The Therapist’s

The Therapist’s
Portable Paradise
Portable Paradise
Cultivating bliss and success in your
therapy business practice
Cultivating bliss and success in your
therapy business practice

By
Leisa Millar
James Ketub Golding

By
Leisa Millar
James Ketub Golding
 Published 2011
By Leisa Millar & James Ketub Golding

Copyright © 2011
Leisa Millar & James Ketub Golding
www.thewayofthenaturaltherapist.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may

be reproduced in any format without the prior
written permission of the publishers and copyright
holders. However, you are permitted to circulate
or copy this publication in its entirety. If you do
so, please keep this copyright notice intact.

1st Edition

Disclaimer: All the information, techniques, skills and

concepts contained within this publication are of the nature
of general comment only, and are not in any way
recommended as individual advice. The content is not
intended to be a substitute for consultation with health care
or other professionals. If expert assistance is needed, the
services of a competent professional should be sought. The
authors, editors and publishers shall not be liable for any
loss, injury or damage allegedly arising from any
information or suggestion in this book.
The Therapist’s Portable Paradise © 2011 Leisa Millar & James Ketub Golding www.thewayofthenaturaltherapist.com

Introduction
This eBook is for therapists across all modalities who want to cultivate
bliss and success in their lives and therapy work. It explains an
evolutionary way for therapists and health practitioners to work and
live – a way that focuses on self-enquiry. Recognising the ups and
downs of working as a therapist, we have compiled practical advice
from more than 20 successful therapists about how to make it work as a
therapist and how to use self-enquiry in your therapy business practice.
Imagine what it would be like to have a state of mind of deep inner
peace and serenity – feeling joyous, content, calm, abundant, centred,
grateful, inspired, prosperous, supported, secure, invigorated, carefree,
creative, and blessed. Self-enquiry is an approach that helps you to
foster a state of mind and a way of life that feels like paradise. And this
state of mind can be with you anywhere, anytime, no matter what
external situation you face. In other words, it is a portable paradise.
We share this eBook for free with therapists everywhere so others can
benefit from self-enquiry in their therapy practice and create their own
portable paradise. Enjoy your way!!

Inspiration for this eBook

We explored the use of self-enquiry in therapy business practice when
we asked over 20 experienced therapists to share their personal stories
as part of our book, The Way of the Natural Therapist (2010). These
stories give real-life insights into how these therapists sustain, nurture
and support themselves and how they do what they love without burning
out. The clear message in these stories is:

Self-enquiry helps you to cultivate a peaceful state of mind,

inspiring you to live with purpose and passion.
This state of mind then naturally determines the state of your
external world including your therapy business practice.

In this eBook, we have compiled 10 Actions to Use Self-Enquiry based

on the valuable guidance of experienced therapists. When applied
together, the 10 Actions help you to evolve and create your own

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portable paradise. With self-enquiry, you gradually become less worried

about and less reactive to your external circumstances. You realise that
these circumstances are simply a reflection of your inner state. In this
way, the 10 Actions become a strong foundation for bringing paradise
into everyday therapy practice.
The 10 Actions for developing personal and professional success as a
natural therapist are:
1 Enjoy your work and have fun
2 Create sustainability in your therapy work
3 Practise what you preach
4 Keep a beginner‟s mind
5 Care for yourself
6 Develop a network of support practitioners and mentors
7 See each client as a teacher
8 Express your passion as a service
9 Take inspired action, without demands
10 Know yourself to deepen your practice
Each of these Actions is discussed under 10 Actions to Use Self-
Enquiry.

Obstacles are a natural part of a therapist’s journey

Based on our research and the personal stories shared in The Way of the
Natural Therapist we discovered that all therapists appear to face
obstacles along their journey – for example, client numbers drop off,
they burnout, or they experience emotional or health crises. This is
regardless of how many years they have been practising and their level
of expertise.
What sets therapists apart both personally and professionally is the
manner in which they respond to the obstacles they face. Constantly
reacting to or trying to fix these obstacles becomes stressful and wearing

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and can lead to burnout. However, if a therapist sees each obstacle as an

opportunity for inner reflection and self-healing instead of panic or
resistance, the therapist learns, grows and evolves in their personal life
and therapy work.

