Darlene Van de Grift

 

We all have stories and mine may be unusual for most of you as one of my first memories of this life’s journey opens with a vivid snap shot of me with my twin sister in my mother’s womb. My sister, being miscarried, in her first trimester left me alone with the overwhelming feeling that something very important was missing from my life.

As a child I remember my mother, Charlotte, frequently being hospitalized with surgeries and an ongoing list of illnesses. My mother survived 2 near death experiences and a bout with cancer before I was 17.

To her credit of strength, strong will and Grace Charlotte is alive and well at age 85. Her journey through her health issues enabled to her become well known in the healing arts and she developed her own therapeutic healing modality called Intentional Muscle Balancing, IMB which assisted her clients for over 40 years.

At 21 I decided to become a Massage Therapist and work with my mother at her center in Pennsylvania.  Not because I thought Massage was beneficial, but because $10 an hour was more profitable than the $4.85 per hour wage I was making as a cashier.  My restrictions of who I wanted to touch were many; no men, no abnormalities and only women who were a certain shape and size. Charlotte as a good mother and business woman paid no attention to my wants, likes and dislikes. She proceeded to funnel clients of all shapes, sizes, gender and illness to me.

Then an unexpected thing happened. I fell in love with the human form, the body in its perfection and complexity of how it works and what influences well being. Therapeutic touch reawakened the memory of my twin sister and I wanted more connection.

I opened my AMTA Massage School when I was 32 and taught what I loved; anatomy, physiology and the value of human touch.

I learned emotions influence the physical body. So in-between having 3 wonderful children who also needed touch and emotional guidance I dove into Applied Kinesiology which at that time was a cutting edge modality developed by Dr. John Thie.

Applied Kinesiology is life transforming and is the key for me to access the innate wisdom just waiting in my subconscious. What a relief to know we all have a built- in guidance system. The valuable experiences gained from this work are profound. People’s lives were changed dramatically in one session or more because they were ready, willing and able to do what it took to promote their health and happiness. I can still say after 35 years that the truth revealed in client sessions still amazes me. Everything we need in life is within reach of our fingertips and in our hearts.

“You do to yourself, what was done to you.

You do to others what you do to yourself.”

Growth is evolution. Taking the lessons I learned from my less than desirable marriage I personally sought out and became certified in Imago Therapy developed by Harville Hendricks.     In turn, as my clients evolved they brought in their partners and my work expanded emotionally and spiritually into Couple Counseling.

“Unfinished childhood issues can create

our present day relationship power struggles.”

My clients and the people I have come to appreciate in over 35 years in practice have truly walked with me on my own spiritual journey.  Developing an internal co-creative dialogue with spiritual guidance has been life transformational for me, for my children and all those whose lives I’ve touched.

For the pleasure in serving others in their highest good of Spiritual Integrity I am wholeheartedly grateful. This work opens my heart, gives me peace of mind and has introduced me to places and people that are truly remarkable.

May you take comfort in reading about my life and how I came to be here. Know that your journey doesn’t need to be as difficult as you may think. Love, connection and a bit of inside information can turn a gloomy day into one of expansion, joy and infinite possibility.

Blessings to all of you.