Managing Your Magnetism as a Self-Help Practitioner

You're fresh out of school as a new holistic or self-help practitioner, and you’re ready to heal individuals and communities alike, one by one. Your natural healing energy and wisdom attracts others to you like a magnet, but, have you thought about the possibility of being too magnetic? What will you do when the whole world is flocking or gravitating toward you? When is it too much?When you radiate healing vibes people are attracted to you. You help them heal, they feel good, and you guide them on their journey. As a result, they often feel a kinship with your vibe. Not only do they feel better than they did before working with you, but they feel you understand them and that a bond has been established. Because the practice of holistic wellness is so exceptionally personal and intimate details of people’s lives are shared, this is not uncommon. But, this attraction to you comes with a sense of responsibility and boundaries. When everyone gravitates toward you, your expression of your healing gifts requires self-nurturing. In this sense you can protect your healing capabilities by reserving time for yourself to go within. This can help you understand how and when to give more before the scales are tipped and you’ve left yourself wide open and too accessible. This can show up in the form of clients calling you all hours of the day if you let them. By posting a hypothetical sign in your mind you will better be able to see which rules to stand firm on and which ones you can bend on occasion. This will help keep the magnetism in check. This is Magnetism Management 101: 1 | You can never want it more than your client. This is a great rule to post as your beacon. When you’re feeling burned out, resentful or even angry with a client, it’s a great time to ask yourself, “Wait, do I want it more than they do?” Remember, everyone experiences their environment and acts from their own set of beliefs. While your client’s belief systems could be similar to yours, they are not necessarily guided by the same set of circumstances you are (or have been). This can sometimes be confusing when you’re first starting out. Your clients flock to you with excitement for change, but then before long, they plateau and suddenly you feel as if you’re left to pick up the messy pieces of each and every one.

• When checking in with clients, free yourself from becoming upset with them if they don’t comply or can’t seem to follow all of your directions. Remind yourself that each person is doing their own version of the best job they can.
• Having said that, consider that client compliancy is a karmic thing. Sometimes you’ll end up feeling fatigued or tapped energetically if you mentally labor too long over “Why won’t they do this one thing?” or “Why won’t they take my recommendation?” Sometimes they can’t, because karmically, it isn’t time for them to “see” what you think they need to.

2 | Set boundaries confidently. If you’re just getting started now, it’s the perfect time to get your policies in order and inform your clientele before working with each one. Once your policies have been acknowledged by both you and your client, they will understand that you too require enrichment and development time in order to be your most magnetic self in their service.

• Get it all down on paper. Make a list of everything you find important-- everything from what a client can expect from your sessions to fees to cancellation policies.
• One of the most important considerations is how you will allocate interaction time. Be sure to establish policies for phone conversations, emails, texts, etc. When I was in private practice I included these policies in my welcome letter. I let everyone know that short emails or phone conversations that took 15 minutes or less were complimentary, but beyond that constituted a full consultation and would be billed. When we establish our boundaries surrounding time, our clients understand how we can all make the best use of it together.
• Have a signature on your welcome letter that clients have read and understand your policies.

If you’re burned out it could be because you haven’t yet established these policies or you’re not holding clients and yourself accountable for maintaining them. If you’ve been reading this thinking, “Okay, so I’m burned out, what can I do?”, don’t worry-- this is the perfect time to make an announcement into your practice that you have new exciting policies to announce. Whether you’ve not already introduced policies or you need to reintroduce them, you can convey this message with the same sentiment: Thank you for working with us, we’re excited to come along with you on your healing journey. To most efficiently help each of you on your path, please take a moment to observe our (new) policies. We look forward to continuing to work together. Then, repeat the steps above, but this time, keep yourself accountable and walk alongside your clients confidently rather than allowing yourself to feel like they’re walking all over you. How are you managing your healing gifts in a way that fulfills your client’s needs, while still nourishing yours both personally and professionally? Please share with the Poppy + Seed community below!Christine has dedicated her career to helping others understand the science of happiness and its powerful effects on everyday human health by harnessing the power of the epigenetic landscape. She is available for both private and professional consultations. Please contact her here.