Lisa Westrick is a highly skilled and compassionate healer who is dedicated to helping others on their journey towards physical, mental, and emotional wellness. As a Reiki Master, Licensed Vibrational Sound Therapist, 200 HR Registered Yoga Teacher, and Certified Sound Bath Practitioner, Lisa has the knowledge and expertise to provide effective and transformative healing sessions. Through her business, Serenity Holistic Touch, Lisa offers a range of holistic services that can help you release stress, tension, and trauma, and find greater peace and balance in your life. With Lisa’s support, you can begin to love yourself and your body, and experience the profound benefits of Reiki and sound therapy. MysticMag chats with Lisa.
What inspired you to become a licensed Vibrational Sound Practitioner, and what does your work in this field entail?
My husband served in the Army for 23 years, which meant we moved around quite a bit and I had many jobs. One of those jobs was working for the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) in the 2000s. While at MCG, I was also a member of the MCG Arts Council, and our goal was to take various forms of art to different parts of the campus. One of the programs was sound therapy in the hospital. We had musicians come in and play instruments like guitar, piano, and other instruments to help cheer up the patients. The results of this program were quicker recovery times, shorter hospital visits, and improved overall wellness.
About ten years later, someone handed me a Himalayan bowl, and I immediately connected with it. This sparked my interest in exploring sound therapy further, so I began taking classes to become a vibrational sound practitioner. My work now involves individual sound therapy sessions where I use the bowls on a person to create vibrations and promote healing. I also do sound baths, whether it be in a private or public setting, playing the instruments to help people relax and be present in the moment. I have also incorporated some of my sound therapy techniques in chakra clearing on people to help them become more balanced in their lives.
How do you use sound therapy to help people with physical, emotional, and spiritual healing?
Sound therapy is a wonderful practice that can have transformative effects on a person’s emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. The vibrations created by the sounds work in harmony with the body’s natural rhythm, helping to slow it down and allow the body to heal itself.
When I place a bowl on a person and strike it, the vibrations can help someone who is going through trauma emotionally and spiritually work through their feelings. On a physical level, sound therapy can help someone slow down and take a break from their busy lifestyle. Often, we operate at full speed, and sound therapy gives the body a chance to slow down, resulting in slower breathing, heart rate, and lower blood pressure. Overall, sound therapy can be a powerful tool to promote healing and relaxation in all aspects of a person’s life.
Can you share with us some success stories or transformations that your clients have experienced through sound therapy?
One of my success stories involved a client who came to me with stage three kidney problems. After working with me for three months and experiencing the vibrations of sound therapy, they were retested and their kidney levels had dropped to stage two. The client shared with their doctor that it was sound therapy that had helped them feel so much better.
Another success story involved a young boy with autism who had difficulties with social interactions and sound sensitivity. He was initially standoffish and uncomfortable around the singing bowls that I used in therapy, but over time he became more relaxed and open to the sounds. After just a month, he was able to tolerate a singing bowl placed on him and within three months he even let me hug him. His mother noticed a significant change in his behavior, from bouncing off the walls to being able to relax and rest. It’s really amazing to see how sound therapy can positively impact individuals with autism who have sensory issues.
In my work with autistic children, I allow them to play various musical instruments during our sessions. This helps them become more familiar and comfortable with different types of sound therapy. I’ve also had clients who come to me with migraines, and although they don’t initially disclose their discomfort, they report feeling relieved of their migraine after our session. It’s surprising to see how sound therapy can still be effective even when someone’s head is hurting so badly.
You also have certifications in Reiki and yoga. How do you integrate these modalities into your sound therapy practice?
Yes, I integrate Reiki and Yoga into my practice. I started my business with Reiki and slowly incorporated sound therapy after receiving some sound training. While moving more towards sound therapy, I still feel that Reiki is always present during my sessions, as the energy flows through me while I work. In fact, I feel that Reiki enhances sound therapy sessions.
Sound baths actually originated from yoga, and I have been practicing it for many years. I became a yoga teacher to learn how to incorporate sound back into yoga, and eventually, I will offer a blended class of yoga and singing bowls together. Breathwork is also an important aspect of yoga, so when I conduct a sound bath, I often start with breathing exercises to help people be more present during the session. This helps them get the most out of the sound bath.
How do you continue to learn and grow in your practice, and what new techniques or tools are you excited to explore in the future?
As a learner, I believe in the importance of continuing education. I used to be a teacher, and learning new things has always been important to me. I am always looking for ways to explore the possibilities of sound therapy by attending sound conferences and communicating with colleagues in the field. I have also served on an International Board for Sound Therapy. I am currently learning to play the didgeridoo, and I hope to incorporate it into my sound baths in the future.
I am really excited about the potential of sound therapy. Most of the research about sound therapy comes from psychology and neuroscience, and they are finding that it can be incredibly helpful for trauma patients and people with PTSD. The mental health benefits of sound therapy are amazing, and I believe that live sound therapy sessions can help a person more quickly than a recording ever could.
I am particularly interested in the research side of sound therapy. I have been asked by a professor in music to work on a research project exploring the potential of sound therapy, and I am excited to see where that leads. There is still so much we don’t know about what sound therapy can do for the body, and I believe that this is the next area that researchers will focus on.
If you would like to find out more about Serenity Holistic Touch, visit https://www.serenityholistictouch.com/ or follow on https://www.facebook.com/serenityholistictouch or https://www.instagram.com/serenityholistictouch/
