The Healer: Heart and Hearth

I've been a massage therapist and healer for 13 years. I now require each potential client to read this book and Music and Song, Mother and Love, both by John Diamond. I often recommend other books along the way, but these two books set the tone for all of the work we do together. Together with Facets of a Diamond: Reflections of a Healer, these books should be required reading for all healers and those who really want to support their own healing.

In this personal and engaging book, Dr. Diamond considers the many elements that combine to produce an effective and long-lasting therapeutic relationship. Drawing on his own extensive experience as a holistic healer, Dr. Diamond discusses the role of the healer and that of the sufferer. He also looks in detail at setting up the best environment in which healing can take place. I find Dr. Diamond's emphasis on the importance of a holistic approach to healing most valuable, and I welcome the philosophical context in which this book places that concept.

This book inspired me to have a new attitude toward my home -- and my life! It is written in a mix of prose and lovely poetry -- both of which are full of heart-warming thoughts. I also like the use of word origins to illuminate these thoughts.