Body Talk Access

John Veltheim, Body Talk Access: A New Path to Family and Community Health, (Sarasota, FL: PaRama LLC), 2008.


Veltheim - Body Talk Access
As opposed to the training manual, this book is an attempt to further explain the Body Talk Access system, discuss the techniques taught and provide a lot of anecdotes of successful outcomes from the Body Talk System. The author, John Veltheim, certainly has a varied background as a chiropractor, acupuncturist, and alternate healer. He also claims credentials as a philosopher and teacher. There is no way to dispute his claims, but the book does not illustrate a background in comparative philosophy, the history of philosophy or the techniques of contemporary education. Because Dr. Veltheim did teach at a College of Acupuncture, he definitely has a right to the claim of teacher. And, because most people develop personal philosophies, he also can claim the title of philosopher as well. One gets, from the author biography to the end of the book the impression of a man whose strongest suit may not be humility.

The point of the book is that Body Talk is a healing system that is so simple to practice that anyone can quickly learn the techniques and that the application of the techniques will have instant and life-altering results. It is clear from the stories told in the book that there are people who believe that their lives have been dramatically changed by the techniques of Body Talk. It is less clear that there is a cause and effect relationship between the practices and the outcomes.

As a skeptic, I am trying to remain open and to continue to study the Body Talk Access approach. I don't mean to be overly dismissive, but I am not overly impressed either. This particular book is little more than a promotion piece, touting the effects of the practice and selling it to those with money to invest in training.