VIEWPOINT FROM CLINICAL PRACTICE
More than Bone Broths and Bodywork
Nourishing the soul and building resilience
Dr Airdre Grant
Resilience . The capacity to recover from toughness , difficulties . It means having flexibility and being able to ‘ bounce back ’, having what my late father would call ‘ intestinal fortitude ’. The need for resilience permeates all aspects of being . Naturopaths , practitioners and healers understand that resilience is key to a strong , healthy body and outlook on life . They know that resilience abides in the physical , mental , spiritual and emotional capacity of a being . It is vital for a holistic , healthy life .
As practitioners , you know all this . You ’ ve been extolling the merits of bodywork and meditation and the importance of positive connection with others to develop resilience and a solid foundation for good health . You ’ ve been handing out advice to clients - recipes , exercise sheets , supplements , herbs . But what about resilience in the practitioner ? Consider these stories from practice .
Josie was very excited to be part of a new multi-disciplinary clinic . She contributed to the newsletter , came prepared to all the practice meetings , attended all the working bees , volunteered to monitor the social media communications and generally made a significant contribution to the overall success of the business . All went well , until Josie realised that more and more of the ‘ volunteer ’ work was falling to her . She felt it became expected she would do it . Josie began to feel taken for granted and that she wasn ’ t getting the recognition warranted for all her efforts . Her enthusiasm waned and her feeling of delight about working at the clinic began to sour .
Josie was an ‘ over-giver ’. Carried away on a wave of enthusiasm , she had gone in hard to support the clinic and help it thrive . Her contribution was welcomed but the balance was out when too much fell her way , too often . It is very human to want recognition for effort and contribution , and it is also common to be disappointed on that count . She complained about it to her partner , who at first was sympathetic but who wearied quickly . She talked about it to her colleague at another clinic . They noted that Josie needed to ‘ get the dosage right ’ and to recognise that her commitment was not selfless , and she needed a level of recognition and acknowledgement . ‘ Dial it back a bit ,’ they counselled .
Josie ’ s wellbeing and resilience rested on the shaky ground of other people ’ s opinions . The confirmation she sought was external , and therefore unreliable . This painful lesson in life is hard-earned . Most of us know that in the working world you sometimes get validation , and more often you don ’ t . It can be an affirmation-free zone . Tough , sadly true and all the more reason to ensure you have at least one good friend or colleague who supports you .
The moral of the story ? Josie needed to think about calibrating her enthusiasms so that any giving didn ’ t leave her feeling unappreciated . Resilience needs to be nourished from within and backed up by understanding when to give , and when to hold back and take care of yourself . This is part of the ongoing work of ‘ growing up ’ and takes time .
Peter had been working with a long-term client . Every time Peter saw the booking , he would brace himself . He wanted to help the client , but it was heavy going . For every suggestion he made , the client would have a solid reason as to why it couldn ’ t / wouldn ’ t work . The suggestions were too expensive or impractical ; the tonics tasted foul ; they couldn ’ t exercise ; their partner thought it was nonsense ; they didn ’ t have time ; someone had told them that [ insert supplement ] didn ’ t work ; and on it went . Every recommendation met a smiling brick wall . The client refused to see anyone else , because they ‘ liked Peter and felt safe and comfortable with him ’. One day , to his horror , Peter said to the client in exasperation , “ Can you please just give me a break !”
He was caught in a game that somehow served the client but was frustrating , and eroded his sense of competence as a practitioner . Peter ’ s resilience was tested by a warped relationship with his client , and he began to experience a loss of a sense of power and effectiveness . He
148 | vol28 | no3 | JATMS