About Deana and Seeing the Miracles

"I truly know at this point, more than anything else, that I am here to share my story and
teach others how to heal themselves."-Deana

What I stand for, what I truly believe in is that we can all heal ourselves. Miracles are possible, and healing is possible, for everyone. It does not matter how long someone has had a certain condition, or how long they have been in pain. Healing is always possible. However, let me explain what I mean by healing. Healing to me, doesn't always mean a cure. That would be nice, but that may not be reality. However, if someone is struggling with a health situation, then suddenly learns to accept it and find peace, that's healing. Or, if someone decides that even though they may have a complex disease such as cancer, they are going to refuse to have any side effects from the chemo. And they don't. That's healing too. And as a therapist/healing practitioner, I believe how each person heals is up to them and God/the Universe to decide. So even though I know all of these fancy techniques and tools, and I can can certainly help people to heal, the healing part is really up to them. Sometimes just being open to the possibility of healing is enough for the Universe to jump in and create miracles where we thought none were possible.

I also believe because of my own history of recovering from a near-fatal accident, (click here to see pictures from the accident) and all of the gore and glory that went along with it, that I am here for a reason. And I believe we are all here for a reason. But I truly know at this point, more than anything else, that I am here to show people what is possible. And that miracles are possible. The fact that I was able to breathe with two collapsed lungs, and walk again without pain or restriction after shattering both my femurs, I know this for sure. That doesn't mean that I think that my work or what I do is the answer to everyone's prayers. I don't, however, if from anything that you've read on this site, or realized from either talking or working with me, in some way helps you to heal then I am deeply grateful. Even though I have been blessed enough to have experienced some major miracles in my life, I now choose to see miracles everywhere. Why? Because it is a lot more fun and inspiring than the alternative. It can be a great gift to have a near death experience, though this is not a route I recommend for getting more inspiration in your life. For me, I will never look at a flower, a leaf, a beautiful puppy, or a smile from a friend quite the same way. When you almost lose all of that stuff, it's amazing how miraculous it can seem. Even a grill cheese sandwich can be a miracle. See what I mean? Start today. Notice the little things. The little miracles. Pretty soon you'll be seeing miracles everywhere.

This is one of my favorite quotes from Albert Einstein:

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

My favorite aspect of the work that I do is showing people how they can heal themselves and improve their own health, whether it's physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. Many of us, who have been through trauma, or have been sick or lost someone, can feel at times that the whole world is against us and that the pain is so great we may never recover. Or, that we've had this pain or condition for so long, it's never going to get better. An important aspect to regaining our health, and feelings of safety and trust again, is regaining our sense of empowerment. To know that we have choices and options. We may not be able to change what has happened to us, but we at least have some control over how we heal. And this is extremely powerful. My greatest wish is to show people that healing IS possible. They may just need to try something they haven't tried before, or look at their situation a little differently. Sometimes the smallest, gentlest changes can yield the most amazing results.

Even if I don't have the tools to help you directly, I may have researched, read, experienced or know of someone or something that may help you. I think one of the greatest assets I have as a practitioner is my own healing experience, and my vast education in the fields of health and healing. I have tried and experienced many different types of healing work, and have had a lot of great results. I'm not one of those practitioners who thinks one modality is the answer to everyone's prayers. I always look at each person as an individual with their own beliefs, experiences, and needs.

Many clients I have worked with have asked me if I was born a healer. My answer is yes, and no. I believe we are all born healers. We just don't know it. We think that healing comes from somewhere else. From a pill, or a procedure, or someone else's hands. We may need these things on some occasions, but mainly we are the ones who heal ourselves. We all have healing gifts. Some people are incredibly gifted surgeons and physicians, and thank God we have them. Others are writers and teachers who inspire us and guide us in expanding our hearts, consiousness(es) and spirits. Thank God for them as well. And many others who nurse, nurture and care for us. They are all healers too, and we may need their help, but ultimately we are the ones who are in charge of our health. So yes, I was born a healer and you were too.

