Discover the inspiring journey of Kathy Brandt, a former Child and Youth Care Worker turned healer, as she shares her transformation from a career in psychology to becoming a multifaceted energy healer, spiritual coach, and advocate for holistic wellness. Through her diverse modalities such as Reiki, Crystal Therapy, and Sound Healing, Kathy empowers others to find harmony and healing in mind, body, and spirit. Learn more in her exclusive MysticMag interview below.
What can you tell me about yourself and your professional journey?
I grew up and spent the majority of my life in Southern Alberta. While in my early teens, I was invited to go to a Metaphysical Fair with my friend and her family. One of the stand-out memories from that day was having a reading done and the lady telling me that I am a Healer and am meant to help people using my hands. At the time it didn’t really mean much to me. Fast forward to my university years and I found myself completing my Bachelor Degree in Psychology. I spent every summer break working with children of all ages in a variety of settings like daycare and out-of-school programs. After convocation, I began my career as a Child and Youth Care Worker/Case Worker.
Implementing the In School Mentoring Program and becoming a Case Worker for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Lethbridge and District led me to work as a CYCW in the school system. I had the privilege of partnering with some amazing school counsellors and was able to bring many different programs and groups to the schools, such as Bullying awareness and Anti-bullying, Friendship Skills Groups, Learning about our emotions and what to do with them, which always ended with a longer focus on Anger and what to do with it. I also ran Girl Power groups and did some Grief and Loss groups. I absolutely loved working with students of all ages. Unfortunately, each time the Alberta Government cut funding to the schools my position was one of the first to be lost.
I hated having to leave the students with no way to conclude the lessons we were working on and with no one-to-one support. After the third school division, I finally decided to concentrate on our family business as well as being a stay-at-home mom to our two children. Once they graduated, I was looking for something to keep me busy and started taking a variety of different classes about Reiki, Crystal Therapy, and Sound Healing. It wasn’t until then that I realized as a CYCW I was fulfilling that role of being a healer. When I first began the classes I had no intention of starting a business, I just wanted to learn and explore all of it. In 2019 we took a leap of faith and sold our home and our business and moved to Vancouver Island. My husband and I both felt as though we had finally come home.
While here I found my mentor Dawn Kirkham, Owner of Hidden Gem Metaphysical Store as well as the founder and primary instructor of the International College of Energy Healing. I decided I wanted to help others and began completing my certifications for Usui Reiki – Master/Teacher level, Sound Healing Practitioner, House Healing and Dowsing Practitioner, Crystal Therapy Practitioner Basic and Advanced Certification, and Reiki Drumming Certification. I officially created Hawthorn Energy Healing in 2021. I absolutely love working with people. I have come full circle I am a healer who uses her hands to help others!
What does an Absent Mini Reiki session look like?
An absent mini-session is different than a distance healing session. In distance healing, you can zoom the person or conduct it while they rest at their place. Everything is done the same as if they were present except you use a physical representation of the person on the massage bed (like a large teddy bear) or you envision them on the bed as you work. This would be a full 60-minute session. The Absent Mini session is often used if people want a quick tune-up, if they are asking for healing for another person in a situation such as illness or surgery or if the client themselves needs support for these kinds of things. It can also be done for several people at once.
I use a photo of the person and ask for permission to send Reiki to them. I use the photos to keep them clear in my mind as though they were with me. I send the Reiki energy directly to them for a short burst of time, usually around 20 minutes. This allows me to work with several people at once or to send to the same individual multiple times in a day. I also keep a small binder with a client’s picture and what I am working with on each page the binder is sealed in the distance healing reiki symbol Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen on both covers. This helps to send the Reiki energy to where it is supposed to go. Because the client may not be aware of when I am sending I always ask my guides, my higher self, and their higher self for permission to move forward and if they do not wish it I ask that the healing go to someone who is in need.
How does Crystal Therapy work?
Crystals, like us, are made of matter that has a vibrational energy to it. This vibration is constant. If you hook up a microphone you can actually pick up what sounds like their own unique “song”. Each type of crystal has a different energy pattern and like us choosing different career paths they tend to work better for some jobs than others. I also find that people will gravitate to the ones they need most. As it is vibrational energy this too can be sent over distances. Crystals are chosen for their specific purpose; for example, Clear Quartz is a master healer and strengthens the ability of other crystals it is working with. Rose Quartz is well known for its affinity to the heart, helping with love, self-love, self-confidence, and overcoming self-doubt, it is about unconditional love.
Clients are asked to dress in comfy clothes and can either lay down on the massage bed or if mobility is an issue they can sit in a chair. I use a pendulum to choose which crystals to place where as well as letting the client choose if they have a preference. I also ask my Healing Guides for any ideas they may have. After ensuring the client’s comfort and security I guide them through a relaxation meditation, then the crystals are carefully placed on or beside the place I am working on. Placement is done from the feet upwards to the head. As some places may feel awkward or uncomfortable I use small towels and washcloths and place the crystals on top of them. Many women are not comfortable with pressure or the feeling of weight around their throats so this helps spread the weight of the crystal(s) out.
Once all crystals are placed, they are left in place for 20-30 minutes while the client; rests, snoozes, or just relaxes. I check in frequently to see if they are still comfortable and let them know that if they are not comfortable, we can reposition them as well as the crystals. Close to the end, I do another breathing exercise to gently bring the client back to the present and crystals are carefully removed from the top down. Once complete clients are free to sit up and move around at their own pace. We then sit down and chat about their experience, I always ask how it felt to them before we go into what crystals were used and why. I do a debriefing portion explaining in general terms what each of the crystals do.
I encourage clients to treat healing sessions like a deep tissue massage; a lot of energy can be moved or released and they may feel thirsty or sleepy. I ask them to drink plenty of water post-treatment. Like a massage some clients may feel a sudden urge to use the washroom, this passes quickly and is normal. I follow up the session with an email for the client detailing which crystals were used and what they are used for.
You also offer Combination Therapy sessions. How do you combine your knowledge and experience from different fields to get the best results for your clients?
Combination therapy is my favourite approach! It allows me to custom-curate a session for each client. I will dowse for stones as well as for which sound healing instrument I should use, or which modalities would best suit the situation. I let my intuition guide me. By combining the different therapies I can give the client the most potent healing in a short period of time. I tend to add Reiki to almost all sessions unless asked for one specific modality. It is one of the most powerful treatment options when you allow your intuition and guides to help decipher where the client needs it most. Sometimes a combination session is as simple as using Reiki while the crystals are “baking” on the client and then ending the session with a singing bowl to seal in the healing for an additional 72 hours. I literally ask for my hands to be guided to where the healing is needed most. As I scan a person by floating my hands over them, I can feel where they need assistance deep in my gut. It’s a strange gnawing heaviness.
What is your favorite part of your work?
Seeing relaxation, joy, and/or relief on a client’s face. I often emphasize that we have the ability to help cure ourselves and that these practices can accelerate or strengthen that. However, I do caution people that I am not a medical doctor and cannot diagnose. That being said I feel that these healing modalities work hand in hand with Western-style medicine.
If I can relieve the effects of an illness and create lasting calm and relaxation then the client’s body will be able to utilize the treatments from Western medicine even better. So often I won’t know the full impact my efforts had until the next session when the client discusses it with me. I feel immense joy and appreciation when I hear that I helped them even if it was in the smallest way. I think that is all I can think of for now.
To learn more about Kathy and her work, you can visit www.hawthornenergyhealing.ca
