Pat KennedyRGN, SCM, BSc.,Reiki Master,10 Aviemore Gardens,Bearsden,Glasgow G612BL,UK.Tel.: + 44 (0) 141570 2824;E-mail: pat@kennedyp.fsbusiness.co.uk

Workingwith survivors oftorture in Sarajevowith ReikiPat Kennedy

Whileworking as a nurse/therapist in Sarajevo, I had the opportunity towork in anexperimental situation at a center for torture survivors. Thiswas to see if the use ofReikiwould have a benef|cial effect on this type of patient. It involved a rethinkontraditional Reiki hand positions, music, and the general set-up of the roombeing used. Itwas a challenge, and one Iwas delighted to have had. The people Iworkedwithwerewonderful, and the changes in themover the periodwere so positive. The staff at theCenter were delighted; Iwas delighted; but somuchmore importantly, the patientsweredelighted. The groundhas nowbeen broken andhopefully will be considered in a positivelight for other traumatized patients. # 2001Harcourt Publishers Ltd

In 1998 I joined Healing Hands Network

(HHN), a UK based charity, whose remit is to

assist in the relief of suffering caused by war

and disaster. I am a nurse who also works with

complementary therapies. I came with HHN to

Bosnia where I had the opportunity to work as a

therapist with the staff of CTV MOST, Sarajevo

(Centre for the Rehabilitation of Torture Victims

and their Families, Sarajevo). Although based

in Sarajevo, it treats patients from all over

Bosnia.

The recent war in Bosnia from 1992–1995 has

been well documented. The medical staff at the

Centre have a very stressful job. Not only do

they have to deal with the physical and

psychological aspects of their patients’ torture,

the survivors, they also deal with the effects and

reactions that this torture has on the rest of the

family.

The secretarial staff are often the first point of

contact at the clinic visits for the patients, they

also write up medical notes, which leave no

doubt as to the atrocities these patients have

been subjected to at the hands of their torturers.

We treated the staff with a variety of

complementary therapies including reflexology

aromatherapy, massage and Reiki. In Bosnia, all

forms of Hands On Healing go by the name of

Bio-Energy. It is an established and recognized

form of treatment here. Many of the staff at the

Center suffered from vicarious traumatization

Complementary Therapies in Nursing &Midwifery (2001) 7, 4^7 # 2001Harcourt Publis

(Annual Report 1993). This is a recognized

condition where the carers of this type of patient

take on the problems and traumas themselves.

Unless treated it can quickly lead to burn out

and even a nervous breakdown. It shows up as

severe stress, tension and disturbed sleep

patterns.

The staff, who were coming to the HHN

Therapy Center on a weekly basis stated that, by

coming to us, they were able to keep their stress

levels down enabling them to work more

effectively with their patients. It also helped

them to lead a normal life out with their job and

they felt not only had their sleep pattern

improved so had their general health.

After a year we asked if there was a possibility

of us being allowed to work with any of the

patients themselves — the survivors. They

considered our proposal for a few months, but

before finally accepting the proposition we had

to agree to certain conditions. The Center had

two patients who had decided to try Reiki

healing in conjunction with their normal treat-

ment at CTV MOST.

We agreed to treat the patients at their clinic;

to work in conjunction with their medical staff;

and initially in the trial period to use the same

therapist for both the medical staff and the

patients. It was important that a strong feeling of

security was built into the treatment of the

patients. I also had to agree to their doctor being

hers Ltd

*The names of thepatients have beenchanged.

Reiki: working with torture survivors 5

on the premises during the treatments. This was

to ensure the safety of the patients during the

therapy. This was not a problem, particularly as

Dr Enra Lukovac would act as my interpreter. I

agreed. We could go ahead.

According to Zollman and Vickers (1999), an

important role of the medical practitioners is to

ensure that their patients receive the most

appropriate type of therapy, therefore they need

to know the work of the therapists and know

the treatments on offer. They also state that the

doctor and the patient must have faith in the

practitioner who must be acceptable to both

parties. The doctors at the Centre For Torture

Victims knew from first hand experience not only

the treatments on offer, but also many of the

volunteer therapists. CTV MOST had their own

physiotherapy and massage staff, and the med-

ical staff felt that the most helpful treatment we

could offer their patients would be Hands on

Healing: Reiki.

One potential problem was patient confidenti-

ality. These were not the usual patients with a

gastric problem or a hernia. The medical staff

discussed this point with me and after serious

thought I considered that it was not necessary to

know many details of the patient’s history which

would be taken under normal circumstances.

I would be told what medication they were on

and would be given a brief resume of their

conditions but it would be unnecessary for me

to know exactly how they had been tortured.

After all, I would be treating these patients not

as a nurse but as a therapist, and the Doctor

from CTV MOST would be on the premises. The

fact that I was a nurse was, I think, a great

advantage in being accepted into this very

medical world.

