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"/>Healing - Ann McMaster M.A., L.P.C.

LIFE AS IT IS

Healing

Somebody asked me the other day (could have been the other ‘year’ – as time
seems to become more elusive with each passing day), "Just what do you
do for a living … exactly?  I’ve heard that you’re a  partner in a
business consultancy (TriVergent International), a senior trainer (More
to Life Program)
, a coach, a psychotherapist, and a Reiki Master .. so
just what Do you do?"

Interesting question.   I have an answer – at least I have the answer I have for now – subject to change upon further unfolding.

Back in the 60’s and 70’s, I was very involved in all kinds of
alternative healing – color therapy, radiasthesia, touch for health,
art therapy, pyramid assists – the whole gamut – if it appealed to me,
I tried it – and pretty much everything appealed to me – one notable
exception was the drinking of one’s own urine – the science of it made
sense, but that one never made it past my own ‘ick test.’

Then in May, 1982, I took the More to Life program (moretolife.org)
in order to meet my yearly commitment to continuing education units for
my psychotherapy license.  In fact, 4 other psychotherapist friends of
mine made the trek with me to the Bay Area (CA) to take this weekend,
intending to primarily enjoy the atmosphere of San Francisco, eat at
Fisherman’s Wharf, etc.   My professional arrogance (give me a break, I
was young and successful) deemed the weekend ‘this little course’  –
something to get out of the way, so we could enjoy our mini-vacation in
wonderland.  Well – what can I say?   It was a turning point in my life
– a healing in many ways.   One of which is that I understood the power
of the mind in a more visceral way than ever before.  I understood that
I could heal the body again and again, and the reactive part of my
mind, the unconscious, destructive part of my mind, could un-do all my
progress … in nanoseconds, again and again.

Well this was good news and bad news – good news in that I had even
more to do with my health than I thought (and I already thought that I
had a big part to play in the quality of my own life), and the bad news
in that now I realized I had even more to do with my own
health than I thought – requiring me to take more responsibility for
the quality of my life.   Well, OK.   I also got some amazing tools
that weekend … the "how to’s" … to do that.  It also transformed
the way I worked with people in therapy sessions.  This same More to
Life Program offers another course called the Power of Purpose – one of
the benefits of that course is to discover your life purpose – not the
surface one that is glib to the tongue, but the one that wrings tears
from your eyes when you ‘get it.’   In re-working that material for
myself, I discovered that the purpose for my life at this stage of my
life (and it has been a theme for all my life – starting with the
healing influences of my mother and father), is to be a healing agent
in the world.

My definition of a healing agent is someone whose touch is
comforting and affirming, who facilitates the stripping away of the
unconscious/demeaning lies of the ‘automatic mind,’  whose eyes see
beyond the presentation or the drama of others and into their
nobility,  who speaks the truths that are hard to hear – but which
expose the illusions and the freedom that is possible, who evokes
personal best from others, who looks for opportunity where there
doesn’t seem to be any, who recognizes the sanctity of each person, who
knows I don’t really know how ANYthing "ought to be" and walks in faith
– because – just because – that’s the Reality of Life as It Is.  (more
on faith in a later post)

So what do I do for a living?  I am a partner (with William Holt) in
TriVergent International, a senior trainer for the More to Life
Program, a coach, a licensed psychotherapist, and a Reiki Master.  What
do I Really do for a living?  I am a healer. Whether it’s teaching
teams and individuals in companies how to be creative and productive,
whether it’s teaching others how to become more of who they are as a
trainer for the MTL program, whether it’s facilitating the healing of
individuals/couples/groups as a psychotherapist,  whether it’s coaching
someone to achieve their goals, or whether it’s physically channeling
Reiki energy – it’s really – bottom line for me –  all about healing.

3 Responses

  1. Nickee Higley

    Hi there Ann,
    How exciting to be able to see and hear you in this way! I often think of you and until the next time we see each other in the flesh, I look forward to reading more of your life and wonderful insights on here! You truly are an amazing woman.
    Love Nickee

  2. Sahera Chohan

    Thank you Ann for putting so succinctly (I hope I spelt that right!)what you contribute to the world. I often struggle to “label” myself with all that I do, and this has really helped me. I too am a healer, and stand with you and many others in our common purpose. Love Sahera

  3. Claire Carruthers

    Dear Ann
    Reading your blog was an opening-up way of starting Monday morning and this week. When you described your purpose I was reminded of my own purpose to be grounded in reality. I thought that the description ‘someone whose touch is comforting and affirming’ described beautifully how I remember you!
    Claire
    XXX