January 2009

Deriving strength from the reflexological diagnosis 

Orly Sarig

Most patients seek reflexological treatment following pain or a disease, and it would only be natural for us, the reflexologists, to focus on diagnosing those symptoms causing pain, bothering and disturbing the person's life routine.
Every treatment begins with a diagnostic appointment. In my work, I choose to look at the patient in a somewhat different and uncustomary way, and unexpectedly I begin precisely by diagnosing the patient's strengths and abilities before commencing the more customary diagnosis of the locations and sources of pain and disease.
The soles of the feet provide access to the patient's inner "information database", and I choose first to draw thereof the good and the strong.

I do it because of two reasons: 
First, since it is important to remind people where they are strong and talented, and what comes naturally to them, so have a good chance of succeeding in them. One should remember that generally people seek treatment when they are at a junction, need a change, even though they are unaware of this need. This is a delicate and fragile situation and sometimes includes symptoms of pain. This timing constitutes an important key point for the patient's identification, labeling and awareness of his strong and rewarding sides. All this out of the belief that a good and efficient treatment will enable the person to resume his self confidence, the feeling that he can help himself and mainly that there is hope.

The second reason stems from regarding the strengths as scaffolds which can hold and support a person in the course of tackling his difficulties, the patient may use these abilities for a better and more efficient coping.
The diagnosis by means of the soles of the feet which I suggest will be carried out in two stages: the first stage is a diagnosis of the strengths and only in the second stage a diagnosis of the sensitive and weak points (which are generally accompanies by pain and/or disease…).

The advantages of carrying out the ability and strengths diagnosis immediately upon the commencement of the relation with the patient, through getting an impression from his feet soles, enables to observe the patient as a whole. Holism in the primary diagnosis enables in-depth observation in the most "clean" and objective manner. It is possible to see the person as is, without those "masks" with which he/she roams around the world even before any actual dialogue with him/her has begun.
Since the first impression can be obtained only once, I prefer to take advantage of this opportunity and lever the timing to a positive aspect. At this stage I do not relate to the difficulties and the pains. As a result of this approach, this experience burnt into the patient's consciousness, relates to "what there is" and not to "what there is not".
For the patients, particularly the skeptical ones, there is an opportunity to create trust in the practitioner, they can notice  the power of the reflexological diagnosis and treatment, since the foot sole enables to diagnose a comprehensive picture of them, relating primarily to their qualitative and strong sides. This approach may dispel objections and blocks among those patients.

The connection created between the patient and the practitioner is based on foundations enabling the development and the establishment of a good relationship, and the patient's readiness to cooperate.
Only after diagnosing those posers, talents and strengths it is possible to continue to the second part of the diagnosis. This part will engage in the pain and weakness areas requiring treatment. The diagnosis will systematically review the patient's physical and emotional condition, will examine in-depth the physical/mental symptoms such as pain, disease and fatigue, nervousness, which the patient desires to change. This diagnosis will enable to identify and understand what those difficulties are and the reasons for the appearance of those symptoms, and it will be made by observing the soles of the feet while questioning and receiving relevant information from the patient.
At the end of collecting the information a cross-check will be carried out in order to obtain a complete mapping relying on the diagnosis of the feet soles.  Underlying this approach is the need to cross-check information in order to examine the relationship and the balances between the strengths and the weaknesses. A source of power excessively used may also turn into a source of pain and suffering. For example, a very mentally developed person, with good learning and information analysis abilities, will invest most of his time in learning and analyzing the information studied to the degree that he will start suffering from headaches, sleeping difficulties etc. In such a case it is important to resume the balance in the use of that same source of power to a state in which the patient may enjoy it without suffering.

The diagnosis approach I use is based on the philosophy of the four elements existing in nature and of course in the human body: air, fire, water and earth. The elements existing in our body maintain reciprocal relations and a balance system among them. Each one of the elements relates to an area in the body or to a physical system, and indicates their condition in the person's life. Each element has roles and properties and the relation between them provides a picture of the patient as a whole. This reading according to the soles of the feet is carried out from a holistic viewpoint, and similar to solving a detective mystery, the various signs in the feet soles are related to one another and form a distinct and clear picture. When the diagnosis is completed the person's life story is revealed as of his birth to that very present moment as a clear and logical sequence.

The diagnosed people can see the logic behind their life events and connect between them. They can identify their qualifications and the potential in them while identifying the reasons causing them pain and suffering.   This awareness, accompanied by treatment of touch techniques, enables the enhancement of the physical /emotional symptoms. By nature, the holistic process helps patients change courses in their life, so that the same potential they were born with may be expressed,  and enable them a better life quality. Thus, the patients may transfer their energy from focusing on the weaknesses, to enjoying their talents and abilities.
To sum up, there are many methods of reflexological diagnosis, and it does not matter which method one uses, it is always recommended to add the diagnosis of the patient's positive aspect.  This might be a good start for an intriguing therapeutic journey.