Guy Bennett, kinesiology therapist and teacher (Chapter 9, The Way

of the Natural Therapist): “When reflecting on my journey, I am
deeply grateful to the individuals who have supported me. I am
equally grateful to those who have opposed or inhibited me. These
challenges have enabled my growth, showing me now that divine
grace takes many forms and that I need to be open to and thankful
for all my experiences in life.”

How does using self-enquiry help your therapy work

and business practice?
When we talk about self-enquiry we mean a combination of awareness,
inner reflection, self-analysis and self-healing. Deep introspection and
self-study helps you become more aware of your doubts, fears, beliefs,
emotions, judgements, intentions, motivations and thought patterns. All
of this self-work flows on to transform your business or therapy work,
resulting in:
 Enhanced therapy practice, eg. your insights deepen your
therapy work
 Benefits for your clients, eg. more effective healing outcomes
 Benefits for you as the therapist, eg. more stable and centred
state of mind, thereby reducing stress and neediness whilst
increasing relaxation, health and wellbeing.

Greg Williams, acupuncturist and qigong teacher, illustrates that the

process of working as a healer begins with the self (Chapter 1): “My
traumas have been fantastic opportunities to practise my trade of
healing. All healers must first heal the self before healing others.
And this is the journey – the know-how of healing comes from self.”

The reason your internal shifts transform your business or therapy work
is that you start to react less to the situations that arise and thereby you

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become more relaxed, present, healthy and positive. Other people (for
example, potential clients) begin to „feel‟ this within you. They feel your
relaxed state of being and become inspired to see you. They continue to
see you because of the way you make them „feel‟. It is „this feeling‟ that
inspires them to make the changes needed for their own health and
wellbeing.
One aspect about following the 10 Actions to Use Self-Enquiry
explained below is that you do not need to „sell‟ your therapy to
convince people to see you. You become the living product of your
therapy work and people see and feel this – not just when they are sitting
in front of you, but every time they think of you they will feel your state
of being. It is this feeling that they will then share with others when they
go out into the world. They will tell others about you and others will
notice that they have changed and ask about you too. In other words, if
you do the self-work, the universe works for your self.
This does not mean you never take any action such as running seminars
and workshops, advertising or marketing; however, it means that your
state of mind when you do so is not dominated by fear, neediness, doubt
or negativity. Instead, your mind is focused on authentically sharing
what you do and what you know because you wish to inspire not
require. Practising self-enquiry dissolves the incessant longing for:
money, security, an identity or feeling useful. Eventually, you start to
realise that if you share your passion, serve others and „take inspired
action‟ (as explained in the 10 Actions below) you will be supported
financially, emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually.
Self-enquiry is an ongoing process. It does not mean that you need to
wait until you have it all figured out before you start practising. There is
no need to be perfect. As Chris Neill, kinesiologist (Chapter 11),
explains, a therapist is “responsible for their honesty, actions and doing
the best they can with what they have”. Likewise, self-enquiry does not
mean spending all of your time consumed by the mind, analysing every
single thought, action and word you say. It is a practice of awareness
that increases over time helping you to create a state of mind that
enhances each and every word and action.

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10 Actions to use Self-Enquiry

Below we have outlined 10 Actions to Use Self-Enquiry in your life
and therapy business practice. These Actions were referred to in the
personal stories of The Way of the Natural Therapist (all quotes used
below are taken from these stories). Although numbered, the 10 Actions
are not in any particular order. There is a list of the 10 Actions at the end
of this document which you can print and use to make your own notes.

1. Enjoy your work and have fun – to be full of joy, enthusiasm and
warmth creates an attractive energy field around you. The healing
process can often be challenging and daunting, so when you have
fun and enjoy the process, it is more likely that your clients will too.
Joy is infectious and loves company – it can spark a fire of effective
healing outcomes and referrals.

