MysticMag chats with Gillian Routledge, a compassionate healer with over 30 years of experience in nursing within the NHS and private health sector. Her journey from neglecting her own needs to finding healing through complementary health disciplines like Kinesiology, EFT, Reiki, and Counselling has shaped her holistic approach to health and well-being. Gillian’s integrated approach works alongside conventional treatments using complementary therapies to help clients unlock past events, understand coping strategies, and release unhealthy patterns.
Gillian, can you tell us about your journey from nursing to founding The Awaken to Love Method?
Like many women balancing career and family, I experienced burnout and fell into depression. Despite my background as a nurse, I knew treating the symptoms wasn’t the answer. In 2005, I discovered ‘The Journey’ by Brandon Bays, which led me to attend a weekend intensive. There, I learned that I didn’t need fixing; it was about changing my beliefs and rediscovering the love already within me. This realization inspired ‘The Awaken to Love Method,’ which identifies six elements crucial to awakening our inner love. One of my biggest challenges, shared by many, was believing the story of being broken or not good enough. My journey of self-discovery, learning, and growth involved letting go of false beliefs and identities, along with expressing myself through writing and poetry, culminating in my book ‘Discovering The Love Within’ – A story of Love Loss and Liberation. This process has brought me to a place where I truly love life and grateful for the intervention that prevented me from taking my life. Now, I work with women and couples, where past trauma may well be impacting their life and damaging relationships. I help them access and release behaviors that hinder their love, believing in the power of support during our darkest moments.
Your method emphasizes the impact of past events on current relationships and adopted patterns. Could you elaborate on how you help clients identify and release these past events?
In my work, I find it challenging to fully convey its essence in words alone; it truly is an experiential journey. When I observe and identify patterns of behavior, coping strategies, and beliefs that have developed over the years. I use a personality profile system called the Enneagram, which I have adapted to incorporate animal archetypes. While I don’t believe putting individuals into a category, there are similarities between certain personality patterns and animal archetype traits. By helping those I work with understand the patterns they have adopted, often as a protective mechanism in childhood, they can acknowledge and release these patterns, empowering them to make healthier choices. Another aspect involves exploring the elements of my Awaken to Love method. Firstly, we examine the past and how it has influenced the present. Secondly, we delve into patterns, using the Enneagram to understand how different personality types may interact in relationships. Thirdly, we focus on being present in the moment, even when it’s challenging, rather than pushing emotions away. In our culture, there’s a tendency to suppress and deny feelings, acknowledging them is crucial. While medication may be necessary in some cases, I believe it’s not always the most helpful approach. I firmly believe that the events in our formative years have an impact on who we are today and how we interact or react in current situations and within significant relationships. I help my clients to identify some dysfunctional patterns of behavior and by facilitating a release of the emotional impact that has become stuck in the body. This is about acknowledging and allowing the emotions to flow freely and let go of any old frustration, anger, sadness or even grief. This is something that is best experienced to appreciate the benefit after releasing and coming to a place of forgiveness for both ourselves and others. This results in being more at peace and experiencing fully the love at the core of our being.
You mention integrating conventional and complementary health approaches. How do you find this integrated approach enhances the healing process for your clients?
I straddle two worlds, coming from a medical background as a nurse and being a complementary practitioner. I believe it’s important to embrace conventional treatment alongside a holistic approach. For example, clients undergoing chemotherapy, one of the complementary techniques offered involves visualizing the drugs entering the body as healing light. this alleviates the conflicting thoughts that drugs are harmful. The power of visualization lies in the subconscious mind’s inability to differentiate between what is imagined and what is real, making it a potent tool in managing the effects of chemotherapy. My experience in the medical field has taught me to embrace all approaches to healing, because each individual responds differently. I have witnessed the power of visualization firsthand, particularly with clients undergoing treatment for cancer, who have found it to be a profoundly transformative experience. I have received feedback that this has significantly reduced the nausea.
What can you tell us about your upcoming Conscious Relationship Program and how does it tie into your overall approach to healing?
I’m thrilled to introduce my upcoming Conscious Relationship Program which is designed to help individuals deepen their relationships with themselves and their loved ones. This program is a key component of my overall approach to healing and is grounded in the extensive experience gained over many years and the principles of ‘The Awaken to Love’ method. My approach to healing is holistic and deeply influenced by my background in nursing.
The six elements of the program are broken down into bite sized chunks, combining learning new skills alongside a practical hands-on approach. This is especially useful for individuals who have exhausted other options such as counselling with little success. I also love sharing and collaborating with practitioners from diverse modalities who are open to expanding their skill sets, which is something I particularly enjoy. This program isn’t for the faint-hearted; it’s for those truly committed to learning, growing, developing their skillset, and enhancing their relationships, whether with themselves or with others.
In my Conscious Relationship Program, I utilize ‘The Awaken to Love Method,’ which identifies six vital elements facilitating the awakening of love within. These elements as mentioned include looking at our past, identifying sabotaging behavior patterns, understanding how we set up protective barriers that isolate us, learning to be present with our emotions, envisioning a positive future, and implementing a healing path for participants. I have personally experienced profound healing and witnessed remarkable healing in my clients through this method.
My approach to healing is holistic and deeply influenced by my nursing background, where I witnessed the impact of stress on the body. Research indicates that 90% of physical diseases are stress-related. This understanding underpins the importance of addressing emotional and psychological factors in the healing process. Having also worked as a facilitator for Penny Brohn UK, a cancer charity running courses on ‘Living Well with the Impact of Cancer,’ I’ve observed firsthand that under the right conditions, the body has a remarkable ability to heal. This belief is supported by scientific evidence showing killer T cells effectively targeting and killing cancer cells.
In your book, ‘Discovering The Love Within,’ you share deeply personal experiences and insights. What inspired you to write this book, and what message do you hope readers will take away from it?
I never planned to write a book. While many people feel compelled to write, that wasn’t my initial intention. It all started after completing my training with Brandon Bays with ‘The Journey’ method. One night, a poem stirred me awake at 3:00 a.m. The words were insistent, until I allowed them to flood onto a page. That poem eventually became part of my book, ‘Discovering the Love Within.’ After that, more poems poured out of me, almost faster than I could capture them. It became a cathartic exercise, releasing the pain and emotions that were surfacing. Much of it was about my search for love, initially thinking it was about finding a spiritual partner who shared my beliefs. However, I came to realize that it was about recognizing the spiritual in everyone, regardless of their behavior, and seeing the goodness in others.
I began sharing these poems with a friend, who encouraged me to share them with others who would relate to my story. Initially, I resisted, considering them too personal. However, her words stuck, and I continued writing, compiling them into a document. Now, 18 years later, that document has become a book. I’m grateful for the support I’ve received along the way. Writing has always been part of my life; even as a shy child, I wrote poetry. I believe that we all have a purpose, and for me, part of that purpose is writing and sharing. While my writing is raw, honest, and authentic, I understand it may not resonate with everyone. Nonetheless, I believe that these gifts emerge when we start to awaken, and it’s essential to pay attention to the nudges and messages we are given along the way.
If you would like to find out more about Gillian Routledge, please visit https://www.gillianroutledge.com/
