Medical Guidance

At this time, I am retired from clinic.  I do not practice medicine as it is generally defined.  That is to say, I do not diagnose and treat illness.  I do not see patients, take their history, examine them, order tests, interpret tests, and then prescribe medicines or refer them for procedures.  My focus is instead on a deeper form of healing, and on educating people so that they learn to heal themselves and keep themselves healthy.

When an illness becomes distressing or serious, it is only human to just want it to go away.  We would like someone, a doctor or a health practitioner, to do something so we can “get our life back” and go about our business.  We tend to treat our illness as we would a flooded basement, or a termite infestation.  We want someone to come and fix it, and while they do we will go out to lunch or do a little shopping.

When this “have it dealt with and be done with it” approach works, it’s wonderful. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. The miracle drug may have some side effect that leaves us worse off than before. The miracle procedure have have some complication which only leaves us in worse distress. Or one issue gets dealt with, but just like that wrinkle in the throw rug, another issue pops right up after it. Next thing we know, we are playing wack-a-mole with all our health problems.

Illness is, first and foremost, an invitation to wake up and change.  If you turn your mind toward actually understanding what is going on with you and what you can do about it, that is wonderful.  That is the basis for real healing.  At the same time, setting off in this direction might leave you feeling a little bit at sea.

We all make medical decisions based on our beliefs. It is wonderful that we have the freedom to do so. But if you start to examine your medical situation and array of opinions which experts have about it, you may find it is not so clear what direction you should take.

Even if you are a firm believer in the conventional Western medicine approach, you will probably find that opinions and practices vary in that world of hard science and research. Also, even a little investigation will make you wary, as it quickly becomes clear that medical practice is not entirely based on the objective pursuit of the patients’ well being. Financial considerations definitely enter into the picture. We have to ask ourselves to what extent is any given treatment recommendations are biased by the motive of monetary gain.

Western medicine is a bit of an orthodoxy. Once you start to look outside the orthodoxy into other medical traditions, including complementary and alternative medicine, you have left the comforting confines of orthodoxy for a chaotic free-for-all in which, it seems, anything goes. People have the wildest theories and make the wildest claims. There is great merit in many of the therapies outside Western medicine, but how do you navigate those seas.

There is a great need here for a guide – a need for someone familiar with the territory, the possibilities and the pitfalls. This is a role I am willing to fulfill. I have the full conventional Western medical training and have practiced Western medicine. At the same time, I have for forty years studied alternative medicine, Chinese medicine, and meditation.

I can help you gather the information you need in order to make informed decisions. We can take the time for me to explain clearly and in plain English what is going on with you medically. I can look into the current Western medical literature and also counsel you about any alternative therapies you may come upon.

Through all our interaction, I do not have an agenda. Only you know the right path you for to take. Whether you choose conventional Western treatment, some forms of alternative medicine, or a combination of both, I support you on that healing path.