Rosemary Arnott, flower essence therapist and kinesiologist

(Chapter 8): “When I am in the mindset of enjoyment, people come
and see me. I maintain that state of awareness and clients are able
to benefit from me being in the best place I can be to help them.”
Barbara Brewster, awareness coach, public speaker, author and
clown (Chapter 20): “A major lesson I‟ve learned is that I‟m being
untrue to myself when I‟m offering something primarily to make
money, have security, feel useful, create an identity for myself or
avoid fear-based emotions. My enthusiasm must be there.
Otherwise I‟m serving neither the client nor myself.”

However, this does not mean you need to be a bundle of vibrant

energy all of the time and control or fake how you feel. Rather, it
means developing an awareness of when your enjoyment levels
fluctuate. When you notice your enjoyment decreasing, become
aware of what you are feeling and see if you can find some
acceptance of your present state of mind. From a state of acceptance
(i.e. not struggling with your lack of enjoyment), a sense of peace
may naturally arise, thereby making it more possible for enjoyment.

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2. Create sustainability in your therapy work – to make a living as a

therapist, you need to see yourself as running a sustainable therapy
practice in terms of your finances, health and work-life balance. You
then need to take appropriate action to create this outcome. Having
an understanding of business practices and working through your
blocks around money or seeking help from a life/business coach or
mentor is an important step on a therapist‟s path.

Sandy Braiuka, BodyTalk practitioner, naturopath and massage

therapist (Chapter 16): “If you can‟t earn enough money to live
comfortably, then your days as a practitioner will be numbered
because your work will not be financially viable or sustainable.
Getting a coach to help me look at some of the (self-limiting) belief
systems I had around money was one of the most valuable things I
did in practice...”.

If you are getting started as a therapist or have been practising for

some time, it is important to set the foundations for establishing
sustainability. For those who are starting out, our article, Getting
Started as a Therapist, contains some easy and practical ideas which
you may find useful (see www.thewayofthenaturaltherapist.com).
The first step towards making your therapy business sustainable is to
be clear about where you want your therapy work to head by setting
goals and knowing your core values (i.e. the meaningful motivation
for achieving your goal). This clarifies what is important to you and
where you need to focus your time, money, resources, further
training, advertising and attention. It also highlights where there are
gaps between where you are now and where you want to be. You
then become less scattered in your decision-making and feel less
overwhelmed or distracted by needing to do and learn everything.
Although this Action involves considering and planning your future,
it is important to be focused on the present moment during your day-
to-day activities. Giving full attention to what you are doing in each
moment helps to improve the effectiveness of your daily actions and
decision-making. As a result, you stay on track to achieve your goals
and create a sustainable therapy practice.

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3. Practise what you preach – „walking the walk‟ and living by

example enables you to offer therapy from a space of genuine
experience, understanding and awareness.

Jost Sauer, acupuncturist, author (Chapter 5): “I believe the key

role of a therapist is to not only help alleviate symptoms but also to
help people remember or relearn the art of living. This has to be
done by example though, not through talk. The therapist has to live
in a way that inspires their clients. The client needs to walk into the
clinic, see a therapist for the first time and think, „I want what
they‟ve got‟. Inspiration is how the healing journey really begins.”
Sandy Braiuka (Chapter 16): “As a practitioner, I can only be
authentic and effective if I am continuing to do the work I demand
of my clients. What client is going to listen to my message of
healthy nutrition or balanced lifestyle if I am overweight, don‟t
exercise, smell of cigarette smoke, have dull, lifeless eyes, or am
not living a life that I love? If my client numbers drop, it is a good
sign to me to reflect on where I am out of integrity with my life or
the message I am giving. Am I practising what I preach? Am I
taking a rest if I am tired?... Is my nutrition adequately balanced?
Am I following my heart and connected with my passion?”

It can be very easy to „talk‟ about how to live but when you are
practising it yourself it gives immense strength to your words when
you suggest to your clients that they make changes in their lives.
Practising what you preach also means increasing your awareness of
when your external actions are out of sync with your intentions,
thoughts and teachings. Bringing unity to your thoughts, words and
deeds is a true art form and has the power to harmonise you within
and inspire others to make drastic changes in their life.

