A few weeks ago, I received an unexpected and deeply meaningful invitation: the South African Police Service (SAPS) asked me to speak at their Garden Route District’s Symposium on Mental Health and Wellness on the topic of mental health and alternative therapies.
This invitation meant a lot. It showed that even in highly structured, high-pressure environments like policing, there is a growing recognition that mental health support needs to be holistic, preventative, and multi-layered.
And honestly, I couldn’t agree more.
But because I knew many of my clients and readers might resonate with this conversation too, I wanted to share the essence of my talk here. My hope is that it gives you a clearer, research-supported understanding of how complementary therapies like Reiki, meditation, yoga, breathwork, and EFT can support mental and emotional wellbeing.
A Story That Explains Why This Matters
During my talk, I shared a true story (with permission and name changed) of a client I’ll call Jane.
Jane came to see me after being diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy, where one side of the face becomes temporarily paralysed. While she started the medication prescribed by her GP, she had this deep instinct that her body was trying to communicate something bigger. After months of chronic stress — being the breadwinner, running the household, supporting family members — her body finally said, “enough.”
She began combining her medical treatment with acupuncture and Reiki, and after our first session she had a moment of clarity: she realised she had been completely neglecting herself.
With her nervous system calmer and her energy balanced, she gained the mental clarity and confidence to set boundaries at home by asking her adult children to share responsibilities and gently redefining the support she gave to extended family.
And something beautiful happened: she healed emotionally, regained her energy, and her Bell’s Palsy recovered faster than expected.
That is the power of a whole-person approach to healing.
Why Complementary Therapies Work (and why they’re more scientific than you might think)
One thing I emphasized at the SAPS event is this: we are electric beings.
Every heartbeat, every thought, every muscle movement is an electrical impulse. Machines like MRIs and EEGs measure these signals every day. What many ancient cultures discovered through practices like yoga, meditation, acupuncture and Reiki is simply another way of understanding and working with these natural currents of energy.
Modern research now supports this holistic perspective. Here are a few examples I included in my talk:
Yoga: A BMC Psychiatry review found that yoga significantly reduces anxiety and depression by lowering cortisol and regulating the vagus nerve. Even police departments abroad have introduced yoga programs with excellent results for stress management.
Meditation: Harvard neuroscientist Dr. Sara Lazar’s MRI studies found that just eight weeks of mindfulness meditation literally changes the brain by thickening areas responsible for emotional regulation and empathy.
Breathwork: Slow, controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering stress hormones and calming the body (Jerath et al., Medical Hypotheses, 2006). This is why even elite units like Navy SEALs use breathwork to stay calm in high-stress situations.
Reiki: Reiki has been proven to reduce anxiety. Clients often experience deep relaxation, clarity, emotional release, and nervous system regulation — all essential for mental wellbeing, especially under chronic stress.
EFT / Tapping: A 2023 Frontiers in Psychology meta-analysis found that EFT produces large, clinically significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
And at the SAPS Symposium, we experienced the benefits of Tapping, firsthand.
A Real-Time Tapping Demonstration That Surprised Everyone
During my talk, I guided the audience of about 50 SAPS members through a short EFT tapping sequence for stress and worry. Before we began, I asked everyone to rate their level of worry from 1 to 10. We did just two rounds of tapping together.
When we finished, I asked them to rate their worry levels again… and I was absolutely thrilled to hear people calling out “zero!” and “one!” from across the room.
It was such a powerful moment because it showed how quickly the body responds when we activate its natural calming mechanisms. Even those who started the exercise feeling unsure or sceptical experienced a visible, measurable shift in just a couple of minutes.
Complimentary therapies are not “alternatives” to modern medicine. They are complementary, meaning they enhance medical treatment and support holistic healing.
The Real Benefit: Awareness
If I had to summarize my entire SAPS talk in one sentence, it would be this: Complementary therapies teach us to listen to our bodies before stress becomes illness.
Jane eventually learned to recognise the early warning signs. A tugging sensation in her jaw told her she was pushing too hard. Instead of ignoring it, she responded early, cared for herself, and prevented another crisis.
Your body sends messages all the time. Complementary therapies simply help you hear them.
Final Thoughts
I was truly honoured to share this message with the SAPS members, and I’m grateful to share it with you as well. Whether you’re dealing with stress, burnout, emotional overwhelm, or simply want to support your wellbeing in a more holistic way complementary therapies are effective and safe.
If you’d like to experience this for yourself…
You’re welcome to book a Reiki session with me (online or in-person in Mossel Bay or George). Just one session can do so much to calm the nervous system, restore balance, and bring clarity.
