Reverse Therapy is based on the research done by Dr John Eaton since 1996 on the relationship between the mind and body, and between the emotions, the brain, the nervous system, and the immune system. It is widely used in Australia and other countries, such as the United Kingdom, to treat health conditions with unexplained causes. A series of techniques were developed in order to help people recover from illnesses such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. Read on to learn more.
The HeadMind and the BodyMind
The HeadMind can be simply defined as a person's intellectual intelligence. The BodyMind is the body's own intelligence centred in the limbic system, its “emotional brain”. The main purpose of the BodyMind is to promote health within the body, and it achieves this by monitoring the efficiency of the systems it controls, maintaining the balance between internal resources and external demands, and using emotions and symptoms to warn a person when they are in danger. Disease occurs when the HeadMind and the BodyMind are in conflict, causing us to lose the balance between external demands and internal needs. Reverse therapy strives to create a balance between these two aspects.
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The Reverse Therapy Process
It is important to understand that Reverse Therapy is not a form of counselling or psychotherapy. It is a BodyMind healing process that occurs when the HeadMind listens to the BodyMind and they start to work in harmony. Reverse Therapy works by listening to the BodyMind and hearing what it is trying to say through symptoms. It is a face-to-face talking process in which the therapist teaches the client to listen to and understand the messages that the BodyMind is trying to communicate through symptoms.
Reverse Therapy has three main processes that complement each other. First, the history of the symptoms is investigated in order to try and find out what was happening when the symptoms first occurred and what has happened recently for the symptoms to recur. As this investigation takes place, the client is taught how to listen to the communication of the BodyMind by using simple body-focusing techniques. These techniques help the client develop intuitions about the emotions that the BodyMind is trying to make them express. This then leads to the discovery of what is called the “symptom message”, which is the specific actions that the BodyMind needs to take in order to abolish the state of disease and restore emotional balance.
Conditions Treated by Reverse Therapy
The holistic approach of Reverse Therapy has been found to be beneficial for any physical or mental health condition. By targeting the mind-body connection, reverse therapy can restore the body's natural balance and improve overall health while resolving long-standing issues and promoting healing. Mental health professionals specialising in Reverse Therapy can help with the following conditions:
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Post Traumatic Stress
- Migraine
- Non-specific pain
- Addictions
- Anger states
- Grief
- Sexual dysfunction
- Insomnia
- Facial tics
- Skin complaints
- Colitis
- Muscle pain
- Carpal Tunnel syndrome
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Myositis
- Repetitive Strain Injury
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Mitochondrial dysfunction
- Viral infection
Tips to Get Started With Reverse Therapy
Reverse Therapy is a very personal approach, so it's important to be patient while working with a qualified practitioner who has received formal training in this modality. Here are a few pointers to get you started.
- Do your research and find a qualified reverse therapist.
- Be patient and allow yourself time to adjust to the techniques.
- Be open-minded and willing to try new things.
- Be consistent and attend therapy sessions regularly.
- Drink plenty of water and get enough rest.
- Take some time for yourself and engage in relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation.
