Healing touch research
About Healing Touch Research
Healing Touch Research is dedicated to organizing, strengthening, and advancing Healing Touch research by making the evidence easier to discover, understand, and build upon. This page explains the professional foundation behind the website, the organizations that support its mission, and the principles that guide the way research is selected, presented, and interpreted.
Why Healing Touch?
Healing Touch is more than an individual healing technique. It is a professionally developed approach to biofield therapy supported by decades of educational development, professional standards, ethical practice, certification, mentorship, and healthcare integration.
Healing Touch Program’s commitment to consistency and professional excellence provides an important foundation for research. Standardized education, clearly defined practice standards, mentorship, and certified practitioners help support more consistent intervention delivery and contribute to stronger research design and interpretation.wedfasdfasdf
In addition, Healing Touch has been integrated into a wide variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, cancer centers, hospice programs, Veterans Health Administration facilities, and community health organizations. This integration has created opportunities for clinical research, practice-based evidence, quality improvement initiatives, and collaboration with healthcare professionals, helping expand our understanding of Healing Touch in real-world practice.
→ Learn more about Healing Touch and Healing Touch Program
Healing Touch Worldwide Foundation
The Healing Touch Worldwide Foundation (HTWF) is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Healing Touch through research, education, and humanitarian service. The Foundation plays an important role in strengthening the future of Healing Touch by funding research projects, supporting educational initiatives, and providing grants that expand knowledge and increase access to Healing Touch around the world.
Healing Touch Research works in partnership with the Foundation by connecting researchers with funding opportunities, highlighting Foundation-supported research, and encouraging philanthropic support for the continued advancement of Healing Touch research.
Healing Touch Research works in partnership with the Foundation by connecting researchers with funding opportunities, highlighting Foundation-supported research, and encouraging philanthropic support for the continued advancement of Healing Touch research.
Editorial Standards
Healing Touch Research is committed to presenting Healing Touch research with accuracy, integrity, and transparency. Our goal is to make research easier to discover and understand while maintaining a balanced and evidence-informed perspective.
Research is organized and summarized using consistent editorial standards designed to support researchers, healthcare professionals, educators, practitioners, students, and the public. We strive to present findings in context, acknowledge study strengths and limitations, distinguish between different types of evidence, and avoid overstating conclusions.
The website includes a variety of scholarly resources, including peer-reviewed studies, conference posters, dissertations, practice-based evidence, and selected related biofield research. Each type of evidence is clearly identified so visitors can understand its purpose and appropriate interpretation.
A CONSISTENT APPROACH TO REVIEWING EVIDENCE
Research Review Process
Research included in the library is selected, categorized, and summarized using a consistent review process to support accuracy, transparency, and ease of use.
Healing Touch Research is committed to providing a trusted and well-organized resource for Healing Touch research.
Whenever possible, research summaries include key information such as study design, population, intervention, outcomes, strengths, limitations, and clinical relevance. Studies are organized by topic to help visitors quickly locate research relevant to their interests.
Because Healing Touch research is an evolving field, this website does not present research as definitive proof of effectiveness. Instead, it serves as a resource for understanding the current state of the evidence, identifying research gaps, and supporting the continued advancement of high-quality Healing Touch research.
As new studies and scholarly resources become available, the research library will continue to grow and evolve.
GUIDING THE ADVANCEMENT OF HEALING TOUCH RESEARCH
Research Leadership
Dr. Dora Lendvai
PhD, RN, HTP, Research Advisor
Dr. Dora Lendvai serves as the Research Advisor for the Healing Touch Program, bringing extensive clinical, research, and leadership experience within the Veterans Health Administration. For more than 14 years, she has served veterans in roles including research nurse, study coordinator, and nurse facilitator, contributing to clinical research and the advancement of evidence-informed, whole-person care.
Her areas of expertise include cardiovascular and metabolic health, trauma and PTSD, substance use disorders, chronic pain, and women's health. Passionate about integrative healthcare, Dr. Lendvai began studying Healing Touch in 2012 and became a certified Healing Touch Practitioner in 2025. In 2023, she established two Healing Touch clinics at VA Connecticut, expanding access to integrative care for veterans.
As Research Advisor, Dr. Lendvai provides strategic guidance for Healing Touch research initiatives and supports the development of a stronger scientific foundation for the profession. Her work helps advance high-quality research, foster collaboration, and strengthen the visibility and credibility of Healing Touch within healthcare and the broader field of biofield therapies.
Jeannette Nienaber
BSc., MEd., HTCP/I, HTP Instructor Manager
Jeannette Nienaber serves as the Healing Touch Program Instructor Manager, bringing more than 35 years of experience in education, coaching, consulting, and research. As a Healing Touch Certified Practitioner/Instructor (HTCP/I), she provides leadership in curriculum development, instructor education, and competency-based learning that strengthen the consistency and quality of Healing Touch practice.
With a strong background in research, Jeannette is a frequent author on energy medicine research for Energy Magazine and has written for Beginnings, the official publication of the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA). She specializes in translating scientific literature into practical, evidence-informed resources that help practitioners and healthcare professionals understand and apply research.
Jeannette contributes to the development of Healing Touch Research by supporting the clear, accurate, and meaningful communication of research. Her expertise in education, practitioner preparation, and research interpretation advances the website's mission of increasing the quality, visibility, accessibility, and impact of Healing Touch research worldwide.
