Are you a practitioner of healing work, or seeking to become one, & have ever been put in a situation that makes your needs feel secondary? Being of service to others, it can be incredibly frustrating as we do so to not find the same reverence in return. This is why setting boundaries is a part of any practice always at peak relevance, constantly rethinking the way we show up as healers or supports. I want to share some of these thoughts on this with you all, from the perspective of a healing arts professional. Stay tuned for a Boundaries for Clients or Students article also coming soon!
The world of self-employment for a paradigm-shifting person requires an extent of blazing our own unique trails, which also means that we must carve out comprehension of what fares us. At times, I, among other folks who do this work, have felt pressure to underprice or even give services for free in a manner that is backhanded towards our initial needs. After spending years developing these practices, & with all of the energy invested not only into it but into the community, I’m learning that it is not only okay but necessaryto set a standard.
Learning this, now? Haven’t I already learned? Well, it is a cyclical teaching of adapting to new skills & styles of contribution, as we change & our offerings do along with us. I am conceiving in a different way than I once did, part of being a healer is that showing up for others, also means receiving a level of healing ourselves simply through seeing the world in a new way. Giving forward what I have come to find is a rejuvenating, expansive aspect of personal evolution - a natural progression of life. It’s part of why I do this work; it’s not just for me & it’s not just for you, but it’s for us all. Surely I can imagine that many of you have come to this vocation for similar reason.
On my path, the way I came into this field was having to VIGOROUSLY heal, myself, which is still a daily aspect of my experience. No matter what it took, I was to prioritize that above anything else. Yet, there is still so much more to go; for myself & each one of us. Being a pillar of support requires diligence in seeking new ways, outlets, & methods to improve; because the challenge inherent in incarnating is going to be present no matter who we are or work with. What we do, is to make the sometimes-painful transformation a bit smoother.
So, healer boundaries are to give the space & resources we need to be able to approach our role with resolve. They mean, “I can be better at what I do, for you, because I hold this standard.” That we have a straight path to coming into sessions with confidence rather than confusion or tension worrying, “will my needs get met?” In this way we can better give the subject complete focus & complete presence, as there is nothing to contort our well-being by bearing this work. Nothing to minimize the worth of our modalities. That, is why boundaries must be established.
Still finding further ways this needs to be harnessed for our health, & for the collective, is a constant. Not due to our incompetence in the slightest, but quite the contrary - because we are each a stronghold that must be maintained. For this process, many of us have given our all & will continue to. In my book, that isn’t even remotely a compromise because my spirit is meant to do what I am. Though, we are not to compromise on what I deserve, either, in efforts to make sure that every last person who approaches gets something from us. Over-giving would mean the inability to give quality consistently, as one would be more concerned with output than equal exchange. By default, this would be a lack of boundaries & a self-sacrificing structural issue in a practice.
Another stance on safety for healers, given that we do procure a ton of output, is knowing when to take a moment for ourselves. We, like anyone else, can be subject to burnout. It is our responsibility to put the brakes on, when our physical or mental limitations ensue, there is no fault in that. If we must reschedule, or cannot hold space emotionally at the second a client wants (often on the assumption that it will be without the implication of a service), consider that you may need to assert a boundary. You will find that you will regenerate quicker. When we do healing after healing or reading after reading - then are asked for more - it becomes far more taxing to continue. So, we must let ourselves have a few days in our schedule that are self-focused for the sake of establishing that security, whether they were designated beforehand or unanticipated.
Caring for ourselves is a round-the-clock job as humans, but when catering to the pains or ailments of others, it becomes more intensified because of our sensitivity. Seeing all of the change there is left to create in the world can leave us constantly wanting to do more, never rest, but making that time is what assists our strength in what we do. Our cup must be carefully tended to, before coaxing water into another’s.
’Til Next Time,
Eeden Theta Shale
This piece was originally published via Prophecy Canvas & has been shared here with full rights of the author. See more of my work on ritual education & ascension mechanics on Patreon. Thank you for your support!