Magazine: How did you find out about Barbara and what made you decide to study at her school?
Katarina: My first contact with work of Barbara Brennan was around the year 2000. when I read her book Hands of Light. What I liked about Barbara was that, in a way, she demystified energy work and succeeded, at least for a moment, to make shift in my way of thinking from "only a few talented and chosen can do this" to "well, maybe I can do this too". She has brought this kind of phenomenon down to earth, even to the extent that her school (existing for around 27 years) received a status of college in the USA. I liked very much her structural, clear and direct approach to this kind of therapy. And, of course, I was attracted by the microscopic work on my self, my own blocks, fears, emotions, traumas etc.; and so, in 2004 I enrolled in her 4-year program.
Magazine: Will you give us some information about Barbara, her life and career…?
Katarina: After receiving her B.S. in atmospheric physics, Barbara worked at NASA for about five years. At that time, she also started her training in psychotherapy. She soon moved from the scientific work to the psychotherapeutic one, and by that time she started perceiving the energy field around her clients’ bodies. After a longer observation of this phenomenon, she noticed that the characterology and client’s nature correspond to the dynamics taking place in the energy field. She started to connect psychotherapeutic and energy work and this interest led her to John Pierrakos and Alexander Lowen, both professional psychiatrists who were amongst the first in their field to relate physical body and human psyche.
Afterwards she continues the work with Dr. Pierrakos who founded the Core Energetics Institute in which he integrates psychology and energy work together with the channeled material of his wife, Eva Pierrakos, known as Pathwork. Barbara lived in a Pathwork community for nine years doing the work on her self, working on her blocks, fears and other inner obstacles on her own path to integration.
Only after this period of meticulous self-examination she dares to open her own private practice in New York City where she worked for about 15 years. She was booked even for six months in advance. In one case, a person who was waiting for the therapy died and never made it to Barbara’s treatment. Barbara then realized that she needed to convey her knowledge so that more people could receive help on time. She got an idea of founding a school that would provide training for professional healers. So, in 1982, the Barbara Brennan School of Healing (BBSH) was founded in USA, while now there are branches in Europe and Japan where people from all over the world, from all continents, come to study.
Magazine: Today, there are many healing schools. In your opinion, how much can they be trusted?
Katarina: Integrity and ethics are the starting points from which a person should begin when approaching any school of any area of knowledge, and so is with the healing schools. As long as these two components exist, with an intent to contribute to the individual’s evolution of consciousness, you’re safe. And, of course, when exploring a new terrain, you always need to start with yourself and with your gut feeling. There are many wonderful people and schools committed to this kind of work. Therefore, my suggestion is to be in contact with your self and see what is it that you need in this moment of your life. In my humble opinion, the schools insisting primarily on work on one self are on the top of the list. If one doesn’t face his own ego, fear, blocks, he won’t really be able to assist efficiently to a client in healing process that often goes deeper within the person than a certain healing technique.
Magazine: What particularly stands out in Barbara’s school?
Katarina: Exactly this – the work on one self. I can’t stress enough how this is essential in this type of training. Barbara’s school is based on the work on one self (on the basis of Pathwork) to which gradually the hands-on healing techniques are being added. Every shift in this area is followed by a technique that is carried out a lot better and a lot faster when one has, at least to some degree worked on his own blocks. Of course, this doesn’t mean that when you come out of Barbara’s school, you don’t have any blocks, but at least you are aware of them and continue to work on them. You don’t mix your blocks with your clients’ and that is very important.
Magazine: Do people contact you mostly because of physical illnesses, psychological problems or something else?
Katarina: Many people come due to their health challenges, but lately all the more due to their psycho-physical and emotional conditions. As we mentioned earlier, our existence in this body includes physical, emotional, mental as well as spiritual aspect. It is impossible to exclusively observe only certain physical complaint and not go into the psyche and emotion or belief that lies underneath the outer symptom. Actually, the body is the last dimension on which the state of awareness is manifested. This state is visible much earlier on other levels of the field and it goes down from higher to lower levels (there are seven of them).
Magazine: Before starting with the “healing” or “work” with a person, do you ask yourself or check in any way whether it is a God’s will to work with that person at all?
Katarina: In this dimension, as well as in other dimensions, things function on the basis of frequency. People coming to my practice have their inner guidance to come in contact with me. This is exactly what I believe in – in the divine in every person walking on this planet. Of course, if I am not trained to help in certain situations, I refer person to an expert in that area.
Magazine: How the work practiced in your school contributes to the spiritual growth of both the client and the practitioner?
Katarina: I have solely enrolled in Barbara’s school in order to come into contact with myself, to meet my real self and to start creating the life I want. My intent was not to become a professional healer. That deep transformation that happens inside, one carries until this life ends, and beyond. The evolution of consciousness doesn’t know any boundaries of space and time.
My primary aim in BBSH was spiritual growth. As the time was passing during those four years of training, the changes in my life, both inner and outer, were indescribable. Naturally I wanted to share this with others and so my desire for spiritual growth and development, followed by an energy work, also turned into a desire to assist others on their path. Of course, each person I come in contact with reflects a part of me. Sessions and personal therapies continue… as if the school was just a beginning. When this kind of work is done from the right place, one can feel tired at the end of the day, but definitely fulfilled.
Magazine: I am personally skeptical about an issue that one could charge for the healing sessions at all (since this is not the gift that is bought from anybody neither it can be bought). What do you say about this?
Katarina: To be honest, I don’t know why there is such an opinion amongst people. This question is asked very often when you’re involved in this kind of work, while, interestingly, it is never asked when it comes to massage, acupuncture, alopathic medicine, engineering or any other profession. If you don’t charge for healing sessions, then you need to find another job in order to earn for the living and to meet your needs. You would hardly have any energy and desire left for doing the treatments after a long day at work. Today, when so many people have need for such services, all talent and gift that you have in this area would be wasted.
If we lived in a tribal community with a medicine man/woman, there wouldn’t be any need for this discussion. All tribe members lived together and exchanged goods and services. The time is different today and one must be practical. Money is type of energy and I see charging for the therapy as an energy exchange. Reciprocity, giving and receiving, are also a basis of a healthy relationship.
Now, when it comes to prices, whether one is exaggerating and taking advantage of people’s illness is another topic. Of course, the prices are adjusted to the place and circumstances.
Magazine: Is there anything else that you would like to bring up as an interesting thing…?
Katarina: More and more people are in search for the real self, for some deeper meaning of life. On one side the global economic and political situation is not bright at all, but on the other side there is a positive wave in evolution of human consciousness. I am happy for being a part of it, and I am also deeply honored by the trust that people give me every day by making me part of their path.
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