Cynthia M Chase

Submitted March 14, 2006

By: Kate Roy

Cynthia was not my first therapist. Several came (and went) before her. There was the insecure counselor who asked for more advice than she gave, the well-degreed psychiatrist who tried her hand at psychotherapy only to find out she was a failure and resorted to medication as the cure-all, and lest we forget to mention all those counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists who freaked me out so much we never made it past the interview session.

By the time I arrived at Cynthia’s door, I was worn out on therapists, worn out on my life. My family was in the throws of an ugly divorce, my younger sister was hell-bent on committing suicide, and I was ready to be committed myself, due to a psychiatric disorder, which, at times, likes to make itself known via psychosis. Needless to say, I took up temporary residence in a psychiatric hospital myself before the year was out.

Furthermore, I was, at best, mildly interested in pursuing psychotherapy as a solution. If the was a solution, I was going to find it in a bottle. Essentially, I came to Cynthia because my primary care physician insisted that given my state, someone needed to check in with me weekly if I was to be deemed fit to roam – the best person for that was, of course a therapist. So, I yielded. I took the list of phone numbers of recommended therapists and blindly called them. Why did I end up with Cynthia? Frankly, because she called back first.

However random my selection process may have been, the results were serendipitous. There are reasons both concrete and indeterminate that makes Cynthia a good therapist, not the least of which is the incorporate of Reiki into her practice.

Initially, Cynthia’s suggestion of Reiki was met with skepticism on my part, but I pretty much reached the point where if it wasn’t going to hurt me, I was willing to try it, so try it we did. In describing why Reiki is a helpful part of therapy, it is important to recognize that its effects are not quantitative – you will not achieve a mathematically measurable result. Its results are subtler.

Reiki is helpful because it allows the therapy-seeker to open up and become more in touch with themselves. By being more balanced, grounded and in-tune with themselves, people are more capable of exploring issues in their personal lives or in taking control over their mental illness. For example, in my case, Cynthia and I have worked to maintain balance within my brain. My condition is such that, due to my psychiatric illness and exceptional intelligence, the intellectual and emotional sides of my brain tend to become wildly imbalanced. In other words, I get lost in my own head, which makes it difficult for me to function effectively. Balancing my brain through Reiki has made it easier for me to understand and relate to others and myself emotionally, as well as allowing me to be more effective in my work. Also, another added benefit to Reiki is that I have been able to take considerably less lithium than would ordinarily be prescribed, while still maintaining the benefits of it. I also no longer take an atypical anti-psychotic, which for me, seemed to do more harm than good.

It is important to keep in mind that Reiki alone in not going to save you. Reiki does not solve all your problems by itself, nor does it make you feel magically and instantaneously 100% better. That would be a miracle, not Reiki. However, Reiki allows you to do the traditional therapy work more constructively, and I believe, more quickly. Importantly, Cynthia is not just a talented Reiki practitioner, but also a talented traditional therapist. She listens, becomes engaged, and genuinely cares about the well-being of those who are under her care. She works with her patients to develop a therapy program that suits their needs, as opposed to attempting to stuff everyone into a cookie-cutter therapy program that she has decided works best.

Finally, what I can tell you is that I am infinitely better off that I was two years ago when I first met Cynthia. At the time, I sincerely thought that I was a lost cause, as it turns out, I’m not, and Cynthia and her Reiki fusion practice had a profound impact on allowing me to re-establish my life.

Printed with permission of the author

ALWAYS THERE BY ERYN January, 2007

Always reaching out to me Never giving up

Being there for the good times

And helping me through the bad

Always being patient

And always seeking more

Helping me find myself which I never thought I would

Showing me the colors that surround myself today

You’ve made me a stronger person

And though I have my ups and downs

I’ll never give up; I’ll keep on going with myself

And keep my head up along the way

So thank you for teaching me how to bring

The light back into my darkened skies

And for bringing back the happiness that

I missed feeling day by day

12-06

Dear Cynthia,

So, after many months I have finally held up to my promise to let you know
how everything is going.Moving here was probably the best decision I have ever made in my entire
life. The job is going very well. The people are great and the lifestyle
is much slower but also fun. The apartment I found is the nicest I could
have ever imagined.

I can’t even express into words my thanks for how much you have helped me
during my troubled period. I know it has only been about eight months since
I saw you, but life is going so well now that it seems like a lifetime ago.
You were able to give me an incredible mind-set to be able to fully assess
everything that is happening around and inside of me: physically,
spiritually and emotionally. I am much better at reading into the nature of
my feelings and what they really mean. I am also much better at catching
myself before I slide into old patterns. That is the most important lesson
I learned from all of that time. I am taking responsibility for my actions
now and being mindful of myself. I no longer turn a blind eye to what is
really going on.

