We love to hear from instructors, coordinators, and practitioners about their experiences with HTA. This month we spoke with Heather Schmidt. Heather is an HTA Certified Practitioner (HTACP) and the Founder and Executive Director of Hollywood Huskies in Los Angeles. Click “Watch Now” to meet Heather and hear about her HTA experience!
Q: How did you get involved with Healing Touch for Animals®?
A: Even as a child, I felt compelled to help animals. On and off over the years, energy healing came into my life in various ways. At one point, I took a Reiki workshop. Several years ago, I kept experiencing an intense burning sensation in my arms from my elbows down into my hands. The energy healer I was working with said they felt I had pent-up healer energy. They knew about my love for animals and also knew about HTA, so they recommended I look into it. I immediately knew HTA was an important path for me, so I went through the training to certification and have loved HTA ever since!
Q: How are you using HTA in your personal or professional life?
A: I have a part-time private practice with in-person clients in Los Angeles and long-distance clients worldwide. I also use HTA with my pets, which are all rescues. I have four dogs, 12 indoor cats, two horses, two pigeons, and one fish, so I have many pets who can benefit from HTA. Additionally, I volunteer a certain number of sessions each month to animals in rescues who have not yet been adopted. HTA makes a night-and-day difference for these rescue animals, many of whom have medical issues and/or a history of trauma. HTA not only helps them to feel better physically and emotionally, but it also improves their chances of getting adopted.
Q: What have you done to grow your HTA practice?
A: The two things I found to be most helpful were creating a website and an Instagram page. On my website, I also found it beneficial to describe HTA and to offer a section for FAQ since many people who are interested in energy healing don’t really understand how it works.
Q: What is unique about your HTA practice?
A: I am also an animal communicator and a Certified Consulting Associate with the Gurney Institute of Animal Communication. I find that HTA and animal communication go hand-in-hand and each modality benefits from the other. I have some clients who do just one or the other, and then I have some clients who do both.
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of HTA for you?
A: Donating HTA sessions to animal rescues is incredibly rewarding because it is life-changing for those animals. As a healer, it is easy to over-extend yourself. For me, it is necessary to set a limit on how many sessions I do, but volunteering is important to me and very rewarding. The reality is that most rescues already struggle to cover vet costs for basic medical needs. If it’s a choice between paying for an energy-healing session or putting money towards a vet bill that will save an animal’s life, rescues are going to choose the latter, even if they understand the value of HTA. Some rescues are easier to work with than others, and it is important to find one that is a good fit and will appreciate your work without taking advantage. I highly encourage working with rescues, but also advise doing research before making any commitments. (I can recommend some great rescues who could always use more HTA help if anyone is interested.)