Does It Work!?!?
I have so much to write about these days! I am still preparing my presentation and meanwhile reading the book: The Mind-Body Fertility Connection by James Schwartz and listening to: The Silva Method and reading on the side my-once-a month-beloved Oprah magazine AND to top it all off a book called CoActive Coaching whose authors I don’t remember :) My brain functions at about this level (Which the Silva Method says is 20cycles per second… I think it’s about 60… and it should be around 10) quite often. But even within all these things being mixed up, I started thinking (AGAIN) about the responsibility of the healer and the responsibility of the patient.
If a patient comes to me and says she would like to get pregnant, is it my job to make her pregnant? Can I even do that? Is it possible? No, not really. My job, my responsibility in this case is to be sure that I am doing everything in my own power to balance my patient’s energies, to be sure that her body is prepared for a pregnancy. Also, it is my responsibility to inform my patient of things she can do herself at home or otherwise to prepare her body / mind / soul for pregnancy. It is my responsibility to let the patient know when I see progress and when I do not. It is my responsibility to take care of myself so that I can be there for each patient. It is my responsibility to continue to study, to be sure that I can give my patients the very best.
On the other hand, the success or lack thereof is not wholly my responsibility. Yes, I should inform my patients of things that may help them. Does this guarantee that they will do it? Do they have to? Will it work? No, no and I don’t know. I have written about this before in a bit of a different context, but I will write it again because it is something that has been returning and returning to me month after month since being in Germany. Jeffery Yuen said: “Your patient doesn’t have to believe in acupuncture or herbs or whatever modality of medicine you are practicing, your patient must believe, however, in the possibility of healing”.
So, when patients ask me: Does It Work?!??  I say: What do you think??
Is the patient in a place where she believes in the possibility of: becoming pregnant, carrying a pregnancy AND giving birth? This is usually a very difficult thing for women with fertility issues. Most of them cannot say outloud: I am capable of being pregnant, staying pregnant and birthing my child…. at least not at first 
One of my biggest responsibilities therefore, is to help my patients revisit the world of possibility. To expand her view of what is possible in the context of her own life. To be there for her when she says a door just closed and to help her open another. I walk along with my patients on their path but ultimately the direction we take depends on the patient. I have my own views about where everyone should be but I am not always right, in fact, I am always only right when it comes to myself. Just like my patients are always right when it comes to themselves.
Every patient has the ability to live a fertile life. Every patient has the ability to choose the path she walks. Every patient can learn to help herself. I’m just an aid along a portion of the path. I might carry you for a minute or just hold your hand. My presence will be limited to a certain time span and I hope that in that time I can help show you that your life is beautiful today and will continue to be beautiful, no matter what doors open and close along the way.
xo
Caity
September 17 2009 04:47 pm | Articles