Several years ago, Mike, my psychologist, urged me to see someone else for help in dealing with my stress. But he wasn't referring me to another talk therapist. He thought I should try some sessions with Dana, a massage therapist specially trained to treat trauma victims. I had been abused as a child, and Mike thought that Dana might help me through the resulting physical and emotional challenges I was suffering in a way that talk alone couldn't. He was right: I ended up seeing Dana for several years, and our work - which involved what's known as body psychotherapy techniques - changed my life, giving me the ability to handle conflicts without dissolving in fear. Dana is part of a growing movement in which practitioners use the power of touch to diagnose, treat, and prevent both physical and emotional problems.

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