Back in 2022 I wrote the original post “Who Heals the Healer?” Doctors, Nurses, Therapists, Clergy, and other Healing Providers
CWD 25/10/2022 Ireland
Who heals the Healers?
We are all in danger of burnouts, but Doctors and us Nurses really do “feel” that pulling at the very essence of our being.
These are very stressful times and many are sick. Physically and emotionally. Usually you would attend your Family Doctor – GP for physical or organic help, or you may attend a Clergy or Therapist for emotional help … or, God forbid you end up on the hospital trolley in A&E (ER). And as you are now in their presence, looking for help, have you given the Healthcare Provider – Doctors, Nurses, Therapists, Clergy – a Thought of Your Time? Who Heals the Healer?
We are by no means immune to cases coming in and some touch us profoundly and we “bring it home”; something we were all taught, never to do. And to quote Rag’n’Bone Man: “I’m only human after all” – at the end of the day, that is exactly who we all are: Human.
Healing for Healers is a unique approach to address compassion fatigue, to listen to your body, and to connect to your inheritance. This includes both your inherited burdens and the true gifts of your lineage. You learn how to release what does not serve you, repair deep wounds, restore balance to the body, and replenish your energy and life force. As healers and care providers it is imperative to have a safe and containing place to receive this kind of support. It is possible to give and care for others while still honouring and providing for your own needs and health. …
Now, 4 years on, nothing really has changed, yet something shifted.
By Dr Catherine W. Dunne, MSc.D., RGN (GPN) Holistic Healthcare Wexford | Co-founder, Aumvedas Academy
Caring for Those Who Carry Everyone Else
There is a quiet group of people in society who are often praised, relied upon, and leaned upon… yet rarely asked a simple question:
How are you, really?
They are the nurses finishing a shift while carrying the weight of three others. The carers supporting ageing parents while raising children. The therapists holding space for grief, trauma, and fear. The doctors making decisions under pressure. The clergy listening to pain few others ever hear. The mothers, fathers, partners, neighbours, and friends who are always “the strong one.”
They are the helpers.
And too often, the helpers are exhausted.
The Cost of Always Being the One Who Copes
Many caring people become experts at functioning while depleted.
They keep going through tiredness. They smile through stress. They minimise their own needs. They tell themselves others have it worse. They postpone rest until “things calm down.”
But the body keeps score.
Stress may begin to show itself through:
poor sleep
anxiety
irritability
fatigue
headaches
muscle tension
lowered resilience
emotional numbness
feeling detached from work once loved
Sometimes it is not weakness. Sometimes it is overload.
“Healers are uniquely vulnerable to burnout because they constantly hold space for others’ pain, regulate heavy emotions, and witness trauma without always receiving the same support in return.”
Burnout Is Not a Personal Failure
We live in a culture that often rewards self-sacrifice and calls it strength.
Yet there comes a point where constant output without replenishment becomes unsustainable. Burnout is not laziness. It is often the natural consequence of prolonged stress, responsibility, and emotional labour without enough recovery.
Even the strongest nervous system has limits.
Who Holds the Holder?
This is the real question.
Who listens to the one who is always listening? Who comforts the one who comforts others? Who notices when the capable one is quietly sinking?
Many healers, carers, and professionals do not need grand solutions.
Often they need:
permission to pause
somewhere safe to speak honestly
rest without guilt
support without judgement
practical help
human kindness
time in nature
space to breathe again
Healing the Healer
Healing does not always mean leaving everything behind and moving to a mountain hut with goats. Though tempting.
Sometimes healing begins with small acts:
A proper meal. An early night. A walk by the sea. Turning the phone off for an hour. Massage. Prayer. Silence. Laughter. Boundaries. Saying no. Asking for help.
Small repairs done consistently can save a structure.
A Message to Every Helper Reading This
You are allowed to matter too.
You do not need to collapse before you deserve care. You do not need to prove your exhaustion. You do not need to earn rest through breaking point.
The world needs good healers, carers, nurses, therapists, parents, and kind-hearted people.
But it also needs them well.
Final Thought:
Restoration for healers relies on four key pillars: grounding the body through gentle movement, restoring mental and emotional balance through breathwork, nature walks, reflective practice, or quiet recovery time, nourishing the system with rest and wholesome food, and ensuring they are supported by others through therapy, supervision, or peer circles. Ignoring these needs can lead to depletion, where healers operate from a state of exhaustion rather than resilience, ultimately compromising their ability to care for others effectively.