My own interest in healing and looking at greater ways to heal myself started in my early twenties when I was looking for natural ways to calm work-related stress and anxiety, and monthly hormonal imbalances. Conventional treatment didn't really help me in these situations, so I explored yoga, nutrition, and visualization techniques and had better results. My major "crash course" in healing came after that near-fatal car accident in July 1997. In the hospital, I refused to take pain medication from ten days on after my initial surgeries. I wanted to allow my body to heal naturally and felt that interfering with the pain signals was not a good idea. I took it as a challenge to see how much I could take. And with all of those broken bones, incisions and soft-tissue injuries, I was definitely challenged. After finishing up with physical therapy, I worked with a nutritionist, fitness trainer, chiropractor, and massage therapist to relieve the chronic pain and tension I had throughout my body and to make sure I was healing as quickly as I could. I was amazed at how much better I felt after these sessions, even though sometimes the massages were excrutiating because of all the scar tissue I had. (Though I don't advocate deep, deep tissue work for everyone, always work within your comfort zone and communicate with your therapists on what is comfortable.) I also worked with a counselor to help me with the emotional issues. But this process was slow.

It wasn't until a year after the accident, when five different healing practitioners suggested that I incorporate energy healing into my repetoire that I experienced my next quantum leap in my own healing process. I took my first Reiki class without ever having experienced energy healing before. I was blown away that after my first attunement (transmission of the Reiki energy from the teacher to the student) that I could feel the energy coming through my hands. We learned how to do self-treatments and simple hands-on treatments to do on others. I was doing this for myself, and after doing Reiki for only five days, I experienced yet another miracle. After treating my left hip, I felt something deep inside literally break apart and release. I have no idea what this was, but after I got up off the couch, my limp had disappeared. I couldn't believe it! I even ran around the house trying to make the limp come back, and it never did. My doctors, co-workers and family were also amazed. Something so simple and easy, just placing my hands on myself created this powerful healing experience. From then on, there was no turning back. Even though I continued working at my corporate job as an art director, I knew I had to share what I had learned and what had had happened to me to help others who had similar experiences.

I then went on to become a Reiki Master right before the last surgery I had to remove the titanium rods that had held my legs together for 18 months. My recovery was so fast, and I only needed aspirin for pain after this major surgery, during which my left leg had to be re-broken to remove that particular rod. My incisions were also closed and healed up by the following morning. The nurses couldn't believe it. I definitely think all of the Reiki treatments I received and did on myself helped greatly. From Reiki Mastership, I then went on to massage school, at the CT Center for Massage Therapy in Westport, because I felt that massage is such a powerful pain management tool and works so beautifully with recovery of soft tissue injuries. On July 12, 2002 I received my CT license to practice massage. It was dated literally five years to the day of my car accident. Also, it was my first official day of work as a massage therapist where my very first client had been in a head-on collision, just like I had. This is the stuff chills are made of. Many of my first clients had been in car accidents, just like me, and I continue to love helping people recover from these life-changing experiences and many others. I also love teaching, and incorporate teaching many different techniques to clients that I find gentle, easy and simple to use but can also have powerful results.

I am also dedicated to learning and continue my education in the fields of health and wellness. I have been certified in many types of bodywork, including as an Usui and Karuna Reiki master, a master-instructor in Integrated Energy Therapy®, as a level III Reconnective Healing® and Reconnection® practitioner, as an Angelic Healing Fire master-level practitioner, as a medical massage therapist, equine sports massage therapist, and have been initiated into the spiritual lineages of various shamanic and Mystery School traditions. Intent on continuing to learn the best treatments available, especially to help those recovering from trauma, I have been drawn to study the ancient systems of healing still available on this planet. I am honored to study with indigenous shamans, modern shamans and various teachers who support this return to the sacred and the natural world. We have much support available to us. I am also a dedicated clinical professional, and am a professional member of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA).

Throughout my education I have been lucky enough to study with some amazing and incredible teachers including, Dr. Bernie Siegel, Dr. Eric Pearl, Dr. David Feinstein, Dr. Doreen Virtue, Christian de Quincey, Mary Schreiber and Julie Motz to name a few. I continue to love and enjoy my continuing educational experience and expanding my own spiritual awareness and growth. It can only help. My academic career includes a BA degree in English with a minor in art from Fairfield University, and an MA degree in Experiential Health and Healing from the Graduate Institute. I'm thinking about a PhD, but not right now. Phew!

One of my next goals includes writing a book about my own healing experiences. If you have any questions about me or my work, or any feedback whatsoever, feel free to contact me. As an art director and graphic designer, I also support other businesses and practitioners by helping them create websites, logos, brochures and other materials to promote their work which I have been doing for fourteen years. This is an extension of my healing work, the creative outlet I have, by helping others who provide healing and make this planet a better place. Contact me for more information.

Thank you for reading about me and my story. I wish you the best and all good things in your life, and many miracles to see and experience.

-Deana

	Join Our Mailing List
	» JOIN NOW