With Care in Heart and Mind: Traditional Medicine
Caring for people has been an integral part of my life since my early years.
My first “patient” was my own grandmother, who at her senior age moved along with my parents to Israel. Unable to speak Hebrew, she could only rely on my help, while her own children were busy making a living. As a teenager I picked up the language quickly, and took on the duty of taking my grandmother to see all the doctors she needed to support her fragile health. Administering medications, checking labels, and taking care of prescriptions was part of my daily routine. It was only natural that I envisioned myself as a future doctor.
When the time came for me to complete my Army Service, I opted for a teaching position. This decision was conscious as my other childhood dream was to be a teacher. My job assignment was to teach Hebrew to teenagers. Being only 18 years old myself and not a native Hebrew speaker, I was very nervous. The neighbourhood was distant, with high criminal rates and rather troubled students. I soon realised that my job was not so much about transferring language skills, but about taking care of those teenagers. Dealing with them every day, I soon learned about hardships and difficulties I could never imagine myself; I immersed into the personal stories of every student. Those two years of service opened my eyes and allowed me to look at life from various perspectives and understand people better.
I tried my very best to help each one of them. I got my first intuitive experience with psychology. I can say that those two years convinced me that I love people too much not to care for them.
My university education gave me a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and a better understanding of how the human body works. I spent the following 13 years in Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, the third largest hospital in Israel. The Department of Orthopedic Oncology is the only one in the country, and I was lucky to continue my professional development there. First, I learned to be a better nurse; then, I supervised nurses myself, while also training student nurses and new hires. Participation in clinical research enhanced my scientific experience. Working in close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of doctors, psychologists, radiologists, physiotherapists, dieticians, and social workers, I learned to respond to patient needs, providing the best possible care. Facilitation of groups for patients and their families was also a great training: the need to deal with complex and very personal questions about disease processes and procedures, palliative care, and pain management, taught me to be extremely sensitive and use extra care.
The more I worked in the field of Patient and Family Focused Care, the more I felt that I belonged there.
Journey to Mind and Heart: Alternative Care – Soul medicine
In 2001, I just started my clinical training in the ISU unit, when a Hamas terror attack in Dolphinarium discotheque, a nightclub in Tel-Aviv, took the lives of 21 Israelis; 16 of them were teenagers.
I was asking myself, over and over, the same questions - Why? How was it fair that the young and innocent were gone in the very beginning of their life? Why do we die?
Medicine holds answers to many questions, but not to all of them.
Later on, I would see Death on regular basis. I saw some of my oncology patients succumb to death. I saw families grieving their loss. I saw patients who had finished their treatment but would return after some time with an even more aggressive form of cancer.
I saw many things. I grew to accept Death as an integral aspect of Life. However, I noticed that there was still something irrational about how disease and death worked. Why do people get sick in the first place? And why can some patients “miraculously” cope with terminal illness, while others pass away after a routine procedure? What is this key element that defines every individual human story?
I did not know the answer, but somehow, I felt that the answer was hidden deep inside of every human being. Every person is their own answer!
That was a wonderful theory, but it lacked evidence and proof. As a scientist, I needed data, so I started looking for a perfect subject for my little experiment. At that time I was in emotional distress, and constant state of unhappiness. So, I started with myself – exploring my mental and spiritual states, paving my way to my own mind and heart.
This spiritual journey started with my interest in Kabbalah. Upon immigration, we settled in Tzfat, one of the Holy Cities, so it was only natural to start with this teaching. However, mysticism did not hold answers to my questions.
I also looked into psychotherapy: I learned about different methods both in theory and practice, evaluating their effects based on my own experience. Gradually I sorted out my inner conflicts and became a much happier person. It became clear to me that many answers were hidden deep inside of us, in our psych, so further professional development in the field of psychology was only natural.
At the same time, I came across Avraham Harcabi, a Master of Bioenergy Healing. Principles of this teaching resonated with me, and for several years, after work, I would attend classes, exploring ways to restore physical and mental health, using energy rather than traditional methods. My own physical and mental health drastically improved.
My trust in the inner powers of our body and mind grew stronger. So, it seemed only reasonable to use the benefits of both traditional and alternative medicines in an integrative approach.
As part of my professional development, I studied Meditation for Pain Management, Humor in Medicine, and Reiki Energy healing. Later on, already in Canada, I finished the course of “Clinical Hypnosis for Clients and Groups” (UofT) as well as “Past Life and Life between Lives Regression Training” (with Georgina Cannon).
Canadian Journey: Two Wings of Love and Care
Upon my arrival to Canada, I continued my professional journey in one of the best places for seniors in Toronto – at Eldercare Home Health (https://www.eldercarehomehealth.com/). This highly professional private company supports patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and palliative needs. As a Registered Nurse Case Manager, once again, I found myself taking care of extremely vulnerable people: my geriatric patients, physically and emotionally fragile, were looking for both medical and heart-felt support. Holistic care as well as a sensitive and honest approach to every human story make Eldercare Home Health the place where true love to people is the way of life. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to work, learn, and gain experience with this top care provider. In fact, they shaped my vision of Canadian Health Care System at the very best quality of service.
So, looking back at my years of experience, I can say that every moment was meaningful: My troubled teenage students, my cancer patients and elderly clients as well as my wonderful employees and colleagues – they taught me different lessons. All those lessons were about the power of care, and how caring for others can make a huge difference in this world.
With time I have also developed a new perception of my role as a healthcare worker – I knew how to help patients not only from a physical point of view, but holistically. I would look at Body, Mind and Spirit, and besides traditional cutting-edge technologies for excellent care, would also employ meditations, mindfulness, and elements of energy healing. My mission became to empower people to believe in themselves, and with this emotional willpower help traditional medicine do its job. I would also use my knowledge of human psychology to find the best way to teach every patient how they can be happier and healthier.
Traditional and alternative approaches are two wings that help people reach the fullest of their potential.
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