The Energy Healing Controversy: 
Harnessing Energy with Faith & Integrity

 
By Tam Pendleton

Let me be frank...

In our western culture, there has always been a great deal of fear and scrutiny (from myself included) around energy work, ancient eastern methods, and faith-based healing work. In fact, the first time a friend shared her knowledge of chakras with me, I was sure she had lost her mind. Now, 35 years later, I have learned a few things...I have seen many different energy styles, some more dark than light. I've been guarded about energy work that has felt "off" or out of integrity with my personal values. In my personal pursuit of light and truth, I have given a serious analytical study of the methods and motives of practitioners from all over the world.  After all of this observation, the telling sign for me on discerning "the goodness & light scale" seems to boil down to how the practitioner views his source of power. Basically, what is the practitioner's intention with the client? And does the practitioner consider his gift to be the power source behind the healing power used in a session? 

 I have been training gifted, powerful healers for a decade. I have had practitioners bless me with their God-given gifts in miraculous ways. I have also received many energy worker wounds, where I have been offended, cursed, and even scarred. Nowadays, I am VERY careful with who is allowed within my healing space. And…It may be that the critics of energy healing work have had an uncomfortable dose of practitioners who have been misled by the dark side of energy (the side that isn't based on Light & Truth) … which can happen to anybody! And it is more likely to happen when any of the following ethics have been breached...

1. Honoring a SOURCE of power other than God
2. Seeking personal praise, glory or nursing an over-inflated ego
3. Disrespect of appropriate boundaries with others
4. A deep desire to save or control others without permission 

From a personal perspective as a Christian-faith-based practitioner, it all boils down to this...

1. Honoring a SOURCE of power other than God. 
Faith can be labeled as subjective. We can all believe whatever we want, but I honestly believe that there is only one true, living God. His Son is Jesus Christ, the Creator, and atoning Redeemer. He gave His life to heal us and to return us to His Father. For me, this is the true source of all light. Pure Light cannot come from an impure association. If the practitioner's SOURCE is not pure, the energy work will be tainted. 

2. Seeking personal praise, glory or nursing an over-inflated ego.
Ideally, as a practitioner, we humbly ask for help, then listen to God's Spirit as HE directs an energy healing session; we listen for answers, take action and act as a witness to the direction of the Spirit.  Then, no matter the outcome, we rejoice with gratitude for the goodness and mercy of God. Trusting His will to be done.

3. Disrespect of appropriate boundaries with others. 
We do not work with others. without their invitation or permission. In part, that would be making the assumption that in our opinion, this person cannot be trusted to get along on his own. Though we may believe we have solutions that will change the world, does not mean our opinion will be welcome. All people are children of the divine, and in most cases, are capable of deciding for themselves who is invited and what is needed to assist them during their learning experience on earth.

AND finally...

4. A deep desire to save others through covert manipulation or control. 
Most of us have been exposed to codependent love...where we empathetically over-identify with each other, then the pleaser inside us will lose personal boundaries as well as cross our neighbors boundaries without permission. Consequently, in our own pain, we may try to exert our agenda over others; saving them from their poor choices, so we can feel better about ourselves. It is a selfish pattern that robs others of their agency and leaves us feeling overworked and under-appreciated. 

In conclusion, I know many fine practitioners have been unfairly put through the wringer by family, church, and community. On the flip side, through their own lack of ethics, there are energy workers that have deserved the scrutiny. In any field of discipline, there will be an array of the gifted and the "less-likely-to-succeed". We are all learning and trying our best to fulfill our potential. I'm sure that you do NOT want to breach your honor or be part of an energy wound imposed through your own ignorance or pride, and yet, that is the natural, human way to learn. We all make mistakes as we search for a brighter way to share our gifts with others. And isn't it the Christian way to accept each other as we are and to forgive each other's floundering as we try to figure it out? Don't we all want to be trusted to do our best as we truly are a work in progress? 

It is my deep belief that God has taught me what I know. There are those who are not prepared to hear about what I have learned. And there are people who are way above my pay grade...they have been taught things from heaven that I cannot presently comprehend.  To spiritually mature, we must come to the human family table with an open mind about what we see others are being taught by God; especially when it is different from our experience. 

As we trust in the pure Source of Light, trust ourselves to do the right thing; we can harness the power of energy healing. By surrendering our will to the power of God; if we can get out of our own way, we become God's hands as we search for energy solutions that serve His children with mercy and compassion.
We all learn. We all grow. We all support each other in the learning journey. 
Trust yourself to have faith in the Pure Source.

Namaste~ Dear One, 

Tam Pendleton   BCTN, LMT, CHB