Sheila King began her career in healing as a Bacteriologist in 1962, having received both BA and BS degrees from Lawrence University in Wisconsin. In the middle 60's she began an intensive program studying the role of mind and emotions in the healing of the body. As a part of that study she worked with O Carl Simonton,MD in his early pilot programs at OSHU using visualization techniques to stimulate healing in advanced cases of cancer. She also worked with Dr. Friederick Miller, then at Crippled Children's Hospital, in a pilot project using biofeedback devices and Jacobson Relaxation Technique to speed the healing of children and to help the parents be more calm. In the late '60's Sheila studied Psychology at Portland State to further her understanding of the mind and it's role in healing.
In 1971 Sheila began an intensive program of study in hypnosis, specializing in pain-alleviation techniques, ways of using suggestion to stimulate the immune system and speed healing, and the use of regressive hypnosis for the purposes of healing. A member of the Academy of Scientific Hypnosis, the International Society for Professional Hypnosis and the Hypno-Mercy Foundation, she was certified by the Hypnotherapist Certification Board of California in 1982. 1983 and 1984 were spent in intensive study of the Life Breath technique, a powerful breathing technique which greatly speeds up the clearing of physical, mental and emotional issues. She was certified in that technique by Leonard Orr in 1984. Sheila began her study of Reiki, also known as the Usui System of Reiki Healing (Usui Shiki Ryoho), in 1986 culminating in her Initiation as a Reiki Master in 1989. She studied with Phil Morgan and Phyllis Furumoto. Phyllis Furumoto is the lineage bearer of traditional Reiki in the world since the death of her grandmother, Hawayo Takata, in 1980. Sheila is certified as a Master of Reiki by Furumoto and the organization known as The Reiki Alliance. This is a world wide organization begun in 1982 by many of the Masters initiated by Mrs. Takata. The process of becoming a Reiki Alliance trained Master is a several year long process that involves extensive study, many hours of service work, an apprenticeship to an existing Master, hundreds of hours of Reiki treatments and a substantial monetary investment.
Since her Master's Initiation in 1989 Sheila has taught frequent 1st and 2nd Degree Reiki classes in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Holland and Romania as well as training and mentoring Masters. She holds regular support groups for Reiki students and speaks to many different people and organizations including the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, East West College of the Healing Arts, Cedar Mountain Center for Massage, Portland State University and Plaintree Hospital in the Dalles as well as Legacy Hospital's Hospice program and Good Samaritan Hospital's rehabilitation program. She has been a part of the Creative Development program at Oregon College of Oriental Medicine offering accredited classes in their independent study program. Sheila teaches continuing education classes at Massage schools in Washington and Oregon and has taught Reiki through the Health and Wellness Dept at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma‚ WA. and is an authorized provider of the Oregon Commission for the blind. Sheila donates a portion of her time to work with individuals with life-threatening illness such as cancer and AIDS and supports people in the dying process.
Her practice includes private session work, classes and support groups. She is currently, 2001-4, taking part in a double-blind medical study through California Pacific Medical Center's Complementary Medicine Research Institute as a healer. This is a three-year study involving disant healing for patients with glioblastoma multiforme. Ms King also works with and teaches about other areas of subtle energy healing, including Aura-Soma, a British system of color therapy, and is a 20 year practitioner of flower essences. Her work on all levels extends to animals as well as humans. Most recently Sheila has been involved with the ground-breaking work of Dr. Eric Pearl, Reconnective Healing. She has been personally trained by Dr. Pearl in all 4 levels of the work and has been a teaching assistant for him. This work has become an important part of her practice.
Sheila currently has an active practice in Portland using her gifts in the fields of energy work and counseling to support others in their process of healing, empowerment and growth. She is also available to speak about and demonstrate the modalities she works with and to otherwise interface with the traditional medical community as well as the general community.