Energy healing can feel mysterious when you are first introduced to it. Many people (like me, at first!) wonder whether they need to be physically sick, emotionally struggling, or spiritually advanced to benefit from a session. In episode 583 of Soul Elevation, I was delighted to welcome back energy channeler, healer, and spiritual teacher Joanna Draus for a grounded and practical conversation about what energy healing really is, how spiritual healing works, and how to discern the right practitioner for you.
Joanna explains that energy healing is not only about physical symptoms. Much of the work happens in the emotional, mental, subconscious, and spiritual layers of our being. Patterns such as shame, guilt, fear, limiting beliefs, old trauma, energetic heaviness, and inherited programming can all create density in the energy field. When those lower vibrational energies are cleared or transmuted, more light, love, and higher frequency support can naturally move in. All of these higher frequency aspects are part of 5D healing.
Joanna describes 5D energy as beginning with love and expanding into unconditional love, peace, oneness, and higher states of divine connection. Unlike some practices from the past, modern spiritual healing does not need to rely on fear-based practices, manipulation, conjuring, or old energetic systems that operate below the vibration of love. The negative connotations from these past practices have left some residual fear in the collective consciousness around energy healing. But true healing can be supported through grace, higher self alignment, angelic realms, ascended masters, and the law of oneness.
These days, many healers develop their own unique expression over time. I share my personal experience as a Reiki master. Reiki remains the foundation of my healing work, but my healing sessions quickly evolved beyond strict adherence to the technique of Reiki. Like an artist, surgeon, or musician, the practitioner learns the structure and then begins to move through intuition, flow, and divine guidance. Many modern healers are channeling their own unique blend of energy work, even when they use different names for what may ultimately be a very similar process of helping people embody more love and light. More in this clip:
If you are interested in and curious about energy healing, you may not know where to start in order to experience it for yourself. Joanna encourages you to trust your own intuition, notice how a practitioner feels in your body when you connect with their offerings, and pay attention to whether their presence feels expansive, safe, loving, and grounded. She does not place much importance on certifications alone, explaining that diplomas and credentials can be useful but are not the true measure of a healer’s abilities.
We also talk about important red flags in the energy healing world. Joanna cautions against engaging with practitioners who use fear, send unsolicited messages claiming you are cursed, promise dramatic outcomes, or try to make clients dependent on repeated sessions. Authentic healing should empower you, not scare you. It should help you connect more deeply with your own Higher Self, spiritual support team, and inner knowing.
Energy healing sessions can occur in a number of ways. Sessions may happen in person, online, or even through recordings, because energy is not limited by physical distance or time. Some people feel deeply relaxed, thirsty, emotional, peaceful, tired, or even sleepy as the analytical mind softens and the consciousness receives what is needed. In Joanna's experience, the healing often begins before the actual appointment, from the moment the session is booked, and can continue unfolding afterward.
We also speak to the misunderstanding that healers should not charge for their work. It is important to realize that healing requires energy, training, preparation, devotion, and years of personal transformation. Just as artists, musicians, teachers, chefs, and other gifted professionals receive compensation for their work, healers also deserve balanced exchange. The key is integrity, not spiritualized self-sacrifice or excessive greed.
It's important to remember that even the most powerful healer does not “ascend” you for you. A healing session can offer a boost, a clearing, a ladder, or an energetic opening, but each person must continue choosing love, presence, and alignment in daily life. The real invitation is to remember the higher frequencies accessed in the session and return to them again and again.
Joanna and I also hosted a powerful group healing event on May 16, 2026. This event focused on clearing dense 3D energies, supporting embodiment of 5D consciousness, connecting with spiritual support teams, and working with higher realms including archangels, angelic dragons, and Higher Selves.
To learn more and register to receive the recording, visit karagoodwin.com/joanna.
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