Reflections

The Swine Flu Mirror

By Erik L. Goldman | Editor-in-Chief - Vol. 10, No. 4. , 2009

What’s really interesting about H1N1 is the way it seems to mirror back to people what they fear most and trust least. Our individual reactions and responses to this bug tell us more about our human nature, than the nature of the virus or its potential health consequences.

Neuroacoustics: The Healing Power of Sound

By Erik L. Goldman | Editor-in-Chief - Vol. 5, No. 3. , 2004

The experience of sound is at the very core of human consciousness, and it can be a powerful tool for healing. For the last two decades, Dr. Jeffrey Thompson has dedicated himself to developing new ways to work with sound vibrations to treat depression, fatigue, cardiovascular disease, and other stress related problems.

From “Clinical Facility” to “Garden of Healing”: Creating a Healing Environment for Your Patients

By Deb Andelt | Contributing Writer - Vol. 10, No. 2. , 2009

The specific treatment a doctor gives is only a small part of the total clinical experience. The key to creating an effective healing experience is to create a vision that reaches below the surface of conscious awareness, where 95% of what we take in is processed. To give patients a nurturing, healing experience, we need to create nurturing, compassionate, empowering input that touches people on many different levels.

From “Health Care” to Healthful Caring

By Russell M. Jaffe, MD | Contributing Writer - Vol. 9, No. 4. , 2008

The US spends 99 cents of its health care dollar on end-stage treatment and hardly a penny on prevention; as a result we’re facing an unprecedented burden of chronic disease that claims lives and threatens our economic future. Some of the best minds in medicine are now working to put proactive prevention at the center of American medicine.

Finding Balance: A New Book Extends a Helping Hand to Hurt, Harried Healers

By Staff Writer - Vol. 9, No. 2. , 2008

In his new book, Finding Balance in a Medical Life, Dr. Lee Lipsenthal contends that doctors bring about much of their own unhappiness through controlling, perfectionistic and workaholic attitudes. Drawing from a wide range of psychological practices and spiritual traditions, Dr. Lipsenthal provides insights and practical tools to help fellow physicians find joy and fulfillment in their personal and professional lives.

Defining Your Values Is Key to Building a Healthy Practice

By Erik L. Goldman | Editor-in-Chief - Vol. 8, No. 4. , 2007

Now more than ever, the nation needs health care systems that focus on prevention. Equally pressing is the need to restore economic viability to primary care and rebuild physician-patient relationships. The changes will only come when doctors re-define their professional values and restructure their practices accordingly. Dr. Elson Haas, a holistic pioneer with more than 30 years’ experience, reflects on the values underlying his thriving practice.

Roots of Health Begin in the Soil

By August West | Contributing Writer - Vol. 8, No. 4. , 2007

Healthy soil is the foundation of healthy food, which is the foundation of healthy humans, says Michael Abelman, a veteran organic farmer who believes farming has a lot more in common with medical practice than most people realize.

“Bad Cholesterol”: Good Marketing, But Is It Good Medicine?

By Cleaves M. Bennett, MD | Contributing Writer - Vol. 8, No. 3. , 2007

The cholesterol model of heart disease, which labels LDL as “bad” and HDL as “good,” has certainly helped drug companies sell a lot of statin medications. But has it really reduced the impact of obesity, heart disease and diabetes in this country? “Not really,” says Dr. Cleaves Bennett, one of the nation’s leading experts on hypertension, kidney disease and preventive medicine.

Terma Foundation: Saving Lives in Tibet’s Far Reaches

By Erik L. Goldman | Editor-in-Chief

Internist Nancy Harris, MD, has learned a lot over her 15 years of providing holistic primary care services in remote regions of Tibet. Among the lessons, the power of nutrition to transform lives, and the power of human dignity to transcend adversity.