Healing with Guided Imagery
by Viktoriya Starr
My journey with guided imagery was profoundly influenced by the work of Belleruth Naparstek. Her book Invisible Heroes was a true turning point for me. As I read it, I remember thinking, “This is my work. This is what I’m meant to do.” Her approach to guided imagery and trauma resonated with me immediately.
Not long afterward, I had the chance to experience guided imagery in a deeply personal way. A close friend who had lived through traumatic events was struggling with PTSD. She was receiving professional treatment, yet there were still times when flashbacks, nightmares, depression, and overwhelming thoughts broke through.
Sometimes she would call me in the middle of a difficult night, crying and sobbing. I would listen, and then say, “Okay, imagine that you’re coming to visit me in Detroit.”
And our journey would begin.
We might stroll along the Riverwalk, explore Greektown, have dinner at a Greek restaurant, or stop at a sushi bar.
“Ew! I hate sushi!” she would protest, and we would laugh.
Other times, we imagined visiting beautiful places or simply spending time together. She added her own ideas, and our imaginary adventures often turned surprisingly funny. Even picturing my cat riding in a stroller while I carried the groceries underneath it could make her laugh and give her mind something else to hold onto. We called each other “sister.”
One of our most meaningful exercises was also the simplest. One night I told her, “Imagine that I’m right there with you. I’m tucking your blanket around you, adjusting your pillow, and handing you a glass of water.”
“Oh my gosh, this is so comforting,” she said. “You have no idea.”
“You’re going to be okay,” I told her.
She also loved hearing my nursing stories. She had shared painful experiences from her life, and I wanted to offer positive ones from mine. I told her about receiving my DAISY Award and about the manager who presented it, a woman who had been both a mentor and a mother figure to me.
“Wow, how cool is that?” she said.
Our conversations moved naturally from difficult experiences to flowers, food, nursing, music, cats, mentors, and completely ridiculous imaginary adventures.
During this time, I also taught her autogenic training, a relaxation method developed by German psychiatrist Dr. Johannes Schultz. The practice uses simple, repeated self-suggestions to promote physical and mental relaxation, focusing on sensations such as heaviness, warmth, and calm breathing. I wanted her to have a tool she could use independently, so that if I wasn’t available during a hard moment, she could settle her mind and body on her own.
For me, the two practices complement each other beautifully. Guided imagery gives the mind somewhere peaceful to go, while autogenic training teaches a person to guide themselves into a more relaxed state.
This experience changed the way I understand guided imagery. I was not replacing her professional treatment or trying to treat her PTSD. I was simply there with her, using imagination, conversation, humor, and companionship to help her through difficult moments, while teaching her techniques she could continue to practice on her own.
It showed me that guided imagery can be much more than picturing a beautiful place. It can create comfort, connection, and possibility. Sometimes the mind needs somewhere peaceful to go, and sometimes learning to build that place within yourself matters just as much.
That is what drew me to guided imagery, and it is why I continue to believe so deeply in its power.
Today, I bring that same spirit to my work as a meditation teacher and Tibetan singing bowl practitioner. I love the variety of what I do, but the moments I treasure most are the quiet, one-on-one sessions with clients and students, when I can offer comfort, guidance, and a sense of peace. In those moments, I feel I am doing meaningful, purposeful work.
Viktoriya Starr is a former cardiology nurse and Certified Healing Touch Practitioner with over 20 years of experience. She is now a certified meditation teacher in the Eastern tradition, with a background in Dr. Johannes Schultz’s autogenic training. Ypu can reach Viktoriya at 248 730-0195.
