SOLD: Beautiful Happyzine

Joel Le Blanc

The Christchurch Earthquakes have affected thousands of people living in Canterbury since the seismic events first began in September, 2010, and many residents continue to suffer from heightened anxiety and insomnia as a result of aftershocks, loss of income, and damage to property. While everyone is effected differently by these events, there is a special event soon occurring that offers free support and counselling to any Christchurch residents still suffering from stress and tension.

On the 24th and 25th of March, a gathering of health practitioners from a range of different fields and modalities will convening together at an event called Heal Christchurch. Practitioners available for private consultations with residents include counsellors, GP’s, psychologists, naturopaths, herbalists, acupuncturists, chiropractors and osteopaths.

Sam McSorley, medical herbalist and event organiser for Heal Christchurch, states the intention of the weekend is to make people more aware of support networks available in their local area, as well as “to reduce stress and anxiety, which is typical of Canterbury life currently.”

As well as providing their own unique range of diverse skills, all practitioners have been trained in Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) — a form of counselling employed with some success to people suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder following 9/11.

The idea for Heal Christchurch came about when Dr Scott Walker, chiropractor and founder of NET, visited Christchurch in 2011 following the February earthquake, and was impressed “by both the stoicism and the resilience of its people.”

After his visit Dr Walker offered to fly a team of NET teachers to New Zealand to train health practitioners in Canterbury, free of charge, with NET techniques and skills, to enable them to better help and support their community through this challenging time.

NET is based upon combined principles from traditional Chinese medicine, kinesiology and chiropracty. According to the official NET website (http://www.netmindbody.com/), NET can be used to treat a variety of issues, including: “headaches, body pains, phobias, general anxiety, self-sabotaging behaviours, organ dysfunctions and more.”

For anyone who is a bit skeptical, there have already been several scientific studies performed on NET. The results of the research are largely positive, and suggest it may be a useful supportive treatment for anxiety, stress, chronic neck pain, and possibly stress-related infertility.

All consultations with practitioners at Heal Christchurch are completely FREE, as the event has been fully sponsored to make it available for locals who are in need of support, health advice, or just a day of pampering.  If you attend the day, you are also entitled to one FREE consultation post-event, and according to Sam McSorley, some practitioners may provide ongoing discounts.

If you are interested in receiving a free consultation with a practitioner of your choice, simply visit the Heal Christchurch website (http://www.healchristchurch.com/) and follow the simple online booking instructions. Bring your booking confirmation with you when you arrive to Heal Christchurch at the Geodome, and make sure you are there at least fifteen minutes early to your appointment.

A big thank you to MoreFM, The Our Net Effect Research Foundation, The Alpha Omega Clinic, HireEquip, Indigo Marketing and McGreary Creativity for sponsoring Heal Christchurch!

Joel Le Blanc

Joel Le Blanc is a freelance writer, poet and medical herbalist. He has published articles on health, alternative medicine, literature, art and food, and is currently completing a BA in English and Creative Writing at the University of Canterbury. Joel runs a blog for creative people wanting to learn more about natural and alternative medicine at The Wormwood Files.

Tags: Health