JANET MENTGEN AND THE ORIGIN OF HEALING TOUCH
In 1989, Janet Mentgen, RN, BSN formally created Healing Touch as an energy medicine program. Janet was an energetically sensitive nurse, and her drive was to deepen and expand the connection between nurses and their patients. She saw the positive effect of touch while using various energy techniques and modalities.
Janet was a practicing nurse for 43 years. Her early work was with the U.S. Navy, then as an emergency room nurse, and then a home health care nurse. Her real love of patients and the nurse connection began emerging as she developed her "healing touch" methods.
She shared her methods by teaching continuing education classes for nurses at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado. Her research, with the application within her private practice, and her teaching of energy medicine earned her the Holistic Nurse of the Year Award from the American Holistic Nurses Association in 1988.
In 1990, the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) sponsored Janet's program as a Healing Touch certificate program and the Colorado Nurses Association provided continuing education hours for nurses.
In 1993, certification of Healing Touch Practitioners began and was administered by AHNA. That same year, Janet formed The Colorado Center for Healing Touch, Inc. dedicated to bringing Healing Touch to millions of people throughout the world. In 2008, the certification process was moved to the Healing Touch Certification Board, whose purpose is to administer the Healing Touch certification process for Practitioners and Instructors.
In 1997, the Healing Touch Worldwide Foundation, Inc., was founded by Janet as a non-profit charitable organization. Janet's intent for Healing Touch Worldwide Foundation is to receive and distribute funds to assist, encourage and advance the philosophy, objectives and techniques of Healing Touch. This is primarily accomplished through funding of grants for research and humanitarian projects around the world.
Within these few short years, Janet Mentgen revolutionized the medical model to include a clinical approach to energy based therapy. Her legacy lives on through the Certified Instructors and Certified Practitioners and thousands of students who are bringing a holistic approach to healing.
Due to the extraordinary success of the program, the company began using its other legal name, Healing Touch Program™, in June of 2005. This change recognizes the global expansion of Healing Touch in hospitals, communities, hospices, clinics, schools of nursing, and the long term care centers throughout North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, Asia, and New Zealand.
In 2003, Janet invited Dr. Cynthia Hutchison to train and carry on in her role as Program Director. Cynthia officially took on this leadership role at Janet’s passing in 2005, and maintained it through 2018. Cynthia joyfully carries on Janet’s work through her continued practice and teaching. Her website is www.BoulderHealingTouch.com.
To ensure the continued growth of the Healing Touch Program™, Janet transferred the ownership of the Healing Touch Program™ to her children; Bill, Lynn and Lisa in May of 2005.
Securing her legacy, Janet died on September 15, 2005.