What Is Therapeutic Touch?

Therapeutic touch (TT) is a type of energy medicine whereby the therapist moves his or her hands over the patient’s “energy field,” allegedly directing the flow of chi or prana so the patient can heal. TT is based on the belief that each living thing has a “life energy field” which extends beyond the surface of the body and generates an aura. This energy field can become unbalanced, misaligned, obstructed, or out of tune.

Energy healers think they can feel and manipulate this energy field by making movements that resemble massaging the air a few inches above the surface of the patient’s body. Energy healers also think that they can transfer some of their own life energy to the patient. These airy manipulations allegedly restore the energy field to a state of balance or harmony, to a proper alignment, or they unblock a clog in the field or transfer life energy from healer to patient.
This restoration of integrity to the field is thought to make it possible for the body to heal itself. http://skepdic.com/tt.html

Therapeutic Touch was developed in the early 1970's by a remarkable woman, Dolores Krieger, Ph.D., R.N., then a Professor of Nursing at New York University, and her mentor, the late Dora Kunz, a well-respected "natural" healer. Together these two women developed a healing form which can be easily taught and easily learned.
Although the word "touch" is part of the modality's name, physical touch is not necessary when Practitioners offer a treatment. Other names for Therapeutic Touch is Non-Contact Therapeutic Touch (NCTT), or Distance Healing.(Wikipedia)

The Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario (TTNO) developed a list of assumptions underpinning Krieger-Kunz Therapeutic Touch. These assumptions are:

* In a state of health, Life Energy flows freely in, through, and out of the field in an orderly manner.
* Disease or injury affects, obstructs, disorders, or depletes the flow of energy.
* Thereafter, Touch practitioners attempt to influence the energy flow to restore the integrity of the field and move it toward wholeness and health.

Always individualized, a session usually does not exceed 20 minutes. Practitioners can administer Therapeutic Touch while his client is in a sitting or lying position and, followed by a rest period.

Although initially developed within and for nursing, it spread beyond the profession to many others within the medical and alternative medicine field.There is an International Association with several thousands of members at this time.
We will discuss the research and specific used at another time as well as the popularity of this process which is generally thought by many Medical Professionals and scientists to be unwarrented or fradulent with no scientific basis.

In addition to Wikipedia the following sources were used.
http://www.therapeutic-touch.org/newsarticle.php?newsID=8
http://www.therapeutic-touch.org/newsarticle.php?newsID=19
http://www.therapeutictouch.com/tt1.html

http://skepdic.com/tt.html
Skeptics