"To see ones predicament clearly is the first step toward going beyond it."

Eckhart Tolle

Enlightened Teacher

 

 

 

 

 

What is Mickel Therapy?

 

 

 

by Kim Knight for Healthy Options Magazine  August 2006

Mickel Therapy is an innovative body-mind treatment created by Dr David Mickel, a medical doctor in the UK. He developed an interest in CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia during his time as a GP, and becoming frustrated by conventional attempts to treat the conditions went on to train and work as an Eriksonian Therapist, later developing the treatment now known as Mickel Therapy. Following its success in the UK, bringing it to nationwide attention, Mickel Therapy is now being practiced in various countries around the globe, and the first practitioners were trained in New Zealand this year.

 

Mickel Therapy is an holistic treatment for the body-mind rather than a form of psychotherapy. It is a structured dialogue designed to reach the cause of the symptoms and then give clients the tools to change the underlying cause of the symptoms so that the body no longer needs to create them. It requires no medication, dietary change or use of supplements. Although originally created specifically for the conditions of ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), FMA (Fybromyalgia) and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), it has also been discovered to be effective for the treatment of anxiety, depression and insomnia.

"Mickel Therapy works by listening to and interpreting symptoms rather than by trying to eradicate them" Dr David Mickel

The truth about symptoms

Mickel Therapy focuses primarily on the nature of our body intelligence, (as opposed to our ‘head’ intelligence), and teaches clients how the bodyuses symptoms tocommunicate with us. Because the body cannot communicate using words, it uses body sensations - often experienced as physical symptoms (“illness”) - to communicate its needs to us. It is essential that people begin to understand that symptoms are never the cause - only the effect - of an illness. They are a message from the body to say something needs to be listened to, looked at and, most importantly, acted upon.

 

In Dr Mickel’s words, “Mickel Therapy works by listening to and interpreting symptoms rather than by trying to eradicate them”. Mickel Therapy assumes that the body is supremely intelligent, always truthful, and that this intelligence seeks toprotect the individual from unhealthy interactions with the environment. S ymptoms are therefore offering an intelligent, helpful and necessary solution to imbalances that have been detected by the body.

 

By interpreting and translating the message behind symptoms, Mickel Therapy then coaches the individual in allowing the body to stop sending them. Whatever the presenting condition or symptoms, the actual message that the body is trying to send through to the mind is usually the same - it is just manifesting in a different way according to each individual (eg. for some people chronic fatigue, others irritable bowel, others anxiety, or a mixture of several). 

Initially client and therapist work on interpreting and translating the message that has been masquerading behind the symptoms, so that the client can at last hear what the body has been trying to communicate to them. Then the therapist instructs the client in the use of specific 'tools' which they use when symptoms arise, so that the body can see that it no longer needs to send symptoms.

 

“Symptoms are helpful and necessary communication from the body”

Mickel Therapy philosophy

The basic idea behind Mickel Therapy and the conditions of CFS, ME and FMA is that symptoms are created by a dysfunctional Hypothalamus gland, which then produces its physical effects through the Nervous, Endocrine and Immune systems. This is described by Dr Mickel as the state of  'Hypothalamitis' which translates as ‘inflammatory condition of the Hypothalamus’.

 

Clients are briefed so that they understand how ‘Hypothalamitis’ is created and how the symptoms of CFS/ME and FMA are produced by the condition. This is the main focus of the first session. It is also important to realize that CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia are physical illnesses based on body-mind learning and although mood tends to be lowered eventually, they are not examples of depression.

 

Client and therapist then start to translate the unconscious message that triggers the Hypothalamus to produce the symptoms. The process of Mickel Therapy is designed to give the client the resources necessary to understand the body intelligence and therefore to stop the return of symptoms in the future.

 

Recently new techniques have been developed in the Mickel Therapy process: Dr Mickel discovered that whilst about 60% of cases were responding quickly using the ‘message’ to explain and work with symptoms, the process was working but taking longer for the remaining 40%. He consequently evolved the process to take into account the existence of Energy Matrices or Blueprints, and formulated tools known as the ‘Health Keys’ which allow the client to work first with, and then without, the message.

Physiologically speaking

The Hypothalamus is situated in the mid-brain where it receives information from the (so-called) higher thinking centres, the environment and from practically every organ in the body. It relays hormonal information to the body through the Pituitary Gland (Endocrine system), controls the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and influences the Immune System. Its main role is to harmonize the body’s functions and to maintain the best possible state of well-being.

The Hypothalamus communicates to the rest of the body, sending neuro-chemical signals through the Endocrine and the Autonomic Nervous Systems. These signals influence most functions including energy levels, sleep patterns, mental alertness, the muscles and skeleton, metabolism, blood flow, the gastrointestinal tract and the immune system. 

Because the Hypothalamus is central to regulating a balanced exchange between the internal and external environment, it is extremely sensitive to anything that challenges this balance. And as it is the body’s role to protect us in an ever-changing environment, it communicates any imbalances that have been detected in the environment to us in the form of symptoms. At this point it is up to us to discover what the messages is behind the symptoms being sent.

Is Mickel Therapy a form of psychotherapy?

No. Mickel Therapy is a body-mind healing process. Unlike psychotherapy where the emphasis may be on addressing behavioral problems and investigating thoughts in order to treat the mind, in Mickel Therapy the focus is on addressing symptoms as solutions. This makes sense since CFS/ME and FMA are physical illnesses and not psychological. And in contrast to many forms of physical therapy, the Mickel therapist does not try to remove symptoms through massage, diet or drugs which merely 'shoot' the messenger. The key to the Mickel Therapy is working with physical symptoms in order to clear the messages that are linked to them, and teaching clients how to work with their innate body intelligence to the degree that it is then allowed to stop sending symptoms.

What does treatment involve?

Sessions consist of one to one consultations which last an hour. They are arranged with a variable interval between them, the average interval being 1-2 weeks. Treatment length varies but about 80 of cases will be complete after 6-8 sessions while the other 20% may take longer.

Once the message the body has been sending via the symptoms has been revealed, clients are asked to keep short notes that record when, where and how often any symptoms occur, in order to elicit more information and to ensure the appropriate action is being taken to prevent the need for the body to send further symptoms.  This also enables client and therapist to monitor a reduction in symptoms and identify the required next steps.

 

All Mickel Therapists are trained and supervised under Dr Mickel's guidance. Many of them suffered CFS/M.E or Fibromyalgia themselves and are therefore able to have an indepth understanding of these illnesses, as well as a level of compassion for their clients which people who have not experienced these long-term, dehabilitating conditions cannot comprehend.

 

Your body never lies – your body is your friend

How successful is Mickel Therapy?

Results have shown that the more the client puts in, the more they will get out. If the Mickel Therapy tools are used, results will happen. It is made clear during the first session that the Mickel Therapist is not there to ‘fix’ the client – they (the therapist) are there to assist the client in healing themselves. This can be a major paradigm shift for many people in a culture where we have been brought up to believe that healing comes from ‘outside’ or that someone else needs to ‘fix’ us. The truth is, we all have the ability to heal ourselves - sometimes with a little help and guidance from others.

 

It is strongly recommended that clients read the book 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, ME and Fibromyalgia – The Long Awaited Cure' by Dr David Mickel before starting treatment. It is a short book written specifically for people who may have difficulty reading, low concentration levels etc. Reading the book before starting treatment will make the Mickel Therapy process easier.

 

Dr Mickel has also recently produced a DVD, where he talks about the background of Mickel Therapy, how he came to discover the treatment and what the future holds, as well as explaining 'Hypothalamitis' and how it relates to ME and CFS. His second book is due out shortly.