Integrative Practice
During the first two years our
twice-a-month meetings were oriented to learning about
healthcare disciplines other than the ones we had
formally trained—learning about integrative practice.
This “show and tell” approach culminated in a weekend
symposium where more than 45 practitioners participated
in presentations describing their professions and,
equally importantly, also learned about their
colleagues’ disciplines. More than 200 people attended
this highly spirited event. We were going beyond where
our training stopped, learning to work together in an
integrative style.
Holism
Woven into the fabric of this symposium was the concept
of holism—the inseparable nature of body, mind, emotion,
and spirit. While much of the symposium was oriented to
exchanging the technical aspects of individual
disciplines, the entire event was explored in the
context of “the role of spirit in healing.” As one of
our colleagues and mentors, Richard Miles, commented,
“The focus of attention of the HMF is transcending from
“information exchange” to “connection.”
We
learned that healing goes far beyond treating a “set of
symptoms” with a “bag of tools.” And, we began to
appreciate that the healing process requires not only an
understanding of the nature of disease and the nature of
the patient, but also the nature of the
interrelationship existing between them as well as the
meaning of illness as a process of personal
transformation.
Person-Centered Care
Everyone knows that you can lead a horse
to water, but you cannot make it drink. We discovered
that by inspiring our patients to take responsibility
for their healthcare choices, it is hard to keep them
from taking the action they believe in.
Promoting self-empowerment through the development of a
deep, caring, personal relationship where the healthcare
practitioner is an active and sensitive listener makes
it possible to create a sacred space where a meaningful
dialogue may emerge. An alliance often follows wherein
there is a joint willingness to be vulnerable and “not
know.” This setting encourages the development of new
insights that can lead to transformations that may
promote new and innovative possibilities for healing.
Healthcare Paradigm
The restoration and maintenance of
optimal health and the prevention of disease are the
cornerstones of Health Medicine. Health Medicine
practitioners believe that true primary care is based on
using healthy lifestyle tools that insure proper
nutrition, relaxation, adequate sleep, avoidance of
toxic exposures in our food, water, and air,
detoxification, and finding meaningful purpose in life.
In instances where this fails, natural remedies are
utilized before more invasive approaches such as
pharmaceutical drugs and surgeries are considered.
Therapies are blended from whatever best fits the needs
of each unique patient.
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