Sound healer

Bonnie Eskie uses sound to help people transform. A licensed psychotherapist who moved to Chico from Santa Cruz eight months ago, Eskie recently started Mother Song, a weekly singing therapy group for families with babies. Along with traditional psychotherapy, Eskie uses a variety of modalities to assist people on their healing journeys, including qigong, laughter yoga, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), massage therapy and Sound Body Energetics. She’s especially focused on that last one, and uses various musical instruments in addition to voice, including a gong, a singing bowl, tuning forks, drums and many others. Contact her at BonnieEskie@gmail.com.

What does singing do for you?

It’s kind of a spiritual path for me—my dharma. I just love singing in sacred circles and singing heart songs. Our voice is an instrument!

What made you look beyond traditional psychotherapy?

From the time I turned 16, and even before, I just thought so out of the box. I started exploring so many modalities, including eastern modalities. All of these experiences I bring into my healing practice. I have come more and more to see myself as a healer and spiritual guide, and I just happen to be trained in psychotherapy.

How do you help people?

I’m not looking for the quick fix or to manage symptoms. I’m looking to help people have a transformational experience and step into a whole new way of being. I want to help people become emotionally well.

How do you incorporate qigong?

Part of qigong is a whole study around not only the movements that you use to shift your own energy, but also there are the six healing sounds. It’s a whole system you can do with colors and movements, and I bring that all into Sound Body Energetics.

What’s an example of how sound can heal?

Humming, toning, and singing simple familiar melodies can help and heal the brain. The brain gets rewired into a state of deep relaxation very quickly [with these practices].

Do you have an example of someone helped by sound?

While working at a mental-health center, there was … a Vietnam vet; he was freaking out. I started bringing my singing bowl with me, and I asked him if he would like to try something a little different. I took out my bowl and used it, with singing, and he sat there and just started crying. I did maybe a 20-minute session with him, and he said “That’s the closest thing I’ve ever experienced [to] feeling God.”