Here are some of the comments we received from our Therapeutic Touch practitioners when we asked the question “How has Therapeutic Touch changed your life?

  I can now say that I am a more relaxed, stress-free person. I no longer get so upset when things don’t go my way.

  Knowing I can do Therapeutic Touch (TT) for myself is such a relief. I know it makes me less anxious when I go for my cancer treatments.

  I love being able to give Therapeutic Touch to my children when they get hurt. The bruising is less and they calm down quickly. The amazing thing is that they always know when they are “done” and happily get down and run off to play when the healing has taken place.

  I can give myself Therapeutic Touch when I get hurt or am stressed out. Immediately I feel better.

  As a caregiver, I am so grateful that I can give my partner Therapeutic Touch when he is upset or in pain. It always helps.

  I am a palliative care nurse. I can honestly say that I cope better than many of my colleagues – knowing and using Therapeutic Touch reduces “compassion fatigue”.

  I work in hospice. I am so grateful to be able to give Therapeutic Touch at end-of-life transition. It always makes it easier for the family and the one making the transition.

  When my grandson was in the hospital with an acute asthma attack I gave him TT when the nurse went for some equipment. When she returned he was breathing normally and she sent him home without a prescription except to tell his mother to use a steamer in his bedroom.

  As a nurse, I find that I can give “Therapeutic Touch Moments” to my patients that make them feel more comfortable. It allows me to give compassionate care even though my day is filled with record-keeping and medical tasks. It makes me more human and keeps me true to my purpose in being a nurse.

  My new puppy responded to TT quickly when he became ill recently. The vet was amazed at how calm he could be during the treatment.

  I once burned myself quite badly when I grabbed the handle of a frying pan that had been on the barbecue. I immediately put my hand under cold water and did Therapeutic Touch. After about 15 minutes there was no evidence that I’d been burned at all – no blistering, not even a red mark.

  Knowing TT means that I can always help my teens when they get minor injuries doing athletics. It also makes me a special Mom in their eyes. A nice feeling.

  I start my day by giving myself a TT treatment, then the chemotherapy sessions go easier and I'm less stressed. At the end I give myself another TT treatment. It makes all the difference.

  I never feel that there's nothing I can do for a friend who's ill or just upset.

  I've never been refused entry to an ICU to give a TT session when requested by a patient or their doctor. And the ICU nurses always treat me so well.

  It was so handy to know when my baby was teething.

If you have an answer to the question “How has Therapeutic Touch changed your life?” that you would like to share, email it to the TTNO webmaster at [email protected]