August 2, 2023

Sometimes when I have a client who has a complicated health history, I start to feel overwhelmed. I'm not sure what to do, and I feel the need to dive into a research rabbit hole.

Then I remember: I don't treat diseases.

What a relief.

For me, it's not a linguistic trick.

I'm interested in diseases. I like learning more about how the body works, and what kind of medical care my clients might be receiving.

I think being informed on these topics is a big part of providing safe care. (In fact, that's the whole point of most of my Deep Dive lectures.)

But I know, I trust, that the point of working with herbs or foods or healing presence in general is not to directly intervene with a specific pathway. It's not about bringing in an outside "thing" to fix a problem that's happening.

It's about giving our bodies the space, care, and tools needed to come closer to balance. It's about walking with someone during a challenging time. It's about facilitating growth and learning.

If you're thinking that your work is to treat a disease while tiptoeing around the word "treat," you and your clients may be missing out on the deeper and wider work of not treating a disease.

Take care,

Camille



About Camille Freeman, DCN (she/her)

Hi there! I'm a clinical herbalist and nutritionist specializing in fertility and menstrual health. I run the Monday Mentoring community of practice and also offer continuing education programs for practicing herbalists and nutritionists (Check out this year's Deep Dive!). I'm also a former professor with the Maryland University of Integrative Health, where I taught physiology, pathophysiology, and mindful eating for 17 years. 

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