4. Keep a beginner’s mind – Practising and learning is a life-long

journey. Sandy Braiuka sums up this point by saying, “A
qualification in this field is really only a passport to continue the
journey because the more you know, the more you realise you don‟t
know.” With continued self-enquiry, the egoic layers are peeled

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away and truth and inner wisdom comes to the surface – motivating
you to take your healing arts deeper and deeper.

Paul Movsessian (Chapter 17), an acupuncturist with over 20 years

experience, talks about his practice of remaining in a Zen
beginner‟s mind. He says this involves having a persistent
willingness to expand the limits of his understanding. For example,
each year he chooses the most qualified person in three or four
particular fields and submits himself to them as a patient. In this
way, he not only takes care of his health but continues to
understand healing at a deeper level.

Learning and healing occurs in every moment and in every

interaction with everyone and everything. Seeing life in this way
means being willing to make mistakes and learn from them, being
open to other perspectives on healing, being humble in your work,
and having an awareness of one‟s ego. Keeping a beginner‟s mind
also helps you maintain or reignite your enthusiasm for what you do
(especially if you‟ve been practising as a therapist for many years).

Elohisa, a sound alchemist, (Chapter 21): “When we become

teachers we first must be humble enough to know how to be a
student. Humility is not about bowing your head to another; rather
it is to recognise the divine in the other.”

5. Care for yourself – how you care for yourself is how you care for
others, so take responsibility for your own wellness first. Making
everyone and everything else a priority above your own needs may
appear admirable but in the long-term it will not be sustainable.

Eileen Hall, yoga teacher (Chapter 6): “Do you serve without
attachment to the outcome? Do you take care of your spiritual,
emotional and physical needs so you are prepared to teach? Only
first by serving yourself can you begin to serve others. If you are a
compassionate and committed teacher, there is often the drawback
of giving to others and forgetting self. This will, of course, make
you a gifted and caring therapist with many grateful students, but it
may be short lived as you could be the one that falls ill.”

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A therapist can only authentically care for and inspire their clients
when they are taking care of themself (see also Action 3: Practise
what you preach). When a therapist is balanced and harmonised,
they reflect this state in the work that they do with their clients,
thereby affecting their clients‟ attitudes, behaviours and motivations.
Self-care helps a therapist to cope with the pressures and demands of
their therapy work and in doing so they are more likely to prevent
burnout. Scheduling adequate breaks between clients, eating healthy
meals, knowing when to say „no‟, and creating space for stillness
each day are some simple ways for a therapist to take responsibility
for their own wellbeing.
Having a structured and daily self-practice is also essential in
assisting therapists to cultivate a balanced inner state. A self-practice
may include meditation, tai chi, qigong, reiki, yoga or mantras. A
mindfulness activity could be an effective self-practice too – for
example, surfing, music, painting, gardening, walking in nature or
any activity where you feel fully present in the moment and you feel
connected to the greater natural flow of the universe.
Taking responsibility for one‟s own health – physically, mentally,
emotionally and spiritually – is an ongoing practice and requires
diligence and willpower. In challenging times, a therapist‟s
consistent self-practice and self-enquiry assists them to maintain
balance, health and wellbeing, leading them to greater awareness of
how to take care of themself. However, self-practice is not only
essential when challenges arise. It is necessary at all times as it helps
increase awareness of one‟s inner world and divine purpose.

Siegfried Gutbrod, counsellor and therapeutic director (Chapter

12) talks about when he was volunteering in Africa: “A normal
working week was between 70 and 80 hours on a voluntary basis.
Again, it was my meditative practice that saved me from burnout.
For the last 30 years I have dedicated at least one hour per day to
my meditative and spiritual practice, with very few exceptions. I
have learned that when the going gets tough, this is the time to
further increase my meditation practice – even though the outer
pressures normally suggest the opposite.”

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Often when people face challenges in their life they are inclined to
do more to fix, avoid or control the challenges to make them go
away. However, if they were to spend more time on their self-
practice they could approach challenges with greater calmness,
clarity, insight and confidence. They may then find that the external
challenges transform and are not as difficult or insurmountable as
they first thought. The challenges may even naturally disappear.

