What to Expect

The purpose of this page is to let you know what to expect when we get together for a session.  Action is belief in practice, so the session format is an outgrowth of my underlying principals.  You can read more about them at length in the Energy Healing Section.  The information on this page has come about in response to many questions.

There is another purpose to this page.  Back when I started making myself publicly available, I wanted to accept everybody.  I thought I could help everyone, and I was excited and filled with joy at the prospect of doing so.  Now I realize that my work is not for everyone - in fact it is for a miniscule percentage of the population.  And so while at most levels, my website is a marketing and educational document - one of the purposes of this page is to present myself in such a way as to make the prospect of coming to me as unattractive as possible to the people who don't belong here.  This does not come so naturally to me, and so I apologize to the extent that I appear off-putting - and I thank you for your understanding.

Getting Started

After deciding that you would like to come to me, the first step is very simple.  Contact me.  Either by telephone - 310-392-9395, fax - 310-396-9846, or email joseph@purewhitelight.com.   I encourage questions.

In order to work with you, I need to meet with you personally.  This means you need to be in Southern California when I am there, which is most of the time, or in Louisville, KY when I am there.  If you are not or cannot be in one of those places, you are still welcome to contact me.

I accept clients by personal interview.  Based on that, I do not accept every prospective client, and not every prospective client accepts me.   It's OK.  To get a profile of people who typically do well with me, go to my "I Can Fix This" page.  Some people hold on to their boundaries and issues too tightly, and defend themselves against me.  I cannot heal people who see me as an "attacker".   Therefore, I do not heal every person who comes to me.  Neither do doctors.  My cure percentage is MUCH higher than a regular doctor, and my prevention percentage is astronomically higher.

Energy is not bound by physical space, so there are some things I can do for you over distance.  There are things I can tell from photographs.  If you are coming from a long distance, it's not a bad idea to send some photos in advance.  But at least one actual person-to-person meeting is necessary in order to "get the ball rolling". 

The Second Most Important Thing I Will Ever Tell You

I am not a doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, massage therapist, or any other thing.  I have no credentials or licenses of any of those professions.  I do not diagnose, treat, prescribe, adjust, medically advise, or any such thing.  According to the medical and legal communities, my work has no validity whatsoever, and I should be regarded as a complete moron at every level.   If I don’t tell you this, compassionate doctors and smart lawyers will put me in jail.

For the purposes of our interaction, I have no credentials, certifications, certificates, nor do I practice anyone's method of anything.  Therefore our work has no therapeutic value whatsoever - and no value of any other kind, for that matter, other than the value YOU assign to it.

The Most Important Thing I Will Ever Tell You

The work we do is about your health, empowerment and peace.  You are the boss - you are in full control - I am working for you.  While you are here for my counsel and advice, I will never do anything in any way against your wishes.  But your job is to be very clear about what your wishes are. 

I absolutely do not work on people who are stupid, insane, weak or gullible.  I do not work with people who have ever experienced "parasympathetic hyper inhibition".  (That is the "freeze" or "deer-in-the-headlight" reaction to an uncomfortable situation.)   I do not work with people who cannot or will not accept their responsibility to communicate clearly.  I have no comprehension whatsoever of hint, insinuation, suggestion, allusion, innuendo, or anything else like that, and I cannot accept clients who expect me to have such comprehension. 

For the purposes of our interaction, I have no credentials, certifications, certificates, nor do I practice anyone's method of anything.  I value the confidentiality of all of my clients and therefore do not offer testimonials.  I do not have the time, tolerance or patience to mollycoddle anyone's self-indulgent neuroses.   If you are in none of these categories, you have the mental capacity to speak up for yourself, which you are fully expected to do at all times.  If that is the case, you can come to me. 

The principal of "implied consent" is in force in all of our interactions.  That means that it is your responsibility to explicitly communicate with extreme clarity at any and every moment.  It means that if you say nothing, I assume that you are comfortable with every and any conceivable thing that I could ever do.  Your empowerment begins with your empowerment over the session and over me.  You must take responsibility to use this empowerment.

General Session Notes

I really have no "typical" session format.  Every person is different, and even with the same person, needs and energy change from visit to visit.  But there are some general things to expect.  Keep in mind that I am providing a vague general idea, and that your session could be much different than as described here - depending on what you are working on and "where you're at".  But you are the boss, and everything on the agenda will be fully explained to your satisfaction in advance.  The only surprise you can expect is how great you'll be doing afterwards!

