Welcome to CAMPaM Studies & CAMPaM ACPE Network Pages

CAMPaM network is a network of people with interest in ministry and healing. They are from all walks of life and professions such as ministers, chaplains,  healthcare practitioners and professionals, complementary healers such as massage therapists, bodyworkers, energy workers and more. Anyone with an interest in healing and ministry is welcome to join CAMPaM ACPE Network and enjoy the many benefits of the network.

CAMPaM:

Exploring the Experience of Complementary Alternative Methods of Healing in the Mystery of Pastoral Ministry

One evening when I was on call in the hospital, I got a page from pediatrics. The call was from the staff who were struggling to get a 6 year old girl to calm down so that she might take her evening medication. They had “tried everything.” Nothing had worked. As I arrived, I saw that the little girl was indeed very agitated and as yet unwilling to cooperate with any of the staff. My mind raced through all the research I had done over the years on alternative methods of calming, healing, relaxation, and similar interventions. Many such techniques are, of course, highly effective with a lucid, willing adult, but how much of this would be helpful here? Clearly, the methods relying on reason, logic, or abstract spiritual theology would not work here. Whatever intervention I tried would have to be very simple and very tangible. With this in mind, I decided to experiment with a simple, easy-to-do method of calming her by focusing on balancing her energy centers. Though it may sound involved, the practical application is actually quite simple. Along with a prayer and this simple, non-invasive method, she was calmed quickly and was soon able to take her medication.

Such interventions, while not yet common in the current healthcare scene, are certainly growing quickly in popularity. When the veil of mystery which surrounds them is removed, one can see that are in fact quite practical, straightforward, and easy to use. I have become increasingly convinced that it is my task, as well as my pleasure, to help remove some of this mystery and share such methods with all those who may have serious interest in the ministry of healing.

Following societal trends, today’s healthcare scene is growing and changing at an unprecedented rate. One of the more significant marks of this change is a growing emphasis on a more integrated approach to healthcare. This is due to the increasingly accepted understanding of the human as a holistic reality rather than dualistic. As the face of healthcare changes, Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) is also gaining in acceptance and respect, not to mention popularity. As a result, the healthcare industry is currently inviting CAM practitioners into mainstream healthcare practices. Recognizing this growing interest in CAM, the National Institute of Health (NIH) is currently funding research programs into many beneficial programs involving complementary healing. Over seventy-five medical schools, including Harvard, one hundred and fifty nursing schools, and many more private institutions, have introduced spirituality and/or complementary alternative medicine as part of the curriculum for their students. Following this lead, numerous hospitals and clinics all across the nation are now providing CAM to their staff, patients, and families as a way of incorporating and benefiting from this changing worldview.

 Continued...click here