News & Events

So good, he proposed twice!

Article in The Irish Independent, October 2011

Nobody could ever accuse energy healers Michael and Tina O’Doherty of rushing into things, because despite living and working together for many years, it took them 14 years to get around to getting married. The proposal took place in the trebly romantic setting of New York, on Valentine’s Day, in the rain, although it has to be said that Michael’s wording wasn’t exactly swoon-inducing.

“He said, ‘It’s sh*t or burst now so we might as well get engaged while we’re here’,” says Tina with a laugh, adding that the relationship had been going on “for ever and ever” up to then. All was not lost though, because after he bought the ring, Michael proposed properly on one knee at the top of the Empire State Building. They went to Las Vegas with 15 friends in 2006, and were married at the Bellagio hotel, where they had a ball for five days.

Michael and Tina are very warm and engaging, and there is something very soothing about being in their presence. This is probably what makes them so successful at their work, and they have a host of celebrity clients and people from all walks of life. They are both from Doonbeg in Co Clare, and while there is a 10-year age gap between them, they knew each other from around the town. When Tina was 19, she was suffering with migraines and went for treatment to Michael’s Plexus bio-energy therapy clinic in Ennis. Treatment there involves using a system of unique hand movements to locate energy imbalances in the body, balancing it, and working on a programme of changes that may need to be made around visualisation, diet, exercise and rest.

Tina became interested in the methods of treatment, and started working there in an admin capacity, and after two years, began training as a therapist. She says that as a boss, Michael treated her very nicely, and he says that while he thought she was very pretty, he was attracted to her caring personality. As he was a committed GAA fan, the fact that she played corner/wing forward for the Clare Ladies’ team was an added bonus.

It took a year for Michael, the fifth child of 10, and Tina, the youngest of two, to get together, and both say that that even though they were working together, it never caused a problem for them. Nor did the age gap, because although Michael says, “Tina came into the world after me”, she counters with, “Yes, but he waited until I came in!”

“We never lost our own individuality,” says Michael, “and I think that’s very important. Like me, Tina never drank or smoked, and sport was a huge common interest as we were always going to matches. She has always been very supportive of me, because, while I’m all go, she has a calming effect on me. I’m always out messing, and she slows me down. She also gives good advice, even if I haven’t always listened to her in the past.”

Michael didn’t like school so left at 15, and studied catering before joining the Air Corps. He then worked as a prison officer for 11 years, and says that although the people were fantastic, he never found the job to be creative enough for him. He had a love for martial arts, and was very involved in kick-boxing, so went to what was then known as Yugoslavia with his friend Tom Griffin to learn about how the body functions from an energy perspective. They learned how to use this to help people to have a better quality of life, and began studying it when they returned to Ireland . They set up a clinic and began achieving great results through the bio-energy work. In 1990, their work was featured on The Late Late Show. There was a massive response.

“It was a great platform, and people were flying in from all over the world for treatment,” says Michael. “When Michael Flatley attributed his recovery from the mystery virus, that stopped him dancing, to us in 2008, it had a huge effect as he is such a well-known personality and the story was covered internationally. Demand is huge because people are looking for ways to confront the stress and anxiety they are feeling today, and are also looking to prevent illness and cope with everyday problems.”

Today Michael and his team run clinics in Ennis, Dublin and Cork, and also travel around the country. Flatley recently did the honours in opening their clinic in Harley Street in London. The ceremony was attended by people such as Cilla Black and Ian Carmichael, Queen Elizabeth ‘s hairdresser.

Michael and Tina spend about 10 days each month at the London clinic. They say that while it’s a great life, the work can be very intense, as they could be working with someone who is terminally ill or who has a sick child.

The couple have just released a DVD, Just Imagine — A Life Without Illness, and next February, will travel the country giving one-day programmes to teach people to work with energy and transform their own emotions. They work with people who have a whole range of emotional and physical problems, and also with parents of children with special needs. They have achieved remarkable results.

“We’d hope eventually to reduce our workload and find a bit more space and time for ourselves,” says Michael, adding that they have no plans yet to start a family.

Both are big animal lovers; they have four cats and a pomeranian dog called Tiger. The couple, who live in Ennis, relax by walking and mountain-climbing. They recently returned from a trip to the US, where they revisited Las Vegas to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary.

“Michael is a very good person, who can never say no to anyone,” says Tina. “He’s always trying to help people, and no matter where we go, he is emptying his pockets to help people on the street. What drives him mad about me is that I’m never on time, and what drives me mad about him is that I’m running around getting ready and he’s already out in the car.”

“It’s amazing how she can be up and out early when she’s going shopping though,” laughs Michael. “The neighbours always know that Tina’s late when they hear me hooting the horn.”

For further information, visit www.justimagine.ie or call 065 684 1844

- Andrea Smith