So perhaps the question is no longer only Who heals the healer?
Perhaps it is:
When will the healer allow healing in?
I hope you feel inspired. Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.
Dr Catherine W. Dunne is a Registered General Nurse with over 37 years of clinical experience in primary care in Ireland. Alongside her work in General Practice Nursing, she is the founder of Holistic Healthcare Wexford and co-founder of Aumvedas Academy.
With a background that bridges conventional medicine and holistic practice, Catherine has a particular interest in the area where patients are often told “everything is normal,” yet still feel unwell. Her work focuses on helping people understand what their body is communicating, especially in relation to energy, stress, metabolic function, and recovery.
Through a combination of clinical knowledge and holistic support, she works with individuals to restore balance, improve resilience, and support long-term wellbeing.
Based in Wexford, Ireland.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It does not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. Patients should always seek appropriate medical guidance regarding their individual health needs and before making changes to treatment or care.
By Dr Catherine W. Dunne, MSc.D., RGN (GPN), M.H.I.T. Holistic Healthcare Wexford | Co-founder, Aumvedas Academy
In everyday clinical practice, there is a quiet shift happening.
Patients are no longer relying solely on conventional medical care. Alongside prescribed treatments, many are turning to mindfulness, herbal medicine, traditional systems such as Ayurveda, and other complementary approaches to support their health.
What is striking is not that this is happening but that it is often happening without discussion.
Patients frequently do not disclose these choices. Not because they are careless, but because they anticipate dismissal. Over time, this has created a subtle but important gap in care, one where clinical oversight is absent, not by design, but by disconnect.
Patients Are Already There
This shift is not theoretical.
It is visible in daily practice:
Patients using breathing techniques to manage anxiety
People adopting dietary patterns based on traditional systems
A growing reliance on self-guided health approaches
Whether acknowledged or not, this is now part of modern healthcare behaviour.
The question is no longer if patients are engaging with these approaches, but whether healthcare is willing to recognise it.
Mindfulness: A Practical Clinical Tool
Mindfulness has moved beyond the realm of “wellness” and into something far more practical.
At its core, it supports regulation of the nervous system.
In clinical terms, this translates to:
Reduced sympathetic overdrive
Improved vagal tone
Better emotional regulation
Support in chronic stress, pain, and fatigue
For many patients, it is not an abstract concept. It is a tool that helps them cope, function, and stabilise.
And as one colleague recently put it: ‘sometimes it is the very thing that keeps a person steady in the middle of overwhelming pressure.’
Ayurveda and Observational Medicine
Long before laboratory diagnostics, systems such as Ayurveda developed structured ways of understanding human health.
These systems observed:
Individual constitution and variability
Digestive strength and metabolic patterns
The impact of routine, environment, and rhythm
While the language differs from modern medicine, the underlying principle is familiar:
People respond differently.
In clinical practice, we see this every day; variability in response to medication, recovery time, tolerance, and resilience.
Ancient systems simply approached this from a different starting point.
Where Metaphysics Meets Physiology
There is also a layer of health that is harder to measure, but impossible to ignore.
Thought patterns influence stress responses. Beliefs shape behaviours. Emotional states affect physiology.
We see this reflected in:
Chronic stress conditions
Sleep disturbance
Immune function
Recovery outcomes
We may not yet quantify every aspect of this, but its impact is visible in patient presentation and progression.
Ignoring it does not make it irrelevant.
The Irish Context: A Growing Divide
In Ireland, there remains a cautious, at times resistant, stance toward complementary approaches within formal healthcare structures.
Meanwhile, patients are moving in a different direction.
Patients are seeking:
Holistic support
Preventative approaches
Greater involvement in their own care
In contrast, other healthcare systems, such as in parts of Europe, have begun integrating complementary medicine into training and practice.
This creates an uncomfortable reality:
Patients are moving forward. Healthcare policy, in many cases, is standing still.
The Role of the Practitioner
This is not about replacing conventional medicine.
It is about acknowledging what is already happening and responding responsibly.
The role of the practitioner is to:
Create a space where patients feel safe to disclose
Understand potential interactions and risks
Offer grounded, evidence-informed guidance
Support without dismissing
Because when communication is absent, risk increases.
And when patients feel heard, care improves.
Closing Reflection
Patients are not waiting for permission to explore these approaches, they are already doing so.
The real question is whether healthcare chooses to ignore this shift, or to engage with it in a way that is safe, informed, and grounded in practice.
I hope you feel inspired. Look after your body, and it will keep you healthy.
