It is every patient’s wish that she or he have a tremendous healing after the first visit. In reality, that is a rare occurrence.
A fifty-four-year-old woman presented with neck and shoulder tightness. She felt that her entire spinal cord was restricted down into her lower back.
She had swallowing difficulty, digestive problems, and was anxious. She had dislocated her left shoulder, broke her left leg, and had a hysterectomy after birthing seven children.
She had a zero-second brain cycle and tightness in her body corresponding exactly to her clinical description. The beauty of the Gillespie Approach is that it leads the provider directly to the areas where the body needs loosening and healing.
I listened, followed, and supported her lower and then her upper body for a total of twenty minutes—a normal first visit. Her brain cycle opened to 70 seconds.
At the second visit, her body freed up even more, with her brain cycle opening to 140 seconds. I suggested that she let her body process the results of this visit and let me know if she needed another session in the future.
I have always wondered why a few patients responded so positively to therapy initially. My thought is that this was the missing piece of their healing.
For providers: Patients can present with a complex situation and you may feel many visits are required. Be prepared that a few patients will surprise you, needing only a little help to free up their bodies.
The big question for future research: What is so special about these patients?
The Patient Speaks
“This was the missing piece to my body’s puzzle of being tight and even my spine throbbing in pain at times. I felt so much looser around my neck, spine, and legs.
“The following day I noticed my anxiety had also lessened. The assaults to my body had made my sympathetic nervous system, so to speak ‘stuck on.’ I had become a master at hiding my pain, anxiety, and fatigue by either staying home or just to go into, ‘fake it until you make it’ mode.
“My body continued to stay loose and flexible. My mind kept clearing in the days that followed.
“The second appointment further enhanced the flexibility of my spine, and, so far, the pain has not returned. My body and mind still feel in a calm state.
“Do not make your skill and intelligence a job but let it become a passion to help those in pain heal.”
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Gillespie Approach Foundation Training is designed for students to work with children and adults.
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