Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

What is the history of Spiritual Healing?

Spiritual Healing, traced to Bible practices, has ancient roots in various forms across cultures, including African, Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Indian, and Shamanic practices. Modern spiritual healing is associated with the human field of energy healing, the spiritualism and spiritism movement and in the United Kingdom, any modality of spiritual healing is considered and recognised as a complementary therapy. Because it explicitly mentions the spiritual dimension, the United Kingdom uses the single word "healing" because the practice is understood to work on all levels of a person’s being, embodying the ancient principle of restoring wholeness rather than simply treating symptoms. In the United Kingdom, the practice is also commonly referred to as "healing" because the term encompasses the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical aspects of a person’s wellbeing, rather than just a physical cure. The word "healing" itself derives from the Old English word "haelan", meaning "whole", signifying a process of restoring wholeness to the entire being, not just treating symptoms. Spiritual healing also has various practitioners and settings, so the term spiritual is not taken literally. Healing is called spiritual because the energy channelled does not come from the healer, but through the healer. There are various forms of energy and techniques aimed at promoting self-healing and well-being, and each person chooses what resonates most; I follow the root line of spiritual healing, as I will explain briefly.

5th century

• Folk healing, called Benzimento in my hometown, meaning blessing, is a healing with plants, laid hands, or prayer; it is an ancient healing practice that began to be present in various cultures with roots in African, Indigenous, and European (Christian, Celtic and Gypsies) knowledge.

  17th century

• In Brazil, the folk healers called benzedeiras of Juruena, Mato Grosso, used benzimento for blessings and healing.

18th century

• German physician and founder Franz Anton Mesmer proposed the pseudoscientific hypothesis of animal magnetism, known as Mesmerism. He theorised a process of natural energy transfer between all animate and inanimate objects.

• Dr Franz Anton Mesmer was also the pioneer of the modern practice of hypnosis.

• In Brazil, under the influence of the legions of Ishmael, two humanitarian doctors arrived. They were Bento Mure and Vicente Martins, homoeopathic doctors who began using magnetic passes as immediate aid to healing, and they continue to be used to this day in spiritist centres.

• In the Burned-Over District, upstate U.S.A, the spiritualism movement and Christian spiritualist churches rose, where they still use spiritual healing in their churches.

1853

• In Keighley, Yorkshire, the United Kingdom, the first spiritualist church opened, marking the start of the spiritualist movement. That year, Mr David Richmond of the Shakers movement of America brought news of spiritual phenomena to M. David Weatherhead.

1857

• In Lyon, France, author and educator Hippolyte Leon Denizard Rivali, better known as Allan Kardec, founded spiritism, which is strongly practised in Brazil and around the world, where practitioners use magnetic passes in spiritist centres.

  1890

• In Manchester, England, the Society of Spiritualism movement started; it became affiliated with the National Federation that later became the SNU Spiritualist National Union). Emma Hardinge Britten aimed to unite spiritualists across the United Kingdom, where they use spiritual healing and mediumship services.

1901

• The Spiritualists National Union SNU is a spiritualist organisation and is one of the largest Spiritualist groups in the world, and it has since played a significant role in advocating for the recognition of spiritualism in the United Kingdom.

1908

• In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Umbanda started; it is an Afro-Brazilian religion, founded by Zélio Fernandino de Moraes. It is marked by the fusion of elements from different spiritual and cultural traditions, mainly African, Indigenous, Candomblé and European, like Roman Catholicism.

  1949

• A small number of healers banded together under the leadership of John Britenell and formed the Essex Healers Association. Similar local groups formed across the United Kingdom, and it soon became clear that national co-ordination was needed.

1954

• The National Federation of Spiritual Healers NFSH on the initiative of John Britnell. Harry Edwards, the nationally renowned healer, was recorded as member number one and its first president of the Healing Trust.

• The Healing Trust began with the goal of uniting and raising standards and providing a platform for spiritual healers to connect, train, and offer services with Harry Edwards.

