About Heather                                           

Personal experience and thoughts about The Lightning Process®

After many years of ME/CFS, my doctor and I believe that I am well, and have been so for many years. I acheived this dramatic change in my health and energy after taking a Lightning Process Seminar, and now lead a full, happy life, working full time, exercising and enjoying a social life.

I first heard about the Lightning Process at a time when I had been ill with ME for sixteen years. I was diagnosed as a 'classic case' by Professor Pinching at Barts Hospital, London, a top specialist in the condition and former Principal Medical Advisor to 'Action for ME'. For twelve of those years I was severely affected and bed-bound 24 hours a day. I had pain, sleep disturbances, was unable to walk at all, digestive  problems, concentration difficulties and the usual range of ME symptoms. I had tried almost every possible treatment, supplement and approach, to try to find a way back to health and a life. A long period of psychotherapy was an interesting journey, but made no difference to my health whatsoever. The health problems had actually started even earlier when I was much younger with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). The ME itself started with viral meningititis. From then on I never fully recovered and eventually spiraled down into total confinement to bed, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I was unable to do anything for myself. I had given up trying any new approaches to recover after so many cycles of disappointments. I had spent a lot of money over the years and gained no real lasting improvements.

When I heard stories about this process helping people with chronic illness so dramatically, I was very sceptical. My experience to that point had shown that this just couldn't be possible. But the stories I heard were particularly intriguing because of the speed of the change. I decided that if there was a chance to make such a change I had to take it, and I applied for a place on a seminar. The idea of making such a turnaround in my health seemed incredible and maybe too much to hope for, but I had to believe that if others could do it, then so could I.

After a long six-week wait for my appointment, I struggled to get to the course at Phil Parker's clinic in London for 10.00am. This was a BIG challenge as I felt particularly bad in the mornings and rarely functioned at all before midday. Three life-changing days later, I had been taught how I could influence my body and my symptoms, how to use a process to improve my health and energy. Those three days were an amazing journey. I proved  to myself that it was working as I walked further than I had in 16 years, and suffered no symptoms afterwards except aching feet and muscles that weren't used to walking. This is the feeling which normally occurs after using a muscle which is functioning normally, but not yet accustomed to exercise. This is very different from the feeling in your muscles when you have ME/CFS.

The following week I continued to make remarkable progress, I was sleeping well and waking at 8am, my body was functioning healthily, I could eat everything I wanted, and what was truly wonderful was that, I was making it work; it wasn't luck or chance or someone else giving me a pill or a treatment; I was getting back in charge by using the tools I was taught. I was then able to begin to build up my muscles, strength and stamina with regular walking and exercising.

At long last I had an explanation that made perfect sense to me about what had been happening all those years; The catch 22 explanation Click here seemed to me so clear and I believed that I was stuck in a negative spiral where my immune system, healing and digestion were not able to function properly. I was then taught the method to break that spiral and that resulted in a rapid improvement in my energy and health.

During the 3 days of training I had also watched the other people in the group be able to do and achieve things which were previously impossible for them. I believed that this was a ground-breaking approach. It didn't just show me how to influence my health, it gave me a way to improve my way of dealing with stress in other areas of my life too.

I had to decide what to do with the next stage of my life. After 16 years with chronic illness I realised that the only thing that made sense to me would be to train to teach others this process. I undertook the Practitioner Training with Phil Parker and I now run seminars mainly in Kings Langley, Herts and Weybridge, Surrey.

Many people have been recommended to me by GPs, Consultants and Chiropractors. My life has been utterly transformed, I now have a very happy life. I feel healthy and well, and no longer have problems with what I can eat, I no longer have symptoms of IBS.

My 16 years of ill health were important years of learning; I believe I am able to use my experience and knowledge, to very good effect.  I am very grateful and privileged to be able to do the work. I care about every person who takes the training with me and I am passionate about helping everyone to get the best possible results, and a full understanding of what I see as a truly amazing process.

Best wishes,

Heather

Heather Thomas is one of the most experienced Advanced Practitioners of The Lightning Process in the world. She has trained hundreds of people through the process, with ages spanning from 8 to 80.

She has worked successfully with many severely ill people on a one-to-one basis. For Kirsti's story click here

Heather has been on the board of examiners for the Phil Parker Training Institute and coached students training to be practitioners. She has a B.Sc. (Hons) in Physical Sciences from Oxford Brookes University, a Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy and NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming) and life coaching from the European College of Holistic Medicine (now The Phil Parker Training Institute), a Masters in NLP from NLP Life Training Ltd. (Richard Bandler) and is registered member of the MBIH (Member British Insitute Hypnotherapy) and CNHC (Complimentary and Natural Healthcare Council)

'My Watford Magazine' July 2009