Catherine
CWD 03 April 2026/Ireland
About the Author
Dr Catherine W. Dunne, MSc.D., RGN (GPN), M.H.I.T., is a Registered General Nurse with over 37 years of clinical experience in primary care in Ireland. Alongside her work in General Practice Nursing, she is the founder of Holistic Healthcare Wexford and co-founder of Aumvedas Academy.
With a background that bridges conventional medicine and holistic practice, Catherine has a particular interest in the area where patients are often told “everything is normal,” yet still feel unwell. Her work focuses on chronic disease management, metabolic health, and integrative approaches to patient care, combining clinical knowledge with evidence-informed complementary therapies.
She works with individuals to better understand what their body is communicating, particularly in relation to stress, energy, recovery, and overall resilience, supporting long-term wellbeing through a grounded, patient-centred approach.
Based in Wexford, Ireland.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It does not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. Patients should always seek appropriate medical guidance regarding their individual health needs and before making changes to treatment or care.
By Dr Catherine W Dunne MSc. D., RGN, Reiki Master (RGMT), M.H.I.T: Master Acupressure, Practitioner of Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Deep Tissue/Myo-fascia Massages, Infrared Treatments, Vibrational Sound and Colour Therapist, Tissue Salt Advisor, Pendulum Healing Dowser, Chakra Practitioner , Tao Cosmic Healing Practitioner, Practitioner of Plant and Herb Medicine.
Today I want to share my April 2020 article again. I feel some things have changed since, but only superficially. I sense a lot of resentment and anger still in people.
“There is a time when we should hear the certain calls ‘Cause the world it seems it’s right in this line ‘Cause there’s a chance for taking in needing our own lives It seems we need nothing at all I used to feel I should give away my heart And it shows that fear of needing them Then I read the headlines and it said they’re dying there And it shows that we must heed instead” Michael Jackson
The veil is rapidly thinning. I also feel the “last of the sleepers” are going to experience a rude awakening. They shall have questions and a great sense of feeling overwhelmed by the Truth.
Many Starseeds and Lightworkers have been preparing for this moment since the start of the infamous lockdown of 2020/21. We are now sitting patiently for this nefarious bubble burst. It is not going to be nice. And yet, united we have become so strong, as One, we shall defeat the poisons out there. As One we help those lost, unite with us. As One, we Heal the World, because WE ARE THE WORLD
“We are the world We are the children We are the ones who make a brighter day So let’s start giving There’s a chance we’re taking We’re taking our own lives It’s true we’ll make a brighter day Just you and me“ Michael Jackson
17/04/2020
Hello and thank you for joining me here today.
My name is Catherine Dunne. I am a Nurse, Holistic Practitioner, Energy and Intuitive Healer, Spiritualist and Teacher. I am also the Author of the last two Reiki Attunements from the Reiki Grandmaster Series, called Forgiveness and Gratitude.
Thanks to the current “lockdown” I have found time to watch all those things, I normally struggle to watch. I’ve been watching OUT OF SHADOWS OFFICIAL (by the same name). I’ve also been watching Laura Eisenhower, Magenta Pixie, and Edge of Wonder, to name a few.
I am also a fan of Magenta Pixie, and I am sure, many of you are following her, too. Her books are a conversation with the “Nine”. Four days ago, she made this video Three Step Process to Stargate Ascension in Lockdown (Full Monadic Download)),which I ended up watching twice, as it stirred something within me.
Magenta speaks of Ho’oponopono, Fear, Emotional Integration, Declaration of Sovereignty and Forgiveness and Gratitude. The steps Magenta speaks of are:
THREE STEPS
STEP ONE
Understanding the dark plan – Feel the fear and integrate the Emotion(s)
STEP TWO
Declaration of Sovereignty ; laying down your boundaries
With step 3, you are turning around the negative effects from step 2, making them positive and so laying down a new contract to the universe.
STEP THREE
Forgiveness and Gratitude to be sent out to the Being of the Cosmic Universe.
Lets see, what this means:
Ignorance or “being ignorant” means Your response due to lack of knowledge/understanding. So, we learn of a virus, and it is highly contagious but fail to understand why so many people are dying.
Fear. To witness the spreading of and over many countries seemingly simultaneously … like a tsunami rolling in from the sea and you are helpless. Three Step Process to Stargate Ascension in Lockdown (Full Monadic Download)
Anger. You are ordered to stay at home. You are being told, you are not an “essential worker”. You are told, you cannot visit family and friends. A close person to you is dying. You are told to keep away. You witness, despite restrictions in place, how many are ignoring them, placing you and your loved ones at great risk, perhaps. Your Anger, because you are also running out of things to do: i.e. home painting and decorations, DIY projects and so forth leads you to become frustrated.