I never really believed that things happen for a reason but with the way my
life has turned out I think I finally believe that. My problems led me to
you, and now my life is better than I could have imagined. I realize one
very interesting thing. As you know, my life was pretty rough and bumpy
from the time I graduated college. I have noticed that the changing point
in my life was when I saw you and you helped me to take full ownership of my
actions and my mistakes. When I stopped blaming others and focused on what
was wrong with me my whole life has fallen into place. I found a great job,
moved to a great place, and heck, it even looks like I’ve met a wonderful
woman recently that may turn out great.

So again, thank you for everything. I plan to be very mindful of
everything, taking the lessons with me so that I do not repeat past
mistakes. Hope to hear from you soon and take care.

(Anonymous)

“Cynthia,

You have become the angel that sits upon my shoulder. Your honesty and
words of wisdom have affected me entirely. I am so grateful for the gift of
You, as a woman, mentor and for the support you give me. You have impacted
me, helped me so much when I came to you in great pain. You have done so
much for me as a woman and artist. Something about your core, your beliefs
and untouchable brilliance from the heart has given me profound belief in
myself and others. What a gift.I look up to you; I am inspired by your knowledge, strength and
unforgettable laugh. God has blessed you, and you have blessed me in turn
with your life-altering magic. I am forever grateful.Thank you,

Justin”

February, 2007

Cynthia-

I am pleased to share my thoughts about my visits with you over the past 8
months and hope that they are of use to others seeking guidance.I read an article about Cynthia in a local paper which described her
approach to counseling which incorporated traditional psychotherapy with
non-traditional (at least by western standards) methods of healing such as
Reiki. Although I did not immediately seek Cynthia’s help, I noted her name
and felt that I would reach out at some point. Pressures related to work and
children growing up caused a feeling of emptiness that came and went. When I
felt I had hit the bottom, I made the call to Cynthia.

Our first sessions were very productive because I felt very much at ease in
a short time. An excellent listener, her calm demeanor and practical advice
allowed me to feel some improvement quickly. After several sessions, she
introduced me to Reiki which produced a calming effect which I had rarely
felt. More recently, I mentioned that the calm I felt after Reiki was great
but wondered how to capture that feeling more often.

Cynthia brightened and said I needed some new things in my
“toolbox”-techniques to help through the inevitable down times we all
experience. She then opened the world of self-healing through Reiki, steps
which will allow me to perform this healing on myself and others. While I am
rather new at this, I can tell you that it does work and I am looking
forward to on-going enlightenment.

Cynthia is a wise person. She has read extensively and draws on this and
some fascinating personal experiences to provide the guidance I need. She is
not “preachy” nor does it feel as though everyone gets the identical
solution. If you are in need of answers and direction, purpose and focus in
your life, I urge you to contact Cynthia Chase. Come in with an open mind
and prepare to heal yourself.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes, Ron

February, 2007

Dear Cynthia,

When I first came to you life felt hopeless. After a few sessions I
realized that there is a Higher Power, and that that power is the
communication and interaction between all humans. That interaction heals.
It heals through cleansing the incorrect programming we all seem to have all
around us in a world that is unaware of the spiritual help that surrounds
us. Looking back to the days of despair, pain and the lack of faith, I
realize now what we seek is deep within our souls. That faith can be
resurrected through effort, belief in ourselves and honest communication
with those around us. This power is unlimited and we only have to truly
desire and reach inside for it. If I could share one thing about my healing
over the last few months, if only to inspire others, it would be that we are
not alone. We are all connected to each other. That connection is our
humanity and our ability to touch each others hearts with compassion even
when we feel broken.I feel something miraculous has happened to me. I feel there are many more
miracles to come. I believe this change has come from letting go of the
pain in my past, and coming to peace with the mistakes that I have made.
Those mistakes are now lessons I will take with me as I grow and change.
Now I know that I have a future that I can create for myself. That future
will be filled with Love, Hope and the desire to show others that even when
we are sad and all feels lost, God, Buddha, or whatever name we choose to
call Spirit, is very close by and that that power resides in each and every
one of us.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for walking this journey with me. I
will remember the things I have learned and use them to make every day
count, as though it were my last.

With full appreciation and Love,

Loretta Corson

July 3, 2007

Cynthia,

Thank you for the Reiki master ceremony that you had for me. It was
beautiful. Thank you for making it so special. I feel very blessed for
all the wonderful things that have happened in my life because you showed me
the way. My life has been enlightened with joy, love, wisdom and peace. Your
compassion, gentleness, and understanding make you a role model that we
should all strive to be. Thank you for starting me on the most incredible,
challenging, and exciting journey I have ever been on.
Thank you for the “gift” you have given to me.Leslie