Review: Healer's Handbook.

Review:. Healer's Handbook, by Patricia Telesco, Samuel Weiser, Inc.

For the many childbirth educators who routinely pass along information to clients about the many available modalities of healing, Healer's Handbook has just made this task easier by gathering all the particulars into one accessible book.

Author Patricia Telesco introduces the reader to therapies from acupressure to sound therapy, including a chapter on spiritual midwifery that is well balanced and includes a section with resources. In fact, the entire book is laid-out in just such a fashion. Healing techniques are explored in both historical and contemporary contexts. Methodology is then briefly expounded upon, many times with personal examples of how this may translate into personal experience. Finally, resources are listed at the end of each chapter.

Although many paths to wellness are considered, Telesco is concise, and gives ample information for the reader to study any area of interest he/she chooses. She does a fine job of piquing the interest, but not saturating any one particular subject.

Seventeen different healing ways are included, ranging from the secular, like massage, counseling, or nutrition, to the spiritual, such as energy healing, aroma therapy, and divination. Also included are the rights and responsibilities of a healer, including accountability and ethics, how an individual might find the right healer for what ails them, and an essential chapter entitled "Healer, Heal Thyself."

I found Healer's Handbook entertaining as well as informative. Not only do I look forward to offering it to clients in my lending library, but I found valuable information that is applicable to my personal life as well. After I follow the leads Telesco has provided, I may even consider expanding my labor support repertoire to include a few of the techniques I hadn't considered before. I highly recommend this book.