Testimonials on the Conscious Touch Teams Experience

See reflections on Conscious Touch Teams from recipients, volunteers, and facility staff below.

Recipients

  • "It gives me a sense of belonging in the community. You're really providing us a venue of communication that touches a person's soul and viability."

    Richard

  • "I always feel glad right off when I see the CTT volunteers come to my door. It relaxes me. Gets me into a peaceful state of being, soul and heart."

    Anonymous

  • "It makes me feel good because it makes me feel that someone is interested in me and will help me. I'm very happy that you are coming to visit and interested in making things better for me. I really appreciate that."

    Irene

  • "I enjoy the visits every week. After the visits and holding their hands, it's a very special feeling because I don't have anyone who comes and visits me. Whever they visit they talk positively with me. I look forward to the visits every week."

    Pamela

  • "The most important point is that people from the community care enough to come and visit people who are nto able to function adequatley in the community, in the world, because they have various physical restrictions... it feels good, it feels like I have contact with the outside world."

    Marianne

  • "It's so comfortable. It's so wonderful to have other people 'get' what you feel. It's so wonderful to have someone touch you hand or shoulder. It's just so lovely."

    Patricia

  • "At first for me [Conscious Touch] was about being visited by friends. Now it feels like family. Which is good. Because you have contact. I look forward to the visits. In my religion I feel accepted as a 'brother.' I feel a similar connection with these visits."

    Pedro

  • "As each of you holds one of my hands while I lie on my bed, your energies travel up my arms to my head, my heart, and my torso. I enter into a relaxed calmness. In that calmness I sometimes fall into a wordless meditative state or sometimes my thinking becomes orderly, forming clear plans... When our sessions are over I am delighted to realize that along with increased energy, my thinking has become more positive and focused."

    Rani

  • "I appreciate you listening to me. Your touch makes me feel like I belong. It makes me feel alive. I like my hands being touched. I feel your caring. If you didn't care about me you wouldn't be here."

    Gloria

  • "Conscious Touch Teams visits are awesome. They make me feel so relaxed, so peaceful. I center myself in a positive direction."

    Margareet

  • "I love your visits. It makes me feel not so removed from the world, which I am. It makes me feel more like I belong, than not. It breaks up the monotony."

    Susan

Volunteers

  • "Being a part of the Conscious Touch Team has impacted me personally making me realize how golden human touch can be for both the giver and the receiver."

    Maricela

  • "There have been so many wonderful moments in the last few months of offering CT. One thing I witness weekly is the energy shift in the resident before and after our session. Often when we arrive the resident is not smiling and appears tired and/or sad. There is a distinct look of calm and relaxation when we wrap up. Often they are smiling and their mood has lightened."

    Vida

  • "The first time we visited this resident, she was pretty withdrawn. The second time, she was more animated, but not very verbal. The most recent visit, she was still more animated and still not very verbal, but she clearly said "this feels so good."

    Kirsten

  • "I am still quite new to the experience but I feel that my personal experiences with caregiving to my family and having served in previous volunteer positions make me feel a bit ease with volunteering with CTT. I am still learning from my team and each visit is unique in itself, each partnership is special in connecting and bonding not only to the recipient but also to the team. I feel included by my team members. It is a satisfying task of delivering present attention, care, and acknowledgement of another human being."

    Maryam

  • It has been very enriching to share this experience with my life partner; it has brought us closer together. Losing residents that you have visited regularly for months is tough, but you sense that you made a real difference as they approached the end of their lives.

    Lesley

  • "It is a profoundly rewarding and humbling experience that has become one of the highlights of my week."

    Yael

  • I’d definitely recommend volunteering with CTT. Everyone there is really great, and you can tell they truly care about what they’re doing. I’ve met some amazing people so far who have taught me a lot. Visiting a resident each week is something I really look forward to, and I always leave feeling happy and glad that I got to spend time with them. It’s such a rewarding experience and feels good to know I’m doing something positive for my community and the people around me.

    Vanessa

Facility Partners

  • "I would like to share how grateful we are to have Conscious Touch Teams as a partner. They have truly made a meaningful difference for our residents. The volunteers consistently bring a sense of calm and warmth with them, and it’s clear how our residents respond. After each visit residents are more relaxed, in better spirits, and comforted. They often ask when the team will be visiting again and genuinely look forward to their time together. More and more residents areshowing interest each week, and our list continues to grow. We are incredibly thankful for the positive impact they continue to have and I’m excited to see what the new year brings!"

    Kristina - Activity Director, Chaparral House

  • "Conscious Touch Teams has a beautiful way of reaching residents beyond words. Through gentle touch, presence and genuine compassion, they bring additional comfort, connection and calm to our residents. Their additional support helps ease anxiety, fosters trust and reminds each resident they are seen, valued and deeply care for. The CTT visits provide additional 1:1 interactions, offering attentive listening. The impact they make on quality of life is truly meaningful and lasting. We consistently receive positive feedback from residents who express they are more connected after each visit that leave a lasting positive impact. Thank you for the meaningful work you do and for the compassion you continue to share with our residents during your visits."

    Rosalinda - Director of Activities, Pacific Heights Transitional Care Center