It is crucial that you are comfortable and confident with me.  I create an as-relaxing-as-possible atmosphere, and peace is certainly the ultimate goal, even though some of the work is very deep and intense.   But for the first visit, relaxation is not always a natural occurrence.  This is a reason I spend plenty of time telling you exactly what to expect.  That "what is he going to do next?" feeling is stressful.  We want to get rid of your stress, not cause it (and not "manage" it).  Peace is not something you can force, so sometimes we don't get the phenomenal results on the first visit.

In Los Angeles, I work from the front of my house.  If you are expecting anything like the sterile, clinical atmosphere of a doctor's office, or even the tidy housekeeping of a meticulous person, you'll be disappointed.  My work area is organic and a little funky - which are  euphemisms for "disorganized" (which in itself is a euphemism for something else.)  I have two small dogs; a lhasa apso and a chihuahua.  They roam freely and most often obliviously.   If you have a strong intolerance for either pets or clutter, don't come to me.  But otherwise, the energy in my house is comfortable, welcoming, safe, secure and peaceful.  You'll like being here. 

This session is not maintenance.  Clients have told me that their chiropractor has healed them.  When I ask how, they say, "I get an adjustment then I feel great for a week.  When I feel bad again, I go back for an adjustment and feel great again."  This is supposed to go on forever I guess.  This is not healing.  It is maintenance.  When you come here, it may take one session or many, but when you find your healing, you're well.  

A Word About Massage, Body-Work, Physical Therapy, Deep Tissue Work, etc.

I recommend regular massages to everyone.   It is a great thing to do for yourself.  If you want a good full body massage, go get one.  But that's not what I do - I am NOT a massage therapist, and I DO NOT give massages.  Neither am I a Physical Therapist of any kind.  I am not a body-worker (whatever that is) or a Deep Tissue Therapist.  There are many professionals out there who do these things very well.  Unfortunately, there are many so-called professionals who do them poorly.  If you need a good recommendation, contact me.  Depending on your area, I might know some who can provide you the services you seek.  Anyway, in this society, we seal ourselves off from personal contact.  It is good to touch and be touched.

The Session Format

Plan on 3 hours or more.  On a first visit, plan to spend extra time at the beginning for conversation and orientation.  Think of questions . . . any questions.   The only stupid questions are those not asked.

Then, you'll lie down on a massage table.  I use a standard massage table, similar to the bench in a doctor's office, but more comfortable.  My work involves hands-on physical manipulation.  Although the process varies from person to person and session to session, I employ a combination of things that may resemble deep tissue work (like Rolfing, Hellerwork), Shiatsu (acupressure), Swedish massage, stretching and joint work, and hands-off energy work (like Reiki, Healing Touch, Quantum Touch, Rising Star - all of these foo-foo names that you have heard that no one seems to be able to explain to you what they are or how they work).  It is important to remember that I am not a practitioner of any of these things - so you are best served by having no expectations at all.  I have studied all of these modalities, and would be very good at any or all of them if I were to indeed choose to practice them . . . but I believe that health does not have brand names, and my work is not about my methodology, but your health.   Remember the second most important thing I will ever tell you - just above.

I work on bodies - unclothed ones - and my work involves touch.  Let me restate clearly; you will be naked, and I will touch you.  (Why?  Read-or re-read the nine page Energy Healing 101 Section, and it will become clear to you.  If after reading that section, it is still not clear to you, do not come to me.)  The mere act of you scheduling an appointment with me implies your consent to this.  Before we get started, you will express your explicit consent.  If you feel extremely vulnerable or uncomfortable with this, let me know, and maybe we can figure something out.  It is not my intention to embarrass you.   It is my goal to empower you; not to make you feel disempowered.  There is no substitute for communication and dialogue.  I need access to skin, however, and do not work over clothing.  I can help you to the extent that you empower me to do so.  If you are extremely uncomfortable with your body, it  has plenty to do with why you are sick.  If you are uncomfortable with touch, and with being touched, do not come to me.

Stop always means stop, and no always means no.  Ouch doesn't mean anything.  You are my full partner in this.  The good news is that you have full control; you are the boss of me!  The bad news is that you're on the hook.  You must take responsibility for your comfort level.  I assume you are completely happy and comfortable with me and with everything I am doing unless you tell me explicitly that you are not.  I will never do any thing to you that you do not want done, but you have to tell me.  This is the principal of "Implied Consent", and it is in full force when we work.  Do not expect me to read your mind. 