6. Develop a network of support practitioners and mentors – you

do not need to know everything yourself, so seek support when
needed and surrender to your limitations. Having a support group is
an opportunity to gain insights into your blind spots as well as how
you can improve your own practice as a therapist. It is equally as
important to establish a network of quality referral therapists to
ensure your clients receive the best support available. Success as a
therapist is not just about helping repeat clients but it is also about
knowing when to make referrals that are appropriate for your clients‟
wellbeing.

Christos Dorje Walker, psychotherapist and meditation teacher

(Chapter 3): “Having a good list of referral practitioners is as
important as a cupboard of herbs and accreditations hanging on
the wall behind you. This industry depends on integrity. People
come to us vulnerable, scared and confused. It is our responsibility
to help them find their way, not to keep them as a client.”
Jacqueline Gardam, homeopath (Chapter 13): “It is my heartfelt
belief that every practitioner should have their own mentors and
network of support practitioners. Ensuring this network extends
beyond your chosen modalities is very important. The network is
good for referrals and for considering your own health and
wellbeing. This might even extend to psychological or life coaching
undertakings.”

The more support a therapist has for themself, the greater the support
the therapist can give to their clients. Some therapists may believe
they can do it alone and do not need support or guidance from other
therapists or mentors. Whilst a select few may progress well in this

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way, for the majority of therapists this attitude will not serve them or
their clients in the long run. Continuing to cultivate a beginner‟s
mind, as mentioned in Action 4, is an important attitude needed to
dismantle the sense of being „too proud to ask for help from others‟.

Chandrika Gibson, naturopath and yoga teacher (Chapter 2): “I

know that when the next round of inner challenges crops up for me
I am able to seek healing from my own inner resources, the natural
world and the beautiful network of healers around me. There is
infinite support available if I can just stay open to it.”

There is truly nothing wrong with asking for help. This is one of the
most powerful pieces of advice for any therapist regardless of how
long they have been practising. It shows tremendous humility and
courage to work as a therapist and to ask for help. This is the same
humility and courage it takes for a client to change their life and seek
health and wellbeing. Therefore, when therapists seek their own
support, they become a living example for their clients.

7. See each client as a teacher – clients are one of your greatest

teachers. They help you grow as much as you help them. This is also
the case with all people whom you interact with in life.

Allan Mourad, massage therapist and teacher, (Chapter 7): “I

often remind myself that I may have been a therapist for 26 years,
but in truth I have been in therapy for that length of time. I do not
think you have to go to hundreds of workshops to keep growing and
learning in this business, but I still believe you are really only as
good as your teachers. If you accept the idea that every patient is
your teacher, then take very good notes because you are truly
privileged to learn from someone who is in a healing crisis.”

In a conventional therapeutic setting, the therapist is seen as the one

with „all the answers‟ and the client is the one who is there to learn
from their wisdom. But when the roles and labels placed on the
therapist and client are taken away, a therapy session might be seen
for what it truly is: two human beings sharing and nurturing a

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connection. Whilst the main focus may be on the client, both

therapist and client learn from the interaction.

Elohisa (Chapter 21), “When I began working as a therapist and

teacher, I realised soon into the journey that I had graduated to
another level of being a student. What this meant was that instead
of working only with myself through introspection, I now had
patients who provided a hundred more mirrors or reflections of
myself to work with. It‟s funny how as therapists we call them
patients when most of the time they are teaching us patience.”

Clients often mirror and highlight the issues that are necessary for
the therapist to deepen and continue their own healing path. When
therapists begin to see each client from this perspective, gratitude
flows freely between therapist and client. This then dissolves the
illusion of an authoritative hierarchy and fosters mutual respect,
thereby contributing to the healing process.

8. Express your passion as a service – when your passion is expressed

as a service it means doing what you do because you love what you
do without attachment to external outcomes – like money, business
growth, self-acceptance and pleasing others. Being of service,
however, needs to be balanced with Action 2 (Create sustainability
in your therapy work) and Action 5 (Care for yourself). Otherwise if
you give, give, give and do not take care of yourself, burnout is
inevitable.
From the stories in The Way of the Natural Therapist, it seems as
though there is no set way to express your passion as a service whilst
financially supporting yourself. The way varies from individual to
individual, based on family or living circumstances, beliefs,
attachments, dreams, expectations, karma and so on. The tool to
assist you in finding your own way is self-enquiry. Ask yourself:
What does „being supported‟ mean to me? Why do I have a desire
for my external world to look like this? How attached am I to this
type of support? Am I seeking to appease an egoic need, fear or
desire by being supported in this way?