This is in complete contradiction to ACET

(1996), who state that everyone dealing with this

class of patient should be aware of what they

have gone through. To me it was sufficient to

acknowledge the fact that these patients were

survivors of torture who were on antidepres-

sants, sleeping tablets and had unbalanced

endocrine systems. This is a very common

after-effect of this type of trauma. The medical

staff were satisfied with this approach.

I realized I would have to prove myself as

never before. I gave considerable thought to the

preparation of the room. I would be using the

physiotherapy area, which gave me a table to

work on, and it was a familiar area for my future

clients.

I chose the music carefully. I wanted nothing

with startling sounds in it, neither did I want

whale sounds. The cries of the whales could be

upsetting to this type of patient. I chose Reiki

Music by Ajad and also by Mike Rowland; these

are described on their covers as soft, relaxing

meditative music — perfect.

Before starting to work with the survivors,

I borrowed some books from the Center so that I

would be aware of some situations and ill

treatments which my new patients may have

met. It did not make pleasant reading. The

well-worn quotation of Robert Burns, of ‘man’s

inhumanity to man’, sprang to mind.

Candles were out for two reasons. First, they

could have set off the Center’s fire alarm system!

Secondly, fire in any shape or form is not a good

idea with this category of patient until you have

their complete trust. Fragrant oils were also out

as I had no idea what smells could bring back

unpleasant memories.

In most Survivor Centers uniforms are not

worn, so I wore casual clothing in soft warm

colours and tried to look more relaxed than I

felt!

I had the brief essential notes from the doctor

on my first lady, Senaida*. We were introduced

and I saw a very pleasant lady in her early fifties.

She limped badly and her left leg was obviously

damaged. On closer examination I saw that it

had been broken in several places between the

knee and the foot. She had had extensive surgery,

and her leg had been pinned and plated in

several places. She walked slowly and painfully.

She is scheduled for more surgery later in the

year and is not looking forward to that. She was

obviously apprehensive, which I expected. So I

explained in my poor Bosnian what I was going

to do. This made her laugh and relax a little.

Doctor Enra Lukovac translated so that there

would be no misunderstandings and she was also

able to answer any questions that Senaida might

have. She seemed amazed that she could remain

fully dressed, which I think was a reassuring

point for her.

She lay on the treatment couch. Relaxing at

this stage was almost impossible for her. She

kept opening her eyes watching my every move,

although most of the time she could feel my

hands on her body.

The music was soft and soothing. After a lot of

thought I had worked out that I would probably

be better to adapt some of the traditional Reiki

hand positions for these patients. I did not cover

her eyes, working high over them, using the

forehead as the point of contact. Over other very

sensitive areas I worked well clear of the body.

These are of course the breasts on both male and

female patients, the lower abdomen and the soles

of the feet.

Until I had established a firm trust with these

patients I was taking no chances of upsetting

them. When I came to the feet, I made a point of

firmly holding onto the ankles before moving to

the tops of the feet then the soles. All movements

were slow, firm and deliberate.

Towards the end of the session I was delighted

to hear gentle snores. Senaida had completely

. . . in Bosnia

medical and

surgical staff not

only come openly

for Reiki

treatment to

relieve their

stress but are

also prepared

to send their

patients; even

very vulnerable

patients like

torture survivors.

6 Complementary Therapies in Nursing &Midwifery

relaxed. I sat quietly in the room and let her

come round in her own time. I took particular

care to ground her after her treatment (otherwise

a patient can feel very lightheaded), and gave her

a glass of water.

We both went through to see Dr Enra and I

asked how Senaida had felt with the treatment.

The reply was, ‘Super’. This was expanded

further and she said that she had felt tremendous

heat from my hands during the session. She also

felt that she had been drained of all the heavy

weights inside her and had been filled up with air.

And could she please have another appointment?

I think I was more delighted than she was.

I have treated Senaida for over 4 months now.

The difference in her is wonderful to see, but

much more important are the benefits she feels.

She no longer takes sleeping tablets, and

painkillers only very occasionally. Her walking

has improved and she says she can even run a

little now. Her limp has almost gone and the pain

in her leg only comes on in the evening after a

day’s work. Her smile says it all, she is just so

relaxed and happy looking. Yes, she has bad

days: something will trigger a bad memory, but

she can now cope better and more easily.

I now know Senaida’s history. She came in for

a treatment in tears one day and it all came out.

At that point all I could do was hold her and let

Reiki do the rest. She had met an old neighbour

who could have helped to protect her from the

Serbian soldiers. Instead this person had shown

them where she lived and encouraged them to

take her away and torture her, which of course

they did.

The medical staff are very pleased with her

progress and they feel that she has benefited a

great deal from the Reiki treatment. And

Senaida is delighted.

I find it very refreshing that in Bosnia medical

and surgical staff not only come openly for Reiki

treatment to relieve their stress but are also

prepared to send their patients; even very

vulnerable patients like torture survivors. And

the results speak for themselves.