  1960

• The NFSH reached a milestone by gaining permission for healers to work in hospitals, with support from chairman Gordon Turner.

  1965

• Under an agreement with more than 1,500 National Health Service Hospitals, NFSH healer members may attend to hospitalised patients who request the services of a healer.

1973

• Due to his age, Harry Edwards resigned as President of the Healing Trust and Dennis Fare was elected.

1977

• The General Medical Council in England agreed to allow doctors to recommend spiritual healing to their patients.

1982

• The NFSH emphasised the importance of ethical practice and created a National Ethics and Standards framework

1999

• The UK Healers was formed as a voluntary self-regulating body for spiritual healers, energy healers and energy therapists.

  2026

• There are spiritual healers who attend spiritualist churches, healing centres and in complementary therapies settings such as clinics and hospitals also there are several types of healers: non-religious and religious, so each one has their own way of approach, but the energy is universal, therefore, regardless of which healer you receive treatment from. Where your heart is touched, go with an open mind, heart and respect.

What are the differences in Spiritual Healing?

Spiritual Healing, simply expressed as healing, is a complementary therapy that involves transferring energy through the healer to the recipient. Spiritual healing is a natural and non-invasive treatment. It promotes self-healing by relaxing the soul, spirit, mind and body. Spiritual healing is not linked to a particular religion. Even very sceptical people can be healed or become healers. It is a unique treatment; what differs is the approach. It does not include massage, manipulation, drugs, other remedies, the use of instruments or the practice of clairvoyance, psychic surgery, mediumship and psychic reading.

Energy Healing is a complementary therapy that offers an additional layer of support alongside conventional treatments. It addresses the emotional, physical, mental, subtle and energetic dimensions.

Holistic Healing encompasses the full human experience and may blend various healing modalities. It is considered a complementary therapy and is added alongside conventional treatments, such as therapeutic massage, aromatherapy spiritual healing, acupuncture amongst other complementary therapies, with evidence-based medicine to help manage symptoms.

Natural Healing using substances from nature refers to approaches such as naturopathy, herbal medicine, homeopathy, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, phytotherapy, nutrition and lifestyle adjustments that support the body’s ability to heal itself, often used alongside or in place of conventional treatments. These methods include evidence‑supported practices.

Faith Healing believes in divine intervention in spiritual and physical healing, especially in Christian practice.

Folk Healing also be referred to as holistic medicine is a mixture of traditional healing practices and beliefs that involve herbal medicine, spiritualists beliefs, manual exercises and therapies in order to help treat and prevent an ailment or illness among Brazilians, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans and is one of the more common healing belief systems found in the U.S.A. It is mostly practiced by indigenous or native populations and almost of the population in certain countries within Asia and Africa rely on it for primary care.

Mediumship Healing is a form of healing that uses forces and energies from the spirit world.

Psychic Healing is based on the belief that the human body is surrounded by subtle energy fields. Healers use their intuitive and psychic abilities to sense imbalances and blockages, then direct healing energy to harmonise them.

Absent healing, also known as distant healing, is a profound way to restore balance without physical presence. Practised for centuries in various spiritual and healing traditions, absent healing works on the principle that energy is not limited by time or space.

Remote healing refers to the same concept of distant healing performed without physical proximity; the difference is that remote healing often implies a live scheduled session via video or telephone.

What is the difference between Spiritual Healing and Reiki?

From a casual point of view, there may not seem to be much difference. The main differences are in the training and approach. Spiritual healers are taught how to attune directly with the higher self and allow that energy to flow, or whatever the healer believes. Reiki, on the other hand, is attuned or initiated through a teacher, known as a Reiki Master, who installs various etheric symbols into the healer’s energy field, through which healing energy flows to the recipient. Spiritual healers must complete a two-year training program where they learn not only about energies but also other subjects, practice self-healing daily, complete a spiritual development programme, volunteer weekly at the centre while training, and pass an assessment panel to be registered. In my point of view, the most important thing is to never stop giving healing from the heart, not focusing solely on techniques because in the end healing is much more than techniques, take a good care of yourself every day in all aspects, which means always do self-healing because more you know yourself consequently better chance of perhaps understanding other. Spiritual healing is not an instant supernatural miracle or a paranormal activity, although it can happen in some people, but is the result of vibrational alignment tuning between both sides; for that reason, it is a complementary therapy, and the healers need to be registered to be able to practice in the United Kingdom.

