How a Clinical Psychologist Healed Without Therapy
A story about a sacred practice for healing and inner peace
Image credit, author. Hawaiian Sunset, 2024
Back in 2009, I found a book that called out to me. It was titled "Zero Limits, The Secret Hawaiian System for Wealth, Health, Peace, and More" by Joe Vitale and Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len.
The subtitle promised what most of us seek, and more through an ancient Hawaiian practice, I had never heard of. At the time, I was no stranger to stress or striving. I’d already lived through multiple business cycles and personal shifts.
But inner peace? That was still elusive.
What caught my attention in the book wasn’t the self-help fluff or even Joe Vitale’s enthusiasm. It was the story of a quiet therapist in Hawaii who never spoke to his patients, and yet they healed.
A psychologist healed a mental hospital without saying a word
In 1983, the Hawaii State Hospital hired Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len to work in its high-security ward for the criminally insane. It was a place most professionals avoided; patients were violent, the staff were constantly quitting, and those who stayed walked the halls with their backs against the wall.
However, Dr. Hew Len didn’t do traditional therapy. Instead, he sat in his office, read each patient’s file, and practiced something called Ho’oponopono. It’s a method of healing by taking 100% responsibility for what shows up in one’s life.
He’d repeat four simple phrases, a prayer, silently while reviewing each case:
“I’m sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.”
No pills. No sessions. Just those four phrases.
The inner shift began: transformation
In short order, something remarkable happened. Over the next four years, without seeing a single patient in person, Dr. Hew Len helped transform the entire ward.
Over time, the patients improved. Medications tapered. Staff stopped quitting. The environment changed. Eventually, the entire ward closed. There were no more patients left to treat.
The ward eventually closed, not because of funding cuts but because the patients no longer required its services. His only method? Sitting with their files and practicing Ho’oponopono, repeating silently:
“I’m sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.”
Why the story hit me hard
That story struck me like a lightning bolt when I first read Zero Limits in 2009, and it shifted something deep within my understanding of healing, leadership, and personal responsibility.
Like many professionals and entrepreneurs, I had people in my personal and business life whom I couldn’t reach. I tried to like, love, or coach them. Help them see things. And nothing worked.
However, this idea of cleaning up your mind and heart, rather than trying to fix someone else, felt like a lifeline. So I started experimenting. When something bothered me, I would say those phrases.
When someone triggered me, I told them. When I didn’t understand why a deal fell through, or a client ghosted me, or someone close to me shut down, I said it over and over.
Silence is golden
A silent, simple prayer has changed my life, and I use it daily, with the intention of continuing to do so for the rest of my life. I didn’t even fully believe it at first. But the practice softened me. It helped me get out of my head and into a space of peace, forgiveness, and personal responsibility.
It changed the way I am. It changed the way I listen. It helped me let go and let the God of my humble understanding run the show.
The true meaning of “Zero Limits”
What Zero Limits taught me is this: when you clear the mental noise, you open the door to inspiration.
We carry so many old programs, beliefs, fears, and memories that block our ability to hear clearly. We’re reacting from the past. We’re trying to control outcomes. We’re forcing results.
But the power lies in the sacred pause. It’s in the stillness, reverence, and a simple, transformative prayer. From this place, action becomes inspired. Decisions become simpler. Conversations become clearer. Life starts to flow again.
A message to young professionals
If you’re early in your journey and feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or triggered by people, places, or things in your life, try this:
Pause. Breathe. Say the four phrases. Not for them, but for you.
“I’m sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.”
It’s not a magic trick or about religion. It’s a spiritual practice. It’s a powerful way to reset your nervous system, shift your mindset, and reconnect with what matters.
These words represent the metaphysical power of repentance, forgiveness, gratitude, and love.
You don’t need to fix anyone else to move forward. You can’t because, in my experience, arguing with reality is futile. All you can do is clean your side of the looking glass.
Making spiritual progress is the ultimate perfection
Zero Limits helps me become a more peaceful, loving, accepting human being. It helped me let go of the need to control, know what’s next, and set myself up for constant disappointment by seeking perfection instead of inner peace.
In closing, the clearer your mind and heart, the easier it is to create the life you were born to live. No limits.
Repentance, forgiveness, gratitude, and unconditional love are the superpowers we can use to shift ourselves and change the world. Try the prayer, experience the shift, and let me know how it goes.
I’m an author, facilitator, and strategic guide. Ask me how the Clarity S.H.I.F.T. Method™ empowers purpose-led founders, leaders, and professionals. Learn more at www.CliffordJones.