5 Detox Mistakes to Avoid When Helping Clients Detox The Body
Working with clients to detox the body? Then, this happens...
You’ve got your client doing everything “right” to detox the body, and yet they’re not seeing the results they hoped for. Maybe they even feel worse in the process. They’ve cleaned up their diet, started supplementation, and committed to a detox plan with your support.
Below are 5 pitfalls that keep clients stuck in cycles of fatigue and inflammation, and leave practitioners feeling frustrated. Along the way, we’ll share some detox tips to help you course-correct and finally help your client feel like they’re moving the needle.
Here are the mistakes we’ll cover:
Mistake #1: Your client needed longer or varied drainage support.
Mistake #2: The phases of liver detoxification were not balanced.
Mistake #3: You pushed too hard.
Mistake #4: You worked with a cookie-cutter detox protocol.
Mistake #5: You forgot the parasympathetic response.
Mistake #1: Your client needed longer or varied drainage support.
Most holistic practitioners understand the importance of drainage, beginning with the colon and working systematically from the cellular level. But if you’re giving every client the same timeline for opening drainage pathways, this could be a major detox mistake.
Each client’s level of congestion in their drainage pathways is different. Some can move into detox and drainage simultaneously, while others need more time to open these pathways fully. Several factors influence this, including:
Lifestyle and habits
Length of symptoms
Ability to be consistent
Tolerance of recommended practices
Tolerance of remedies
Stress levels
Type of pathogen or toxin
There’s no shortage of tools to open up a drainage pathway! Vibration plates, dry brushing, organ-specific tinctures, teas to promote bowel movements, fiber, lymph massage, hydration, saline rinses, and even urine test strips are available to monitor progress.
Where do you start? What should you use? And how long should you stay in each area?
DETOX TIPS: Keep detailed tabs on your client’s progress. This will tell you a lot about where you need to focus. Ask open-ended questions to gather as much information as possible from your client. These questions help differentiate between healthy detox signs (like mild fatigue or increased elimination) and signs that the body is overwhelmed (like constipation, skin rashes, or sleep disruptions).
Here are a few examples:
What changes have you noticed in your energy levels since starting the protocol?
What has your sleep been like lately?
How is your body responding to the supplements or remedies so far?
What physical sensations have you noticed since beginning this detox process?
How does your mood feel compared to before you started?
In what ways has your elimination (bowel movements, urine) felt different, if at all?
How does your body feel overall—lighter, heavier, more sluggish, or something else?
What have you observed about how your skin, sinuses, or lymph areas are feeling?
What patterns or changes have stood out to you throughout the day or week?
What are you finding easiest to incorporate into your routine right now?
What challenges have come up for you since starting this process?
What are you noticing about your appetite, thirst, or food preferences lately?
In what ways does your body feel more supported—or less supported—since starting?
Many practitioners get caught up in perfectionism when working with clients. They are afraid the client will lose confidence in them if they don't get a regimen right and get their clients' results ASAP.
Take your time and don’t be afraid to drop down or even back off a protocol. You are learning how your client responds, and their body’s messages are providing you with the information you need to move forward. This is part of helping your wellness or functional medicine clients!
Pro insight: bioenergetic testing removes much of the guesswork. It highlights areas where your client might struggle with drainage, detoxification, and nutritional needs from an energetic perspective. Retesting helps you observe the movement of stress throughout the entire body and identifies areas that may still require support.
Mistake #2: The phases of liver detoxification were not balanced.
Supporting both phases of liver detoxification is imperative when you move to the detox phase of support. Make sure you also keep an eye on elimination, the colon, in the drainage funnel! You are still addressing this part of drainage throughout detox and beyond.
Each phase relies on specific nutrients. In phase one, clients benefit from foods that enhance the CYP group of enzymes (which often have strong genetic influences). This is where toxins are made more water soluble to move on to phase 2.
Pro insight: Phase 1 has a strong genetic component.
Phase 2 involves the six major pathways:
Glucuronidation
Acetylation
Methylation
Amino acid conjugation
Sulfation
Glutathione conjugation
There are many different nutrients needed to make sure these pathways are running smoothly!
DETOX TIPS: If you’re not utilizing bioresonance testing to guide specifics, consider incorporating B vitamins (B2, B3, B6, B12) as cofactors for enzymatic processes. Branched-chain amino acids, phospholipids, and antioxidant support are also beneficial, as phase 1 produces free radicals that require quenching.