Will a Healer cure me?

Healers can never promise a cure. The healing process is unique to every being; for me, it is more important to know what you do with the energy you receive, and for the healer, what they do with the energy they transmit.

Can everyone be a Healer?

Absolutely, because spiritual healing is not a talent, a special gift, a magic power, or a special energy and intuitive sense; the difference is that some people listen to their feelings and intuition more automatically they are more sensitive than others. Everyone has healing energy, whether they believe it or not; an atheist can be a healer. In my opinion, healing comes from the heart: empathy, simplicity, genuine intent, compassion, and the self-awareness you have and transmit to others; it is not only about hands-on transmission, but much more. Spiritual healing is an inherent ability in all human beings. No formal training is required to practice spiritual healing however in the United Kingdom it is mandatory to comply with national regulations, also studying is beneficial for understanding what you are doing and exchanging experiences with other healers because each healer approaches and beliefs in different ways of working with healing. I believe that interacting with people who think differently is great for our personal growth; otherwise, it doesn’t make sense to be a healer since healing is for everyone regardless of beliefs.

Is it necessary to ask permission to send a Distant Healing?

No, everything and everyone are interconnected already. When we send the energy of love and compassion to another person, it doesn’t matter if they know we are sending it. The important thing is that the energy of love is being sent out into the world. If a healer sends healing collectively, it is obvious they don't have individual permission; some people will receive the benefits and others will not, though everyone receives the energy.

Yes, if you are applying Distant Healing for someone in particular, please ask their permission first for ethical reasons. No one should be placed on a Distant Healing without their knowledge or agreement because some people may feel intrusion, especially in clinical settings; non-believers, sensitive people and also some people who may have mental issues may be concerned about it. We healers always follow the code of conduct, so we do it with the patient’s or client’s permission and consent, especially in healthcare settings.

Is Spiritual Healing applied with hands-on or not?

Always ask about touching and discuss specific points, although most people prefer to feel the touch; healing does not need to be touched, and some people may prefer it, which is completely accepted, and they will receive the energy the same way.

How does Spiritual Healing work on people?

In every thought, emotion, sensation, or feeling, the auric field takes on a denser form because of the absorption of harmful energies, thus your emotional can leave a mark in the human field and subtle bodies; therefore, you can have an energetic issue that will manifest physical signs of blocked energy and consequently it can turn into a disease, for this reason, spiritual healing or any other kind of healing can help in this process as a great tool to help restore harmony between physical body and all the subtle bodies. That’s why balancing the subtle bodies is essential for a harmonious and fulfilling life; taking care of every aspect of your well-being is necessary and very important. Healing is not mystical, but a serious complement that can work alongside conventional medicine and other therapies, and it's available to everyone.

Is Spiritual Healing free or does it require a fee?

In spiritualist churches and healing centres, healers do not charge, as all donations received go to the place of service, however, healers can charge for their services especially energy, spiritual, remote, holistic and natural healers and the fees vary from one to another, in hospitals almost healers attending free of charge although a few hospitals hire healers to provide assistance. In complementary therapy, healthcare settings, spiritualist churches and healing centres the healers must have a healer membership of a nationally recognised organization despite the healing abilities that each individual inherently possesses as part of being human and the independent healers services can be provided exclusively for private clients, events, and spiritualist venues.

When should I contact my healthcare provider about complementary therapies?

You should stay in contact with your healthcare provider, psychologist, psychiatrist, and veterinarian (for pet owners) throughout treatment. Let them know about the complementary therapies you or your pet is receiving.