Frustration leads to Resentfulness, Desperation and Depression. Even paranoia.
All of those attributes are very negative. It also seems you cannot “run away” from this either. The “news” of increasing numbers of infected cases; increasing numbers of death by virus, is in your face all day long. You wake in the morning, turn on the radio you’re listening to it…. You turn on the TV and you are seeing it, you cannot buy the newspaper, so you resort to internet newspapers and those are usually just headline chasers, but you are now reading the words. There is no escaping it. Or is there? This constant bullying with slow drip fear feeding, eats away on our very substance, our essence, the person you were born to be. They, the Darkworkers are nearly having you where they want you to be, on your knees. This has to stop. This is emotional rape, I think. The human is a mammal and like all animals, we need social connectiveness.
“I used to feel, I should give away my heart And it shows that we are needing in there Then I read the headlines And it said they’re dying there And it showed that we was heeding a stand“ Michael Jackson
So STEP ONE
Understanding the dark plan – Feel the fear and integrate the Emotion(s). How do you integrate emotions? Feel them, meditate on them and release the negative energy. After this is done, you move on to
STEP TWO
Declaration of Sovereignty; laying down your boundaries. (For a better understanding best go to YouTube and watch Laura Eisenhower’s Message to the Dark Controllers).
How? Verbalise or write down for yourself or to the public that you have never given permission to be broken like a wild horse. You’ve never given, nor will you give permission to let Fear into your life. You do not Consent for the Darkworkers to take control over your life. Once you have this achieved you move to
STEP THREE
Forgiveness and Gratitude to be sent out to the Being of the Cosmic Universe.
“Now there’s a time when we must love at all And it seems that life, it don’t make love at all But everyday and I love you more and more It’s she and I, didn’t do it better.” Michael Jackson
“There’s a chance we’re taking We’re taking our whole lives It’s true, we’ll make a brighter day Just you and me.” Michael Jackson
2016/17 I studied Ho’oponopono. What is Ho’oponopono?
Ho‘oponopono, the Hawaiian forgiveness process, allows us to cut the aka connection. This means essentially clearing out preconceptions in how we view others. It helps create new connections and rejuvenate relationships with the help of Divinity. The word “forgive” means to wipe the slate clean, to pardon, to cancel a debt. When we wrong someone, we seek his or her forgiveness in order for the relationship to be restored. It is important to remember that forgiveness is not granted because a person deserves to be forgiven. Instead, it is an act of love, mercy, and grace.
FORGIVENESS
To quote Thomas Szasz:
“The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naïve forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.”
To quote me from the RGM Series Level 19 = Dai Yōsha = Great Forgiveness
“Forgiving others comes later. First you must forgive yourself. This requires taking responsibility for your own learning process, and having the courage to sweat!”
To quote me from the RGM Series Level 20 = Dai Kansha = Great Appreciation = Gratitude
Online definition:
“Gratitude means thanks and appreciation. … Gratitude, which rhymes with “attitude,” comes from the Latin word gratus, which means “thankful, pleasing.” When you feel gratitude, you’re pleased by what someone did for you and, also pleased by the results. “
My definition:
“When we have learnt to practice Forgiveness, what follows, is a moment of nothingness, quietness and after a while of zero state, the Divine talks to you in form of inspiration. But before this can happen, we go through a phase of feeling lighter, elated, thankful. A weight has been lifted. Because you were able to let go, you have made room for something new, like hope, love, happiness, appreciation or gratitude to fill the void.”
(CWD 2017)
“We are the world We are the children We are the ones who make a brighter day So let’s start giving There’s a chance we’re taking We’re taking our own lives It’s true we’ll make a brighter day Just you and me“ Michael Jackson
Meditation
The technique is similar, as the other symbols Dai.
It deals with just your upper body. It does not matter if you are sitting in the Lotus position or sitting on a chair.
Take 3 deep cleansing breaths, in through your nose and out hard, through your mouth and visualise a bright light from heaven which, enters in through your Crown Chakra and flows through the body, hands and feet until it is finally comes out again.
During this meditation, awareness rises that one is in contact with the Universal Life Energy and that we are in a lifetime of change, and that we should prepare for a new era. So let us start; and meditate for 15 minutes.
I love you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I thank you.
Holistic Healthcare Wexford 