In 2019 I went to Brazil to experience for myself what Oprah Winfrey and Wayne Dyer, author of “Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life,” called psychic surgeries in the hands of renowned healers. Most people seek alternative healing modalities when nothing else has worked. In my case, the exploration and close encounters with humans with certain abilities was and is what continues to call me to places like Abadiania and Planaltina in Brazil.
Back when I practiced in Washington Heights, New York, I predominantly saw patients from the Dominican Republic. To talk about the “evil eye” or a variation of cleanses or limpias were every day themes back then. I am not exempt from these practices; I too was given a red beaded bracelet days after birth to keep away bad intentions. This practice is widely propagated throughout Latin America.
While integrating ancestral beliefs often does not get included in a psychotherapeutic treatment; it is an essential part of the cultural competency that I operate from and undoubtedly connects me to my clients.
Arriving to Brazil then was an opportunity to see the syncretism of the rich Christian, indigenous, and African traditions and practices in one concentrated space.
The towns I visited had their own healers or “psychic surgeons” where hundreds of people made lines outside of the “clinic.” There were other towns where mediums — people who make contact with the spirit world — where available for anyone who desired a reading. Overall, the level of belief and intention in all of these practices was outstanding. Healing indeed occurred, thus the popularity of these clinics that attracted people such as Oprah.
In my practice, conversations about how a client does or would like to connect to loved ones that have passed; how to develop intuitive abilities; or how to rid malevolent energies comes up more often than not. My role as a Transpersonal Psychotherapist is to recognize that humans have more than cognitive ways to resolve their pains. It is both exciting and humbling when a client allows me to open up the space for transpersonal explorations to occur.
The Brazil trip as many of the other close encounters I have had with alternative, ancestral, or quantum practices reiterates the importance of a personalized process when it comes to healing. We all have different needs and beliefs. There is no one size fits all psychotherapy. I encourage clients to seek and explore that which fits their needs and to wisely choose practitioners that walk the talk.
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