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Through self-enquiry you begin to realise you cannot make

prosperity happen; prosperity is an inner state of being. It manifests
in your outer life because prosperity is at the centre of your inner
world. In other words, when you „feel‟ prosperous, this state will be
projected outwardly into everything you do, say and experience.

Christos Dorje Walker (Chapter 3): “Work for the love, not for
the money. If your mind is on the money, you‟re not seeing the
person in front of you. Live to serve and you will be supported. If
you are good at what you do and your heart is in the right place
money will come naturally to hand.”
Dawn Charlton, lomi lomi teacher and practitioner (Chapter 10):
“My love for lomi lomi and my personal desire to give from a self-
less heart is one of the key factors why lomi lomi has become such
a success for me. I never needed to advertise my services as it
transpired naturally by word of mouth. The biggest factor in this
successful manifestation is I‟ve never treated my work as a
business. Instinctively, I have always centred my focus on giving to
others and being of service.”

Expressing your passion as a service does not mean that you will not
earn money or make a living from doing what you love. Instead, it is
your beliefs about and your attachments to money that restrict the
flow of money. Such beliefs and attachments may include: „It‟s
wrong to receive money for what I do‟, „I don‟t have enough money
to pay my expenses‟, or „I need to charge my clients more as I can‟t
afford to live‟. Self-enquiry helps you gain greater awareness of your
beliefs and attachments relating to money.
A simple question to ponder further is: Would I offer my therapy
work regardless of whether I got paid for it? There is no right or
wrong answer to this question, just a need to be honest with yourself.
The question merely raises your awareness of any beliefs that may
be potentially blocking the flow of money. It may also lead to insight
about your passions, what service means to you, and whether your
current path is right for you.

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9. Take inspired action, without demands – let your passion inspire

your actions but be aware of when you are forcing things to happen
more quickly or pushing yourself and your services onto others.
Patience is vital when taking inspired action. Equally as important is
the willingness to let go of the need for specific external outcomes.

Rob Stevenson, satsang leader, musician and reiki master (Chapter

14): “I‟ve learned to stop pushing. There were times when I would
say, „I want this to happen now! There must be something more I
can do. Why isn‟t this happening faster?‟ Then I realised what I
was putting out there to the universe – all my doubts and fears...
The mindset is to stay focused on why you got into this in the first
place – not because you want to build a successful business (this
will come), but because you love, love, love what you do and you
want to share it with the world.”

Through using self-enquiry you can gain greater awareness of your

internal state and thereby remain more connected to your passion
and purpose. Self-enquiry also helps you notice when your
motivation and intention for taking action is to force or push things
to happen. Remember to inspire, not require. When your mind is
focused on passion and purpose, and when your primary intention is
to share what you love without the need for an external result, your
actions become expressions of love and not motivated by fear and
neediness. The vibration of such love-centred action is powerful and
inspiring.
One way to test whether you are forcing things to happen or whether
you are having faith in life and the natural flow is to ask: Do I feel
calm, inspired, focused and content as I take action? Or do I feel
needy, under pressure, stressed or scattered? The deeper you
delve within, the more content you feel and the less you require the
external world to fulfil you.
Some examples of „taking inspired action‟ include writing articles or
a blog, creating meditation CDs, running a support group, or holding
a workshop or seminar. Ideally, when starting out or when it feels
appropriate, these actions could be done for free or to cover costs
only. In this way, the intention behind taking the inspired action is to

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share what you love and what has helped you in your own life. The
intention is not, for example, because you want to make money from
the action or you want more clients. Taking inspired action is
unconditional and without any expectation.