Keeping track of the various nutrients required and rotating liver-supportive food groups ensures that all detoxification needs are met.
Utilization of homeopathic or herbal remedies can be added to gently support all phases of detox and protection while supporting diet changes, which can be overwhelming!
Mistake #3: You pushed too hard.
Pushing too hard to detox the body can backfire. Too many practitioners jump into intense detox protocols with their clients, including aggressive parasite cleanses, or multiple supplements without prior preparation, or adjacent drainage and nutritional support. This can overwhelm the body, especially if those drainage pathways aren’t prepared.
Clients might blame themselves when they don’t feel better. Or they might blame you. Instead, make sure you have a personalized approach. Less is more when you’re using the right tools. A slow, layered, personalized system that supports each individual's unique rhythm leads to greater feelings of success and a better practitioner-client relationship.
You may encounter someone who is very sensitive, and as a well-meaning practitioner, you can push too hard and too fast when it comes to detox. At CBH Energetics, we often remind practitioners of this rule of thumb: however many years a client has been unwell, expect that many months of consistent effort to see meaningful progress.
DETOX TIPS: For sensitive clients, start “low and slow.” One-half or even one-quarter of the recommended dose is a safe starting point. If using herbal tinctures or homeopathics, start with just one drop and gradually increase as tolerated. You can always adjust the amount up or down. Be aware if your client pushes for quick fixes, especially when feeling unwell for so long.
With our bioenergetic hair and saliva testing, you’ll know which toxins are stressing the body and whether the client is ready for detox at all.
Mistake #4: You worked with a cookie-cutter detox protocol.
This is a biggie. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to detox the body.
What works for candida doesn't work for a Lyme regimen. What works for someone struggling with hidden parasites doesn’t always jive with someone who needs to repair the gut.
With the rise of AI, the demand for personalized solutions also rises. People don't want to leave their health to AI-generated suggestions! They are looking for human connection along with products that are tailored and personal.
DETOX TIPS: A thorough intake is your foundation. Take time to ask questions and learn your client's story. Explore all aspects of your client’s health—physical and emotional. Ask questions about dental health, morning and evening routines, and the rationale behind their goals.
Mistake #5: You forgot the parasympathetic response
The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is your “Rest, Digest & Detox” mode.
The PNS is responsible for calming the body, supporting digestion, and allowing the body to detox. If your client is stuck in sympathetic dominance (“fight or flight”), their detox pathways won’t function properly.
When the PNS is activated:
Pupils constrict
Digestion is activated (more elimination and absorption)
Increased saliva
Less adrenaline
Slower heart rate
Increased bile flow
Better lymph flow
The PNS enhances bile flow from the liver and gallbladder, which assists in breaking down toxins and fat-soluble waste, allowing for their elimination. Without bile, toxins often get reabsorbed into circulation instead of being cleared.
Gut motility is stimulated when the PNS is activated, and as we know from the drainage funnel framework, healthy detox depends on regular bowel movements. The PNS stimulates intestinal activity, helping the body move waste products out efficiently. If you're stuck in "fight or flight," constipation or sluggish bowels often follow.
While the lymphatic system doesn't have a pump like the heart, it's deeply influenced by parasympathetic dominance. When the PNS is active, the body isn't under stress, allowing the lymphatic system to drain cellular waste, immune debris, and toxins more effectively. This also supports your client’s cardiovascular system!
DETOX TIPS: If you are using bioresonance testing and the Lymph dial appears stressed, look for clues to sympathetic nervous system dominance: hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal glands, high cortisol, digestive stress.
You can give your client all the right supplements and detox remedies, but if their nervous system is stuck in the sympathetic response, the body won’t drain or eliminate toxins efficiently.
Support your client and their nervous system through:
Breathwork or meditation
Essential oils
Gentle movement like yoga or walking
Creative outlets (coloring books, journaling)
You don’t need to wonder if your detox protocol will work if you just stop guessing. You can give your client all the right supplements and remedies—but unless their nervous system is onboard, their body won’t detox effectively.
Our full-body testing gives you a custom roadmap showing which organs need support, what toxins are interfering with balanced health, and lights the way to a targeted plan.
Because when detox is done right, clients feel lighter, clearer, calmer—and results finally stick.
