Problem Clients

Why Don’t People Get Well? by Jane Thurnell-Read

When I was a practitioner I spent a lot of time thinking about some of my clients who weren’t getting well – often late at night in bed and unable to sleep because the responsibility was weighing on my mind. I’d toss and turn thinking about the money they’d spent, the hope that I’d kindled and the disappointment they and I were experiencing.

Even though I no longer practice I still often think about the conundrum of why people don’t get well. I don’t believe there is one reason, but I think there are quite a few different possibilities. Here are some of them:

I Don’t Know Enough

Sadly but realistically this is likely to be true in some cases. No matter how much we know there is always more to learn, but don’t let this deter you – do the best you can and some people will get well because of or in spite of your knowledge.

I Know Too Much

When I had been in practice a while, I sometimes found myself thinking: “Oh, I know what is wrong with this person, and, of course, sometimes I did and would quickly get them well. It was great to reflect that in the past this type of case might have caused me problems. But sometimes I was wrong, but my certainty got in the way of finding what this individual really needed. The more experienced and successful you are the greater this particular problem is likely to be.

I Made A Mistake

We all make mistakes from time to time no matter how much we strive not to. Hopefully we usually recognise when we’ve done that, and seek to remedy it quickly, although clients may not always be willing to give us a second chance. I usually found, though, if I explained honestly to the client how I thought I’d gone wrong, they would let me try again. Remember the saying: he who never made a mistake never made anything. Do not beat yourself up. Resolve to learn from your error and move on.

Lack Of Deliberate Intent

Over the years I’ve begun to believe that my intent is a vital part of the healing process when I work with the client. I do not mean this in the wishy-washy way some practitioners use it – “Oh it doesn’t matter if I don’t know that much, as long as my intention is to do good.” My answer to this is: if you intend to do shoddy, lazy work that’s what you’ll get.

I think it is vital that we keep studying and learning, filling in the gaps in our knowledge, but I also believe intent or focus is vitally important. Quantum physics shows that the act of measuring something changes it in some way, but is not able to predict in advance what that way will be. It appears that the intervention produces an apparently random result. It may be that intent provides the purpose that can make the intervention non-random. In this way the practitioner’s intent becomes a catalyst for a particular positive outcome, directing the subtle energies to manifest one probability rather than another.

When I was teaching health kinesiology, I noticed that students would sometimes attain remarkable results even though they had done procedures incorrectly. I think the reason they succeeded was probably because their intent and focus was so pure and clear that it drove the result through at a subtle energy level. As we become more experienced the purity and intensity of our intent can become difficult to maintain, particularly if we are tired, pre-occupied, worried or over working. Looking after ourselves is not optional – it’s a necessity both for ourselves and for our practice. Our focus and intent can also waver if we are bored with what we are doing – learning a new technique or meeting up with colleagues can rekindle our enthusiasm and our intent.

Lack of confidence also muddies the waters of our intent, so that the more failures we have the more we are likely to have! A praise folder can work wonders here.

Clients Need To Do Their Bit

A client once told me that I had stood her up so she could reach the door handle, but she had to open the door and walk through. I thought this was a great metaphor for the partnership that is often necessary between the client and the practitioner. The client needs to come for their appointments, they may need to take supplements or follow an exercise/diet/visualisation programme. They need to do their bit. Of course, we can help them by explaining how important it is. We need to use our professional judgement to decide how much we can expect from our clients.

Geopathic Stress

Geopathic stress occurs when the earth’s energy is disturbed in some way. Some practitioners view this as an electro-magnetic disturbance, whereas others view it more as a subtle energy disturbance. Whatever the nature of the phenomenon, if people do not get well, one possibility is that they are living or working above an area of geopathic stress. (My book Geopathic Stress & Subtle Energy explains this in more detail.)

It’s My Stuff Too!

If you work with psychological issues, it can be difficult to find stuff that is the same as or similar to your own. Unravelling painful experiences for your clients can be just too painful, so you collude together to make certain issues no-go areas. The solution to this, of course, is to keep working on yourself. Many professional associations insist on this at least as part of the training. Even if you are working in the physical arena, your stuff can still get in the way. If you don't take exercise, you're unlikely to recommend it to clients. If you drink too much alcohol, you may gloss over this problem with a client.

It Worked For Me!

If you came into this type of work because of your own problems, it is easy to believe that everyone else needs exactly the same treatment as you. People who found a candida diet worked for them, may feel (when they become practitioners) that everyone should follow the same diet. If your migraine was cured by a particular chiropractic move or combination of herbs, you will have a fondness for this as the solution of choice for your clients who present with migraines. The only way of dealing with this is through constant vigilance about your work and its outcomes.

Regardless of the steps we take, we will still have our failures. It’s important we keep this in perspective. No practitioner or doctor is successful 100% of the time. I’ve always jokingly said that my failures are God’s attempt to keep my humble!

You may not be the best in your field, but what you do will help at least some people. Work with a good heart, keep learning and developing, and you will make a difference in this troubled world that needs all the conscientious and dedicated practitioners it can get.

Copyright 2007 Jane Thurnell-Read Online Wellness Store