Table 4 Experiences and reflection on healing

Interaction with the therapist

Connection

Empathy, comfort and trust

“You need to get comfortable with the lady who is doing it” (P7 F IBS)

“I had to feel comfortable with the person and that can take a couple of sessions” (P14 F UC)

Special feeling

“The contact [connection] is a big part of it, a big part of the help and you wouldn’t get that with a psychologist” (P3 F IBS)

“Made me realise that I am not alone in what I am feeling” (P3 F IBS)

Communication

Transferring feelings

“The whole wording, what she’s [therapists] talking about” (P1 M IBS)

“As [therapist] is talking I am aware that she is holding her hands over me or touching parts of my body, reinforces what she is saying” (P11 F IBS).

Procedure for undesired symptoms experiences

“I don’t know where it came from [the pain] but, they [therapist] did explain it was like a release” (P9 F UC).

“She [therapist] did tell me that I should rest that evening. You know, not try to do too much…” (P20 F IBS)

“The next week she [therapist] said ok, we won’t be so intense this time, and she still did some of the Reiki with me, but I sat up” (P20 F IBS)

Experiences during sessions

Vivid experiences

Relaxed

“You feel all relaxed and calm” (P4 M UC)

“I can feel myself relaxing into it” (P7 F IBS)

“It is its wonderfully relaxing” (P21 F UC)

Calmer

“I am really a much calmer person” (P6 F UC)

“It makes you really calm” (P8 F IBS)

“I feel really calm” (P14 F UC)

Heat/warmth

“Because the heat is strong” (P3 F IBS)

“Today I could feel the heat” (P5 F UC)

Uplifted

“Had a real spring in my step…uplifted…I feel happier” (P14 F UC)

“I am like a spring chicken the next day, I am just running and racing around” (P15 F IBS)

Light and energy

“In the day time you have these colours going on” (P1 M IBS)

“Brighter, I know my eyes are closed and it would actually feel brighter” (P12 F UC)

Visions

“You might have a vision of somebody in the past which I did…I have seen me mum…Odd things might happen like you might see things in your eyes… you will probably see little animals, like this jumping out at you, and around” (P9 F UC)

Being pulled or sucked

“Strange experience to be held by the feet and have this kind of trip, it feels you are being pulled through a tunnel” (P1 M IBS)

“You feel like you’re being hurtled” (P1 M IBS)

Nervous sensations/reactions

“Feel a bit tingly in my hands and elbows” (P14 F UC)

“When she touches me stomach their I jump…it’s a reflex action…she was worried about it…nowhere else” (P16 M UC)

Wind

“You can feel the wind going round in your body…it was like she was chasing wind round my body” (P7 F IBS)

Undesired experiences

Increased pain

“After the first one [session], it sort of brought all my wind, just under my back and it was quite painful” (P7 F IBS)

“The first session I was out of control, and the pain I felt and it was, I was just crying…” (P 9 F UC)

Heat pain

“I had this burning pain which was saying to [therapist] about which was right in the back of my head, really really hot…I had to change my day at work the next day because I still felt really hot as well” (P20 F IBS)

Crying

“Crying all the time [first session]” (P9 F UC) “when I left the [place of work] the first time [after the first session] I went into the loo and I picked up a, a nice text from my daughter and I just burst into floods of tears” (P20 F IBS)

Engaging with the experience

Difficulty getting into the breathing

“It was quite difficult to get into with my breathing” (P12 F UC)

“For the initial session I found if really difficult to focus on me breathing” (P14 F UC)

Experience following session

Increased bowel related symptoms

“A good three days after I was continuously windy, I didn’t think anyone could burp or trump that much” (P7 F IBS)