The second lady I saw, Mirsada, was quiet and

extremely nervous. My first impression of her

was that of a dowdy, not particularly attractive

looking lady. She came with a history of stress,

nightmares, headaches, abdominal pains, gastri-

tis and endocrine problems — all the usual

problems of a torture victim. Medication in-

cluded antidepressants, sleeping tablets, and

antacid tablets.

Mirsada looked much older than her 40 years.

After everything was explained to her she lay

down. My poor Bosnian did not even raise a

smile. Mirsada’s eyes followed my every move.

She looked almost resigned to being here, and

was obviously scared. Eventually she relaxed.

Again I took the precaution of working off the

body round potentially sensitive areas. She even

fell asleep and snored. However, her eyes

remained open all the time. At the end of the

session I left her to come round slowly as I had

done with Senaida, then I gently touched her

shoulder. ‘Gotova?’ she asked. ‘Yes, I’m fin-

ished’. I answered, and asked her to take her time

and stand up slowly. I handed her a glass of

water, which she ignored She sat bolt upright,

shot off the couch and flew out of the door. I

thought ‘She doesn’t like it’ and headed off after

her. A laughing Doctor Enra met me. When I

asked if everything was OK she said yes, Mirsada

had only wanted to make sure that she could

have another appointment. I asked how she felt

and was told ‘Good’. She would not elaborate;

however, I felt quite pleased that we hadn’t been

rejected totally.

On her second visit, Mirsada greeted me with a

shy smile, came right into the physiotherapy

room and sat up on the treatment couch. I asked

her if she felt she had benefited from the first

treatment and she stated that she was not sure,

but would like to see if she felt different this time.

So we went ahead. She relaxed very quickly,

going to sleep, this time with her eyes closed. She

really benefited from the session. When I had

finished I left her to sleep a little. She wakened

with a huge grin on her face. I asked her how she

felt. She held her arms out to her sides and said

‘Osjecan da mogu poletjepi’. Translated, this

means, ‘I think I can fly’.

She looked a different person. I called Doctor

Enra in. She looked at her patient and said,

‘Thank you’.

Mirsada received treatments for nearly 3

months. She no longer has nightmares, her

headaches are gone, she still has occasional

gastric problems but they are not distressing

her as before, the pains in her abdomen have

disappeared, and her weekly visits to CTV

MOST have been cut down dramatically.

On her fourth visit, what a difference. A very

smartly dressed lady appeared, hair freshly

tinted, makeup on. Here was someone who

looked good and knew it. She wanted everyone

to see her, and now she looked much younger

than her 40 years. She was so happy looking, so

relaxed and so full of energy.

I asked one of the staff at CTV MOST if they

were satisfied with Mirsada’s progress. ‘Look at

her’, she laughed, ‘she has her pride back and her

self confidence and in so short a time. Will you

see another patient for us?’ ‘Yes, please’.

In the few months I have been going to

CTV MOST it is exciting to see the difference

in these two ladies. Both have obviously

benefited from their complementary therapy

treatments and although it would take a much

higher number of patients to really assess

the benefits of Reiki with this category of

Reiki: working with torture survivors 7

patient, I think it is something that should be

considered.

About halfway through the experiment, a

report was sent to the United Nations in Geneva

on the positive effects of Reiki on torture

survivors. Hopefully this will have more positive

outcomes for promoting it.

I know that in the UK this will take time, but

it is encouraging that so many doctors in some

parts of Europe, not just Bosnia, are willing to

accept therapies which have limited evidence to

substantiate results. But surely there must come

a time when the results speak for themselves. It

cannot always be ‘coincidence’.

Hands on Healing comes in many forms, but

all benefit patients in so many simple and

practical ways and occasionally dramatic ones.

It is relaxing, non invasive, simple and cost

effective.

If a nurse or a doctor goes by their intuition

and really looks at their patients, they often

read the signs of a change in their condition

long before the machines do, and act accord-

ingly. Are they wrong to do this? They do

not have empirical evidence to back their gut

feeling, in fact often they are going against

Gentlemovements can lead to radical change. (D.Rankin

the evidence from the machines, but they are

usually right.

Is this really so different from Reiki or any

other Hands On Healing? A good nurse taking

time with a patient makes a big difference to their

recovery. I know some medical staff say that this

is all a complementary therapist is doing —

giving time. I am both a nurse and a therapist,

and know the benefits of Reiki. I know it can

work along side allopathic medicine, if it is given

the opportunity. Reiki is not a threat to

medicine, it is an asset.

REFERENCES

ACET (Assistance Center for Torture Survivers, Berlin)

1996 Rehabilitation and prevention of torture in

Bulgaria. The Experience of ACET Report

Annual report 1993 compiled by Georgine Seidl and

Wolfgang Hartlik. Psychotherapy with torture

victims. Behandlung Szentrum fur Folteropfer

Ajad Music — Reiki Music Vol 4

Robert Burns (1759–1796) Man was made to mourn —

A Dirge.

Mike Rowland Music — Angel Delight.

Zollman C, Vickers A 1999 ABC of complementary

therapies. BMJ COM June 2000: 1–10

-Box.)