10. Know yourself to deepen your practice – working as a therapist is

about working with pain, negativity and feelings that are not
commonly expressed in normal everyday life. Through knowing
yourself more deeply, you develop a willingness to openly and
honestly face people‟s pain and suffering and hold a loving space for
them to face this pain themself. Therefore, it is important for you to
be increasingly aware of how you avoid pain and suffering in your
life so you can draw on your personal experiences to guide others.

Christos Dorje Walker (Chapter 3): “In the modern context,

working as a therapist of any description is to be part of the wider
community. It requires an ability to function outside the realms of
perceived „normality‟ to deal with the parts of being human that
most people don‟t like to face. As a therapist, the focus for me is to
work with the negativity, suffering and pain that most people would
rather turn a blind eye to or suppress. Facing these experiences is
in fact our path to living a happier, more fulfilled life.”

To practise in this way, a therapist needs to continue their own self-

work. Otherwise, at some stage, they will stagnate, burnout or find
that they struggle with certain clients who tend to draw out their
unresolved physical, emotional, mental and spiritual pain. The
deeper the therapist heals themself, the further they can take their
clients. If a therapist is reluctant to seek help from others, then being
aware of this reluctance is the first step in the self-healing process.
This Action applies to all therapists, regardless of the nature of their
modality, because the core of this Action is really about therapists
having a willingness to face their own pain and suffering. When they
do so, they are better placed to express empathy and understanding
in response to a client‟s emotional pain if it arises. This makes client
interactions more comfortable and meaningful. What the therapist
does next in response to the client‟s situation is then dependent on

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the therapist‟s area of expertise. If the therapist feels it is outside the

boundaries of their therapy practice, they can refer the client to
another therapist with appropriate expertise.
It becomes easier to practise this Action when you also apply the
other nine Actions – for example, having a self-practice to cultivate a
balanced inner state; keeping a beginner‟s mind; being responsible
for your own wellbeing and caring for yourself; having the support
of mentors; having a referral network for clients you cannot help;
and continuing to learn from everything you do including your
clients.

Further questions to contemplate

Some questions to guide your self-enquiry and inner reflection are:
Do I love this work?
Is this really me?
Where do I hide from my pain?
How do I avoid life?
What is my path? Am I following the call of my heart?
Is this my calling/passion?
Is there an undercurrent of wanting or avoiding in my pursuits and
actions?
Can I be more creative and dynamic at what I do?
What is my motive for being of service to others?
Am I in a constant state of anxiety; preoccupied; or feeling fear,
resentment or sadness?
Am I offering something primarily to make money, feel valuable or
useful, build my ego, or avoid emotions driven by fear?
Note: These questions are adapted from the chapters by B. Brewster, S. Gutbrod, P.
Movsessian, C.D. Walker, G. Williams in The Way of the Natural Therapist (2010).

What we hope you gain from this eBook

Ultimately we hope this eBook makes your journey as a therapist easier.
The 10 Actions to Use Self-Enquiry outlined above work collectively
to guide you in using self-enquiry in your therapy business practice.

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Together, they form a way to help you evolve into the therapist you
would love to be! But more importantly they help you become the
person you would love to be. Applying the entire 10 Actions can have a
powerful, holistic affect on your life – not only in the business domain,
but also in the domains of family, intimate relations, friends, parenting,
social life, recreation, spirituality and community. All relationships in
these domains can be transformed by following the 10 Actions and all
parts of your life can become an inspiration for others. Self-enquiry
helps you build a life, not just a therapy business.
If you resonate with creating a Portable Paradise through using the 10
Actions to Use Self-Enquiry we invite you to:
 Start following the 10 Actions today
 Circulate this free eBook to all therapists or therapist groups you
know to share the message.

For more information:

Website: www.thewayofthenaturaltherapist.com
Email: info@thewayofthenaturaltherapist.com

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10 Actions to Use Self-Enquiry

1 Enjoy your work and have fun

2 Create sustainability in your therapy work

3 Practise what you preach

4 Keep a beginner‟s mind

5 Care for yourself

6 Develop a network of support practitioners and mentors

7 See each client as a teacher

8 Express your passion as a service

9 Take inspired action, without demands

10 Know yourself to deepen your practice