Vis medicatrix naturae, the healing power of nature, perhaps the most powerful and least understood of all the naturopathic principles, became the main thread of conversation at the Third Annual Gathering of naturopathic physicians and students.
The Gathering is the brainstorm of a group of SCNM students spurred on by several well-known NDs. The students were starved for a connection to their philosophical roots, the doctors hungry to reconnect. The journey of The Gathering from Arizona to Portland began when Dr. William J. Keppler, President of NCNM, summoned me to his office last September. He handed me an email address and asked me to make contact – “The Gathering was coming to Portland”.
The Gathering, held February 10-12, heralded breaking news on the political and professional fronts. Dr. Keppler apprised the group on his successful Washington, D.C. trip to appear before the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. Dr. Jane Guiltinan, President of the AANP, delivered a strong pledge of support for state licensure efforts, in particular New York as well as Illinois, where a historic naturopathic college is soon to be reopened. Dr. Paul Mittman, President of SCNM, challenged us to identify our medicine, and to improve our curriculum and professional policies.
Opening night held an unexpected surprise. NCNM’s 50th Anniversary committee has been on a campaign to explore NCNM’s roots. A recent discovery was a doctor in our own proverbial back yard – the first female graduate, class of 1968. This remarkable woman served as inspiration for many ND women who followed, carving their niche in a then male dominated field. Betty Radelet, DC, ND was a 43-year-old widow with seven children when she discovered natural medicine. She is now 85 years old and still practicing. She has a twinkle in her eye, a spring in her step, and a deep reverence for the power of naturopathic medicine.
The emcee for the weekend, Dr. Louise Edwards of Durango, CO, set the course for the weekend by reading from the book, The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations, by James Surowiecki. This was an appropriate segue for the ensuing group conversations that will likely help shape the future of our medicine.
After a heart-warming drum and candle lighting ceremony, Dr. Jared Zeff of Vancouver, WA took the stage. Dr. Zeff spoke about the importance of turning theory into practice. “The whole point of medical philosophy is to guide our thinking. It’s the thing we fall back on when we’re confused about what to do.”
Dr. Jim Sensenig, from Hamden, CT, was the first of three dynamic speakers on Saturday. He pointed out that there are over 700,000 MDs practicing at a time when medicine is shifting towards vitalism. There are thousands of practicing NDs who are drifting towards allopathic methods. “This is problematic. We face an urgent need to discuss, profession-wide, our philosophy in order to stop drifting from our roots, because they are what preserve our profession.”
Dr. Tom Kruzel of Scottsdale, AZ also spoke about the importance of maintaining our roots while practicing the art of medicine. “Disease speaks a language, treatment speaks a language. The art of medicine is the translation between the two to stimulate the vital force to throw off the disease process.”
Dr. Pamela Snider of Seattle, WA led a lively panel discussion. Dr. Rich Barrett, Dr. Rita Bettenburg, Dr. Steven Sandberg-Lewis, Dr. Dickson Thom, and Dr. Kimberly Windstar spoke about the clinical use and relevance of the naturopathic principles. The conversation that ensued probed differing ways for our curriculum to reflect our philosophy and values in the changing world of healthcare. Dr. Thom eloquently stated, “Education is to light a fire, not fill a bucket.”
Dr. Cathy Rogers, from Bremerton, WA, shared many pearls of wisdom from her life’s journey practicing naturopathy. She maintains that it was not enough to offer therapeutics, we must be therapeutic. “The clinician’s engaged presence and resonant witnessing of the patient’s lived experience and nonverbal expressions are healing.” Dr. Rogers operates a medicinal spa on the shores of Puget Sound.
The Beacon Award has become a tradition at the Gathering. This award is presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of naturopathic medicine. This year’s recipient was Mr. Friedhelm Kirchfeld, recently retired NCNM librarian. When Friedhelm assumed his duties over 25 years ago, NCNM’s library consisted of two shelves of dog-eared books. NCNM’s library now houses thousands of publications, including a Rare Books room, which consists of books and journals pre-NCNM, some of them hundreds of years old.
Dr. Bill Mitchell, from Seattle, WA, was Sunday’s keynote speaker. He opened by talking about the importance of The Gathering. “It goes far beyond other seminars and meetings. It is a time to explore the cutting edge of ourselves and our profession. Bring what is relative from old energies to hone the new. It is a time to probe something that is slightly beyond our reach.”
The Gathering differs from other conferences in that it is more like a family reunion. Past and present AANP presidents and founders, founders of our colleges, presidents and deans of our colleges, medicinal health spa leaders, and political lobbyists. They attend The Gathering to connect with each other. They inspire those who will next carry the torch, allowing our profession to flourish and prosper. As the unity candle, which has presided over three Gatherings, was extinguished during closing ceremonies, each of us was bestowed with a spark of magic that we will carry for a lifetime.
After attending The Gathering it became evident that this is an event not meant to be explained, but one to be experienced. Just as you have your daily rituals and routines, you are encouraged to make The Gathering your annual ‘must do.’ Your life, your practice and your heart will be enriched. DVDs of this year’s Gathering will soon be available at www.naturopathicsociety.org