Self-Healing Tools & Techniques
There are some fantastic self-healing tools available these days, many of which you can use by yourself or with the help of a partner. Sometimes its helpful to have the support of a skilled practitioner, but its empowering to know that you can also help yourself in lots of different ways too.

Below are some of the tools I have used myself and which I can recommend from personal experience. My advice is always to approach each technique with an open mind and to give it a try and see how you get on with it. When you come across something that seems to resonate strongly with you, follow your instincts and you'll probably find this will prove helpful for you at the present time. When its no longer helpful, try something else!

Emotional Freedom Technique
One of the easiest techniques to learn is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) developed by Gary Craig. Using a simple tapping procedure, people have freed themselves from lifelong traumas, phobias and many other emotional and physical limitations. You can download a free guide to get started from Gary's excellent website www.emofree.com, and you can teach yourself the techniques using his video and audio materials. A book I can recommend to give a thorough introduction to the technique is The Healing Power of EFT and Energy Psychology, by David Feinstein, Donna Eden and Gary Craig.

'The Work' of Byron Katie
One of the best tools around for transforming limiting beliefs is The Work of Byron Katie which, like EFT, has spread like wildfire in recent years due to its combination of simplicity and effectiveness. I saw Katie demonstrate her work in London quite a few years ago, and was immediately struck by her humility, compassion and razor-sharp sense of humour. I can highly recommend Katie's books Loving What Is, I Need Your love - Is That True? and A Thousand Names for Joy.

Lester Levenson's 'Release Technique'
I can also recommend the release technique developed by the late Lester Levenson, which has been continued after his death by two of his former colleagues. One is Larry Crane, who emphasizes releasing the blocks to abundance at his site www.releasetechnique.com, and the other is Hale Dwoskin, who has written a comprehensive handbook on what is also known as The Sedona Method. The technique is deceptively simple, yet can be extremely powerful once you get the hang of it.

Brandon Bays' Journey Process Work
After reading Brandon Bays' inspiring story of self-healing in her book The Journey, I undertook a full training programme with Brandon to learn and experience Journey Process work. Combining emotional release with guided visualization tools and a forgiveness process, this technique has been a powerful catalyst for physical as well as emotional healing for many people.

Voice Dialogue
My friend and colleague Abdul Hayy Holdijk, who lives and works in Cairo, recommended the excellent Voice Dialogue approach to me, which I have subsequently studied. This profoundly simple technique has been developed and refined over several decades by Hal and Sidra Stone, and you can learn the basic skills via their comprehensive DVD and CD programme.

Hakomi
Developed over the past forty years by the founder Ron Kurtz, the hakomi method is one of the most gentle yet powerful techniques I have come across for deep personal transformation and healing. I was fortunate to attend a training workshop with Ron in 2009 and will be continuing to learn and incorporate this technique into my work in the coming years.