HPCC Women’s History Month Honoree: Healing Touch Founder Janet Mentgen
In recognition of Women’s History Month, HPCC honors Janet Mentgen, RN, BSN (1938-2005), who founded Healing Touch in 1989. Janet was a registered nurse, holistic health practitioner, and an energy medicine pioneer. She had a deep interest in the effects of energy work on health and dedicated her life to integrating energy-based healing techniques into mainstream healthcare, particularly in nursing.
Throughout her nursing career, she worked in various clinical settings, including hospitals, home health care, and military medical services. In the 1970s and 1980s she studied various energy healing techniques, observing how human energy fields influenced healing processes. She drew from modalities such as Therapeutic Touch, Reiki and other chakra-based, holistic healing modalities. She found that hands-on energy work helped relieve patients’ pain, stress, and emotional distress. Recognizing the potential of energy healing in a clinical setting, she began incorporating it into her nursing practice.
In 1989, Janet formalized her energy healing methods into a structured certification program called Healing Touch. Her curriculum was designed for everyone — healthcare professionals, holistic practitioners, and lay people and is focused on clearing, energizing, and balancing the human energy system. The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) was quick to endorse her curriculum recognizing its potential to support holistic nursing and patient care.
Healing Touch was formally introduced into hospitals and healthcare settings in the 1990s, gaining acceptance among nurses and holistic practitioners. Healing Touch became an accredited program in 1996 through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). It has since spread internationally with practitioners in over 30 countries using Healing Touch in hospitals, hospices, military healthcare systems, and private practices to complement traditional medical treatments and provide patients with physical mental, emotional, and spiritual healing. Even though the training structure she created was partially designed to match licensing protocols within traditional healthcare settings, Janet’s intention was to see it spread more widely into communities everywhere.
Janet’s vision of extending the Light of Healing Touch to everyone was an ideal shared by those who worked beside her as the program grew. Her belief was, “Shine your light, be the light, walk in the light, share the light! Remember you can bring light to every step you take.” It reminds us all, this work comes from the heart and is for the highest good. It means letting go of expectations and ego and connecting to others with divine essence.
Janet continued teaching and promoting Healing Touch until her passing in 2005. Her favorite mantra continues to be heard from Healing Touch practitioners: “Just do the work.” Her legacy continues today, including Healing Touch being shared by many with their friends and families
Janet’s contribution to healthcare helped bridge the gap between traditional medicine and holistic healing, making Healing Touch a respected integrative therapy in modern healthcare. About her program Janet said, “My long-range goal is for every household in the world to be skilled with healing hands able to help somebody. It should be as common as CPR training.”