This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Recently, a friend told me about Nicola Graham. She has a fascinating back story but the upshot is that she has transformed her life in order to help people.
She has a normal family life – husband and two sons – all the usual trappings of a woman who is comfortable in her stylish home in Hampshire, but for many years she had an overwhelming feeling of emptiness and sadness. Everything appeared lifeless, even the leaves on the trees seemed less green.
Then in 2012 she became ill and left her job in the city. During that time of recuperation the childhood gift of seeing, hearing and knowing things she apparently shouldn’t, returned with a vengeance. She decided to try and understand why and what, if anything, she should do with this strange connection.
After joining many different holistic courses, meditation and healing groups and through earnest research into the science behind what she would come to discover was energy healing, she became a reiki practitioner and her outlook on life took on a whole new dimension.
Then, to her horror, in 2018, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The prospect of being on medication for the rest of her life and the disabling effect it would have on her was, to say the very least, infuriating. Especially after all the work she had done to change herself from a city girl with all the trappings of cigarettes, long hours, too much alcohol and a carnivore’s appetite to the holistic healer she now was. So she decided to practise what she preached.
Over the next six months she enlisted the help of fellow holistic therapists and discovered she was filled with suppressed anger reaching far back into her childhood, and had unwittingly been attracting situations that triggered that anger within her. She worked hard to change her perspectives and behaviour so that she could release that anger and understand why it was there so she could prevent it happening again.
When the hospital appointment to discuss the medication for her arthritis arrived and, after undergoing various tests, a puzzled looking doctor suddenly announced that she no longer had the disease. So did they make a mistake? Or has she healed herself during over the last six months? Who knows. But she told me that she is extremely grateful to now bounce out of bed in the mornings rather than hobble around for half an hour to warm up her joints. But it’s not just the pain that’s gone – so has the anger inside her. Nicola is very grateful that she had the diagnosis of this serious condition, because it allowed her to experience the journey of physical healing at first hand. It was this personal experience that validated the transformation of her life – from corporate businesswoman to holistic healer.
Do you feel there must be more to life, are feeling stuck or depressed, have a bad back or other aches and pains, are struggling with relationships or feeling unsupported, unappreciated or struggling to move on?
Grace’s session Nicola is one of those rare people that you meet and immediately trust. Being pragmatic, I kept an open mind about my session with her at her house. I had no expectations. I felt very relaxed in her company, she makes you feel that you have all the time in the world. It is patently clear that she genuinely wants to help people using her innate skills. Nothing is rushed. And, quite frankly, her charges are minimal for the time she spends with you. She explained that she is not a psychiatrist or psychotherapist or doctor. She is just trying to help you find yourself. She told me what came up about me in her pre-session meditation, analysed my chakras, and then did the energy healing aka Reiki. After another long chat, I got in the car to drive home. I did not feel the intense heat people talk about when having Reiki, I felt no different at all. Until the next morning. I experienced a physical feeling in the centre of my body – not unpleasant, not painful, just unlike any other feeling I’ve experienced before. It lasted for almost two days. I felt empowered. Whether it was anything to do with Nicola I cannot say, but I still feel empowered weeks later.
“I met with Nicola for the first time yesterday having had an introductory chat with her prior to my appointment. This is on Nicola’s request and proves to me she is serious and passionate about what she does and about being the very best she can be. She is doing what she does not to make money per se but because this is her life calling and that oozes from every pore! Nicola is warm, wise, intuitive and passionate about helping you find your dharma not drama. Nothing is too much trouble, she doesn’t clock watch and she asks questions and gives pertinent advice…” Lisa T
“I felt an immediate connection with Nicola which is so important with healing work. I had been searching for somebody who is able to deliver a unique multi healing approach which really makes me feel understood. I was so pleased at how much we were able to cover in our first session together, but particularly astonished at the effectiveness of the Reiki session…” Victoria N
Nicola explains: “For true healing we have to heal ourselves. My coaching/healing methods encourage and assist a journey of self discovery.“
“It will be an enjoyable journey of truth, discovery and healing entirely paced at your specific needs“
If you would like to contact Nicola, have a look at her website here
She is based in Hampshire as well as sessions in Chelsea between December and April. Nicola also provides healing and coaching sessions online including an initial complimentary FaceTime consultation.
More self care articles can be read here