Energy Healing for Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is different from a bad week. It's the kind that's been running so long you've stopped noticing it as stress and started calling it your personality, your job, your life. Jason Donaldson offers Sekhem Energy Healing as one way to interrupt that pattern and give the body a real chance to settle, even briefly, into something other than alert.

Sekhem, not Reiki

Jason primarily practices Sekhem and offers Sekhem sessions, an older Egyptian-lineage energy healing tradition related to Reiki but distinct from it. If you came here comparing Reiki options, the Sekhem vs Reiki page lays out exactly how the two relate and differ.

Why chronic stress is different to work with

A single stressful event resolves once the threat passes. Chronic stress doesn't get that resolution. The nervous system stays partly activated for weeks, months, sometimes years, because the body never fully receives the signal that it's safe to stand down. This shows up as tight shoulders that never loosen, sleep that's technically happening but not restful, or a baseline hum of tension that feels like it's just who you are now. These are general, well documented effects of sustained nervous system activation, described here in plain terms rather than clinical ones.

How a Sekhem session works with this

Sekhem works through what Jason describes as the soul chakra, about 12 inches above the head, and the earth chakra, about 12 inches below the feet, the grounding point. For chronic stress specifically, that earth chakra work matters: much of what keeps a stressed system stuck is a disconnection from feeling grounded in the body at all. A 90 minute session, 222 dollars, in person or online, moves through grounding into deep relaxation, channeled energy work with hands over the body, sound and vibration, sage, cedar and Egyptian oils from Jason's own lineage. "I am merely the channel," he says of the work. "They do the work."

Sessions close with journaling and a debrief, where Jason shares what came through and pulls a couple of cards for confirmation. The effects of a session often continue unfolding for days afterward, not just in the room.

What people have noticed

Experiences with Sekhem vary from person to person. Clients have described feelings of deep relaxation, warmth, emotional release, greater clarity, peacefulness, and a stronger sense of connection with themselves. Some people also describe physical sensations or shifts during or following a session. These experiences are personal and are not presented as expected or guaranteed outcomes. Energy work is complementary support, not a treatment or substitute for care of any underlying medical condition.

If exhaustion is the dominant feeling rather than tension, energy healing for burnout may be the closer fit. If the stress shows up mostly as anxious thinking rather than physical tension, energy healing for anxiety covers that angle. Breathwork offers a more active, body-led approach to the same underlying pattern if that fits your style better: see breathwork for burnout.

Why chronic stress often hides in plain sight

Because chronic stress builds slowly, it rarely announces itself the way a single hard day does. It shows up instead as small, easy-to-dismiss signals: snapping at people you love over nothing, forgetting things that used to be automatic, feeling flat even during moments that should feel good. Many people don't recognize how much stress they're carrying until a session finally gives the body permission to release some of it, and the contrast between before and after makes the baseline suddenly obvious.

Pairing sessions with daily habits

A single session can shift a lot, but chronic patterns built over years respond best when paired with small daily supports outside the session room: a few minutes of quiet breath in the morning, time outdoors, consistent sleep. None of these replace the deeper work of a Sekhem session, but they help the nervous system hold onto the settling a session creates rather than sliding straight back into the old pattern within a day or two.

How often to come back

There's no single right cadence. Some people book a single session around a particularly hard stretch and feel that's enough for now. Others find that monthly sessions keep a chronic pattern from rebuilding to the same intensity it reached before. Jason will talk through what makes sense for your situation at booking rather than prescribing a fixed schedule for everyone. The goal is sustainable support, not a routine that becomes another obligation on top of an already full life.

Frequently asked questions

How is chronic stress different from what Sekhem treats as anxiety?

They overlap but aren't identical. Chronic stress often shows up as physical holding and exhaustion built up over a long period, while anxiety tends to be more present-tense and mental. A Sekhem session can address both, since grounding and nervous system settling underlie each.

Is Sekhem the same as a massage or physical therapy for stress?

No. Sekhem is energy work, not a physical modality like massage. It involves hands placed over the body rather than manipulation of muscle or tissue, and it works alongside, not in place of, physical care.

Will one session resolve stress I've carried for years?

Unlikely, though some people do notice meaningful relief after one session. Chronic patterns built over years often benefit from multiple sessions, and Jason will talk through what makes sense for your situation.

Is this a substitute for managing stress medically or in therapy?

No. Energy work is complementary and does not replace medical or mental health care. If stress is significantly affecting your health or functioning, please also work with a qualified provider, and call 988 in the US if you're in crisis.

What should I expect to feel during a session?

Most people describe deep relaxation, sometimes emotional release, sometimes very little at first with effects unfolding over the following days. Every session is different based on what you need.