of the two. “It’s really cool to see that energetically the animals can be very similar to what’s going on for the humans,” she stated. The question is, she mentioned: Are the animals taking on the human stuff, or is the human taking on the animals stuff? Maddie, who has
a blended practice – providing sessions for both humans and animals – encourages taking at least a Level 1 HTA course to learn how to properly assess an animal, learn their energy system and appropriate techniques that will support their overall wellness.

Though practitioners act as conduits for universal energy in both animals and human, there are some experiential differences when working with animals, Maddie explained. “As a practitioner, if you want to raise your vibration quicker, work with animals,” she said. The expanded energy fields in animals allows providers to raise their vibration much faster. Maddie also reports that working with animals you learn to communicate in a different way. “We learn to listen from a different level and to see how they respond to the energy and how they respond to us as practitioners,” she added.

Like other HT programs, Healing Touch for Animals® offers leveled courses that include
advanced proficiency and certification. All the techniques taught in the program are unique to HTA and most were developed by Carol Komitor, who was guided to create them. She borrowed Magnetic Clearing from Janet Mentgen – with Janet’s blessing. It is, however, done differently. “It is done much quicker than the way we do it on humans,” indicated Maddie. She also mentioned that, the human program techniques are not appropriate for animals because of the differing fields. The HTA techniques were channeled through and created by Carol, who also has a blended practice, said Maddie. Carol found that the HTA techniques work very well on humans.

Besides the animal specific techniques, Carol incorporated vibrational and sound therapy into her program, as well as aromatherapy. Because of animals heightened sense of smell and heightened hearing they are very receptive to all three tools. “We teach in Level 2 how to clear an energy field with the Pair 5 tuners.” said Maddie. “They are also great for humans to do self-balancing techniques,” she mentioned. Essential oils used in aromatherapy are “offered” to the animals. “We stand back from them. We don’t shove it in their faces,” she explained. “They come up to it,take a deep big breath, and just melt into it.” The aromatherapy is taught in Levels 3 and 4.

Maddie encourages anyone who really wants to support their animals to take at least the Level 1 HTA course, and there are some things we humans can do even if we don’t take an HTA class. Being a good parent is first and foremost. That means paying attention to our pet’s behaviors: Are they upset when we are upset? Is there anger, or screaming and yelling in the house that is affecting them? Is their environment free of toxins? Are they grieving? Are they taking on our stuff? “We need to be very mindful of the environment that we create in our lives, because animals do take on our stuff,” she noted. Maddie encourages humans to tell their pets: “Do not take on my stuff. This is not your stuff. That is not your responsibility. Your job is to be my loving companion.” Those that do take the HTA classes can support their animals in a way they never knew before, she added. “It will completely take their human/animal bond to a different level than they previously had,” she stated.

Wanting to better support her own pets is what led Maddie, who is also an HTA instructor, to become part of the HTA organization.

“HTA is amazing,” said Maddie. “It is a community of practitioners that want to make a
difference in the lives of animals. In doing that – whether they know it or not – they are making a difference with humans as well. So, in helping our animals, we are actually helping their people, and therefore making a really big difference on this planet,” she said.

HTA courses in California are offered in the San Diego and now San Francisco areas. Please see http://www.healingtouchforanimals.com for a listing of 2017 courses.