I originally wrote this post early 2021 for a forum of wellness professionals. I feel compelled to share it again as the risk for exploitation is on the rise.
Recent events will have had a detrimental impact on our feelings of calm and future security. In response, many will seek out reassurance from individuals who market themselves as healers and spiritual guides. There are seekers who will be seduced into trusting these individuals and practices which at surface level sound magically comforting and powerful; a safe harbour in the storm. But the words and rites used are intended to lull people into a false sense of intoxicating security and manipulate the people-pleasers amongst us.
Woe betide the person who seeks healing who does not also exercise critical-thinking, especially now. Not everyone in the wellness industry has your best interests at heart.
Welcome to the new year! Is this the time you promise yourself new habits, new outlooks? My endeavour is to actively work through the stack of books I’ve been eyeing the past few months.
Immersed in one of said books, I came across a title someone had given themselves, ‘transformational healer and thinker’*. I was impressed. The labels we assign ourselves communicate so much to the world around us, especially when we’re marketing a service or concept. They shape how we perceive ourselves and our behaviours when we engage with others which then shapes how they see us. Reflecting upon this self-assigned title, I analysed it further –
‘Transformational’ implies this individual has successfully found a progressive path forward. Clients and peers would be wise to put their trust in them. So many of us strive to improve ourselves, our surroundings, yet we may feel stifled and stuck. People respond to hopefulness and ‘transformation’ is a purposefully emotive word.
‘Healer’ harmonises beautifully with transformational because not only has this person found a life-changing route through life, they want to share it with others who are seeking abatement from their past. It implies compassion and understanding, an oasis in what can be a harsh world.
‘Thinker’ promises wisdom, a light to guide us when our intuition makes us feel too vulnerable, when we yearn for certainty amidst the confusion. In this moment, the sheer quantity of the unknown can feel overwhelming, even to us who offer sanctuary. Politics, climate change, pandemics, relationships, mental health… it’s understandable the promise of security and stability would draw people in.
Such an arrangement of descriptors – ‘transformational healer and thinker’ – each word active, alive, promising change…
and all aligning to mask a dark shadow.
How many individuals or groups have we encountered in our travels through the healing arts that later revealed themselves to be charlatans, misogynists, or abusers? Who would exploit susceptible, trusting people? Perhaps not most, but certainly enough that I invite each of us to welcome more discernment into our lives for the year ahead. I encourage more questioning and critical-analysis, even of those whom we admire and respect. If we are truly to be a safe space for our clients, we are the point of entry into healing for some, which means we hold some responsibility to vet any individuals or theories we introduce to them.
Linguistics are used for both empowering and sinister reasons, even within our industry whether we are comfortable acknowledging it or not. Let us rally the courage to call out such perpetrators and support each other as we practice shrewdness in our community.
We are the watchers. We are the shields.
*This self-claimed title belongs to Ross Jeffries, a professional pick-up artist, or “speed seducer”, who offers seminars internationally on how to mentally and emotionally manipulate, stalk, and seduce women