The Way Of The Natural Therapist is an inspirational compilation of personal accounts from 22 experienced practitioners – representing an impressive 250 years of collective wisdom. The book takes readers on a journey of self-discovery as each individual therapist recounts their unique life stories, chronicling a myriad of experiences over the course of the book. And while the stories are written through the eyes of practitioners, their accounts transcend the role of natural therapists as their insights can be applied to anyone. ntpages took some time out to chat to the book’s editors, practitioners Leisa Millar and James Ketub Golding, for the story behind the book and their personal approach to life.
How did your own personal journey with natural therapies begin?
James: “I had a radical life shift after falling ill to a virus for seven months whilst living in Sydney. With very little help from conventional medicine I was drawn towards natural therapies which helped me overcome the illness. The whole experience led me to give up my stressful and unhealthy lifestyle and to question my life path.”
Leisa: “I literally fell into natural therapies when I tripped on a cobblestone path in London, breaking my two front teeth. This incident became the catalyst for turning to natural therapies to alleviate the pain and stress. It was on this path that I learned about Reiki and self-healing, which has changed the course of my life.”
What was the inspiration for the book?
“The main inspiration for the book came from our own struggles starting out as natural therapists. At the time, we asked other experienced therapists for their advice and through listening to their personal stories we gained such valuable inspiration and insights. From the wisdom the therapists shared with us we realised that there was something deeper to finding excellence and longevity as a therapist than simply advertising, marketing and networking. We then wanted to share this wisdom with other natural therapists so they too could be inspired from reading the diverse stories of experienced therapists. There was no other book out there like it so we decided to write it.”
Who is the book aimed at?
“The book is for anyone passionate about being a natural therapist - whether they have been practising for a few years or many decades, or have just started practising, or are studying natural therapies.”
How did you identify the contributors to your book?
“A few of them we knew personally or had seen as therapists ourselves. Some came from reading their articles in magazines, whilst others we researched via the Internet. However, in the end, the majority came through word of mouth referrals.”
What modalities are featured?
“Naturopathy, acupuncture, massage, kinesiology, yoga, homeopathy, meditation, counselling, reiki, sound healing, ayurveda, qi gong, flower essences and many more.”
Which is your favourite chapter in the book and why? “That’s a difficult question to answer! It’s like choosing your favourite piece of a jigsaw puzzle – each story contributes uniquely to the entire book.”
James: “For me, my favourite is my mentor Christos Dorje Walker – sure call me biased, but there is a real depth and authenticity in his story. I love how he combines his interesting experiences to highlight that being a therapist requires an ability to function outside the realm of perceived “normality” to deal with the pain of being human that most people don’t like to face. This is incredible wisdom which doesn’t often get taught to students in natural therapy colleges.”
Leisa: “I’ve had many ‘aha’ moments reading all the stories but the one I keep re-reading is Chris Neill’s poetic story. There is so much insight behind his few words (it’s the shortest story in the book!). Each time I read his six simple principles for being a therapist I get a deeper awareness of healing, love, life and consciousness.”
From your personal perspective, how has being a natural therapist fed your inner growth?
“We see inner growth as a combination of self-discovery and self-healing. As therapists our inner growth is largely fed through reflection and awareness. Each client or student who walks through the door to share their illnesses, fears and doubts is a mirror image of parts of our own inner state. As a result, an interaction in the therapist room can raise our own doubts, fears, emotions, judgements and thought patterns. The more we become aware of these, the less likely we are to react from our mental and emotional forms and the more we provide a space of pure love and presence for healing to occur.”
You refer to self-responsibility and self-care being the key to wellness – can you expand on these two concepts please and how it relates to our wellbeing?
“After reading the stories in the book, we realised how important it is for therapists to take responsibility for ‘walking the walk’, not just ‘talking the talk’. When therapists practise what they preach they offer therapy from a space of genuine experience, understanding and awareness. And from this comes compassion and deep connection, firstly to themselves and then to their clients. Given that wellness comes from within, it makes perfect sense for therapists to take responsibility for their own wellness first because how they care for themselves is how they care for others.”
What do you hope readers will get from the book?
“We hope that readers feel inspired – inspired to listen to the whisper of their heart, to follow their passion, to practice what they preach, and to increase awareness of their internal world and how it affects their external practice. We hope that the book enriches their life and as a consequence the lives of their clients.”
Originally published on Dec 17, 2010