I function primarily by "energy contact".  This means that the primary sense I use is not vision, even though I see you and your aura -  nor physical touch, even though I feel energy through touch.  (You can visualize it this way.  Imagine that I have magnets in my hands.  Imagine that the place on you where my hands need to be have magnets as well, and they pull my hands over.)  In China, the healing arts were assigned to the blind, as the Chinese felt that vision implanted a bias in the healer.  I use both my eyes and my hands, but they are both secondary to the energetic touch.  

I work on the whole body.  Even if the complaint is in your neck, I will work on your legs, too.  I again refer you to the nine page Energy Healing 101 Section to understand why, but here's a quick reason.  There is no such thing as a sore neck or a sore finger.  There is only a sore "self".  If any one part of you is sick, all of you is sick.  Wellness travels when energy contacts ALL of you.

I will be working at three levels; very deep like the Rolfers and Shiatsu-ers, at the surface level, like massage therapists, and above the skin surface at the aura level, like the Reiki-ers.  During this process you will feel energy moving on multiple levels; physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, etc.  The aura has seven layers that are all experiencing energy movement, though you may not be aware of that.  Exactly what mix of deep, surface, and aura work I apply, as well as the amount of time on/around each body part, varies from person to person and session to session.  I follow what we will call my intuition.  In an energetic way, we will be having a conversation.  

Sometimes I hum, sing, chant, whatever.  You might think I'm weird, but you'll be pleasantly surprised to discover that this too moves energy,  Sound, like breath, light, and other forms of energy, has a pulse and a frequency.  If we are doing well, we will both be very awake and alert, but will move to a very relaxed, meditative state.  I encourage this.  Even though I do some deep work that is uncomfortable, you will still very likely remain in this relaxed state.  It is not a requirement, but it is best to "go with it" and not resist.  Normally, you will not go to sleep, but will go into a very aware, relaxed, "super-conscious" place.   

Every cell in your body contains the same memory material as your brain.  As each cell unclenches, allowing energy to flow, your body-mind-spirit-emotion "wakes up" analogous to the way an asleep-foot does.  Your body intellect records it, and can reproduce this state in the future without having to go through the same arduous mental processes.  

All the while, the session will remain interactive.  We will have conversation at times, and at times I will "read" you.   (I'll leave this term unexplained for now.)  This is when we'll discover things that have shaped you, and what we can do to re-shape you.

If there is a particular pain or symptom troubling you when you arrive, it will usually be gone completely by the time you leave.  Miraculous is not always sensational, but sometimes it is.  Sometimes, you manifest the complete healing early in the first session.  That is always neat, and I advise you to expect it . . .  and look for it.  Oftentimes, it takes a few visits, but you'll notice it positive improvements each time.

After the Session

You may be a little wobbly at first.  We will have changed your relationship to gravity, and there will be an adjustment period of a few minutes.  After you leave, you will still be aware of energy movement for a few days.  If there is a particular pain or discomfort you were experiencing, it will continue to diminish.  The energy is still moving at an accelerated pace for a few days.  You will feel lighter, like the pull of gravity has decreased.

After a few days, some of the effects of the session may fade, but not to the original point.  Your new baseline will be higher than the old one.  After a couple of weeks, we will probably want to do another session, with the same general format, which will leave you another "notch" improved.

You may experience “Healing Crisis”, or “Post-session Remorse”.   This happens rarely, but it happens, as all of your toxic "stuff" continues to exit.   This means it's possible that you'll feel worse for a day or two before you feel better.  Some people have manifested itchy or blotchy skin, mild headaches, and mild flu-like symptoms.  Some people have the blues for a couple of days.   Some people get mad at me!  It's okay, I can take it.  It's all part of the healing process - as long as you get over it.

My smart clients continue to visit me after they are healed, albeit on a much more seldom basis.  This is advisable, not to "maintain the healing" but just to move energy.  If the pound of cure was effective, just think how far you can grow with some ounces of prevention.  Many of my clients were never sick at all, they just want to continue to be healthy by moving energy in a proactive manner. 

Many people experience one or more of the following for a few days after a session:

•     mild muscle soreness, like the feeling one gets after a workout in the gym

•    very mild bruising  

•    very small, light skin rashes that "travel" to different spots on the body

•    a feeling like you’re going to catch a cold

•    mild emotional swings of the softer, more tender emotions

•    recall / reliving / revival of old memories

•    creative energy (for example, artist’s block often unblocks).

•    vivid dreams

•    psychic hyper-awareness 

     All of these things are healthy.