 |
||
|
| ||
|
"Changing the Playing Field" On two essential contributors to clinical outcomes shared by naturopaths and therapists alike. By Matt Laughlin -- Fall 2009, Vol 5, Issue 17 -- Download the PDF 
I recently caught up with an old friend
and naturopathic physician while we
hiked outside of Vail, Colorado. The beauty of
the hike could inspire a few paragraphs of their
own, but I will stick to the inspiring content of
our conversation, inquiries you, our readers,
are no doubt very familiar with.
In essence, we were musing together about our clinical approaches; what seems to work, what we share in common - he, a naturopathic physician with extensive study in Ayurveda, and myself a psychotherapist. By the way, he contributed a fantastic article to this issue of UH, so be sure to read Physician Heal Thyself: An Ayurvedic Perspective on the Mind, by Nicholas Bitz, ND. I asked Dr. Bitz if there was an underlying 'something' he noticed himself doing with most, if not all of his patients, despite their unique constitutions and varied treatment protocols. Referencing the phrase "changing the playing field," he shared how, in essence, much of his clinical work involves changing the way in which his patients approach their health, their bodies, their eating patterns, their minds and what it means to heal. Exercise is a simple example; while many clinicians struggle to introduce their patients to exercise, in many cases Dr. Bitz has had to do the opposite. In Vail's hyperactive culture that values high performance, high-level fitness and perhaps the physical appearance of each, how does a clinician work within that playing field? Simple. They don't. In that context, the path to fulfillment is to exercise 3-4 hours a day, even if you don't feel well. That's how you win. Instead, the real challenge, says Bitz, is to reframe exercise and fitness in such a way that his patients are playing on a different field - a field that honors the value of exercise but also honors health in a larger, more balanced context. So how does he do it? No matter who he works with, Dr. Bitz becomes intimately familiar with the current space in which his patients live; the many physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of their unique playing field. From there it is not a matter of prescribing some preset definition of a new, ideal playing field built for everyone. Instead, it is more a matter of contextualizing what life changes need to be made that are meaningful to that individual patient and work with their constitution. Not surprisingly, Dr. Bitz uses a lot of metaphors and imagery, in essence painting a new field of play in their mind; a field of possibilities for healing which are concrete and make sense to his patients. Only after that new field is established do any of the therapeutic modalities, nutritional changes, mindfulness practices or supplements make any sense. But we both agreed something else is easily overlooked in this process; something that differentiates successful clinicians. That something is a caring presence and the voice of having been there, of knowing what it is to feel low and to renew health. What most anyone immediately picks up about Dr. Bitz is how thoroughly he practices what he teaches. The man is a vibrant reflection of the vitality and kindness that arise by adhering to the many life principles and health practices of Ayurveda. There is a ring of authority and enthusiasm in his voice that makes you want to eat mung beans with spices you have never heard of and get up earlier to meditate. You just trust him. Changing the playing field and living what you practice are essential contributors to positive clinical outcomes. After all, it takes faith to make the leap from a playing field you value highly to another perhaps more unfamiliar way of living. In psychotherapy, that faith in the clinician is referred to as the positive transference. Without a positive transference the most eloquent suggestions, gentle facilitation and accurate assessments will simply fall on deaf ears. In short, clinical outcomes may have less to do with what you say to your patients and more to do with what you are to them. Blessings in Health, Matt About the Editor 
Matt Laughlin, MA: After completing over two years in a doctor of naturopathic medicine program with Bastyr University of Seattle, Matt decided to focus his professional work more
closely on the inner dimensions of healing. He earned an MA in Contemplative Psychotherapy at Naropa University, a program integrating eastern (meditation and Buddhist psychology)
and western approaches to the practice of counseling. Matt's practice, Spiritus Counseling LLC, is based in Boulder, Colorado. He facilitates regular workshops and works primarily with individual
adults and couples. In addition to his pyschotherapeutic work, he also authored Fundamental Principles of Holistic Medicine: A Guide to Actualizing Optimal Health, with a forward by Mary Bove, ND (2006 Unified Health Press).
RETURN from Changing the Playing Field |
Share with a colleague
SEARCH OUR SITE:
 NEW WEBINAR!
Potent Healing Solutions with Innate Response
With James Doherty, National Educator GET NOTIFIED OF NEW ISSUES! Sign-up for our e-newsletter and never miss annother issue! |
|
|
A WELCOME MESSAGE from Matt Laughlin, Editor-in-Chief
Innate Response E-News includes new and archived editorial from UH,
research reviews in whole foods, therapeutic rationales on whole food supplementation, and more...
[?] Subscribe To This Site
|
||
|
Home
| Recent Issues
| Subscribe
| About the Journal
Feature Interviews | Research Reviews in Whole Foods Whole Foods in Medicine | Clinical Focus | Healing and Consciousness Free Webinars | UH Blog | Contact Us Copyright © 2007 - 2010 - Unified Health™ - All Rights Reserved Return to top |
||
