Dora Kunz, born Theodora Sophia van Gelder in Dutch East Indies in 1904, was a prominent figure in the Theosophical Society and a practitioner of psychic abilities and alternative healing. Her early life included a daily meditation practice from age five and interactions with ethereal beings, encouraged by her clairvoyant mother. She later studied with C.W. Leadbeater, a known psychic, to hone her skills. Moving to the United States in 1927, she married Fritz Kunz and became a naturalized American citizen. Together, they established the first Theosophical camp in Washington state.

Kunz is best known for co-developing Therapeutic Touch in 1972 with Dr. Dolores Krieger, a nursing professor. This healing method, which Kunz linked to ancient Yogic texts describing pranic healing, is taught internationally and aims to promote healing and reduce pain. She also utilized her clairvoyance to assist physicians with diagnoses, describing energy centers in the body, or chakras, and their connection to disease. Her followers believed she could foresee illnesses well before symptoms appeared. Kunz led the Theosophical Society in America from 1975 to 1987, after which she focused on writing and lecturing.

Born in Dutch East Indies, Dora van Gelder's parents were early members of the Theosophical Society. From a young age, meditation was a daily practice, and she reported interactions with spiritual entities, a trait her mother recognized as clairvoyance. Her abilities were further nurtured through study with C.W. Leadbeater, an Anglican clergyman and psychic, who guided her in developing her psychic skills. This connection also introduced her to Fritz Kunz, whom she later married in the United States.

Dora Kunz was instrumental in developing Therapeutic Touch, a healing method she created with nursing professor Dr. Dolores Krieger in 1972. Kunz described Therapeutic Touch as originating from ancient Sanskrit texts on pranic healing, intended to facilitate healing, relaxation, and pain relief. The technique gained widespread adoption, being taught in numerous universities and countries. Kunz also applied her clairvoyant abilities to aid medical professionals, offering diagnoses by observing energy fields and disease effects in patients' auras. She described energy centers, known as chakras, and their correlation with illness and endocrine glands, with followers claiming she could predict ailments months in advance.

Kunz served as president of the Theosophical Society in America for twelve years, from 1975 to 1987. During her tenure, she published "The Real World of Fairies" in 1977, detailing her lifelong communication with nature spirits and fairies, including sightings in Central Park. She posited that devas are connected to vital energy and play a role in Earth's preservation and healing, suggesting that increased environmental activism could foster better communication between humans and devas. Following her retirement from the Theosophical Society, she continued to lecture and write.