For many people the multitude of alternative healing therapies offered in the foothills to help with a wide variety of health issues is still a mystery.

Mary Jane Pfeiffer, Foothills Holistic Practitioners Guild chair, works on a client.

The Sheep River Library is hosting a two-evening course to shed some light on alternative healing practices such as reiki, Bowen therapy, traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathic medicine and Swedish massage. The Complementary and Alternative Health information sessions will take place on Feb. 25 and March 4, with seven foothills-based health practitioners speaking about the therapies they offer.

Tomorrow’s session will feature Mary Jane Pfeiffer, chair of the Foothills Holistic Practitioners Guild, naturopathic doctor Amanda Holloway will discuss holistic health and Ruth Goodwin will offer a lesson in stress relief through massage.

On March 4 participants will learn about identifying healing herbs, how traditional Chinese medicine treats chronic health problems, how reflexology’s health benefits go beyond the feet and a lesson in how a Bowen treatment can alleviate shoulder pain.

“This area is a hotbed of alternative health practitioners,” said Pfeiffer, who practices reiki and shamanic healing. “The information sessions are going to be a good introduction to how alternative therapies can benefit people, without them having to book an appointment or committing to anything. People are starting to doubt the western medical system, with the cutbacks and the horror stories and often people can’t get in. It’s hard to see a doctor in town.”

Alternative practitioners work in conjunction with western medical doctors, rather than being a substitution.

“The western medical system is important and people depend on it, but they have a tendency to overwhelm people by telling them the way it is, instead of asking people what they think so that’s not giving the patient their own voice,” said Pfeiffer.

Pfeiffer said there are two main things alternative practitioners have in common that stand apart from western medicine.

First, alternative practitioners aim to help individuals take their health into their own hands and work as a team towards healing. Second, alternative practitioners view individuals’ energy as a key component to good health and the practitioners work with the individual, whether that is through reflexology, acupuncture, diet, massage or more ethereal approaches to the body’s energy, to improve health.

“Fundamentally, everything is made of energy and people are becoming more aware of quantum physics,” said Pfeiffer. “Trees, humans, everything is made out of energy and if we get out of sync we feel bad. So if we can get a person’s energy up and balanced, then the rest will follow.”

The Complementary and Alternative Health information sessions take place on Feb. 25 and March 4 at 7 p.m. at the Sheep River Library in Black Diamond. There is no cost for the seminars. Call the library to register, 403-933-3278.

tneely@okotoks.greatwest.ca

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