Conscious Choice: The Uncommon Healer

July 2004 | Choice Health

The Uncommon Healer

Who: Alyce M. Sorokie, certified colon therapist, Partners in Wellness, Chicago, Ill.

Quick Take: Says her job is to “court the belly” and “create a sacred environment of trust” between herself and her clients so they can release “disease-supporting” toxic waste that settles in the large intestine. Believes her work also encourages emotional healing because “the gut works in a very visceral, emotional way.”

Old vs. New: Colon therapy is an ancient technique that circulates filtered water into and out of the large bowel. It’s become a Hollywood fad in recent years, and Sorokie suspects it’s because of its weight-loss benefits. Many clients do drop a few pounds, reason being that when the colon is congested, waste backs up into the body, which in turn retains water to dilute the toxic effect. Thus, a good colon cleansing tends to reduce excess water weight. Sorokie says she doesn’t advertise that aspect because “it cheapens the whole thing” and because the health benefits of colon therapy are much more far-reaching. “[Sometimes clients] come for the weight-loss effects, and I’ll placate them, because soon they realize that their skin is looking nicer, their breath is better, their taste buds work again, they have more energy.”

Knowing the Difference: Those with irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, constipation and a host of other illnesses often seek colon therapy as “a last resort.” Where conventional medicine has failed, colon therapy often works, says Sorokie — with the added benefit of putting patients back in charge of their own well-being. However, she urges anyone displaying certain symptoms, such as acute, prolonged abdominal pain or black or bloody stool and those who have had abdominal surgery in the past two years, to consult a physician before visiting a colon therapist.

Biggest Myth: First, that it’s painful. “A colonic should never be painful,” says Sorokie. The first few might be uncomfortable, she explains, “because it’s a very vulnerable process.” But most get accustomed to the process over time. Another big myth is that one colonic will do the trick. Not likely, says Sorokie, who often suggests one colonic a week for six weeks in conjunction with a three-to seven-day nutritional cleansing program to kick-start optimal digestive health. After this, most people develop a sense of their own toxicity and schedule appointments as they see fit.

Case History: Way before health food stores became popular, Sorokie’s father ran one of Chicago’s first, Irving Park Health Foods. That’s why, when he died of colon cancer at the age of 60, Sorokie was at a loss to explain his relatively early passing. “Dad was a healthy eater, but he had a lot of anger and emotional holding that contributed to his toxic level,” she says. Whether it caused his cancer is impossible to tell. Sorokie became a colon therapist in 1986 and takes a special interest in how her clients respond to colon therapy. “Eating is so emotional. We bombard our systems with stuff we don’t need that serves a temporary purpose,” such as alleviating boredom or loneliness, she says. “So sometimes when some of that [digestive] armor is removed during a session, people have emotional releases right there on the colonic table, or they say they can think more clearly.” She’s learned to help people — and their guts — let go by massaging their bellies, warming their stomachs with heating pads to bring blood to the digestive system and encouraging deep breathing to relax the nervous system.

Personal file: 48, single, runs, bikes and sails on her friends’ boat. Loves to read and write — as of June she became a published author. Her book: Gut Wisdom: Understanding and Improving Your Digestive Health.

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