One of the most frequently asked questions I hear from my clients is, “What made you leave your career in Nursing and start your own practice?”The earlier part of my nursing career was spent in Australia in high dependency primary care and later in medical/oncology and palliative care. Illness surrounded me and death was more common than not. Disempowerment was augmented by a system resistant to change and it was not much longer til light soon shone in a new direction physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.I travelled overseas and whilst nursing at a private hospital in Surrey (U.K), took up further studies in Aromatherapy.
The Medical Consultants there were very open to alternative complimentary therapies and permitted me to use this therapy in the ward where I worked. This was a positive beginning and the improvements in the patients’ physical and overall wellbeing was most impressive. One particular patient I recall in her 50’s was a regular on the ward in and out of remission diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She had symptoms of pitting oedema (chronic fluid retention), immunosuppression and immobility to name just a few. Before treatment she was only able to transfer from wheel chair to bed.
Following two aromatherapy massages using a blend of essential oils with Juniper, her diuresis increased quite dramatically. As she had been in a wheel chair at home for many months a little joint release for her arms was required to relieve stiffness and restricted movement. She was soon able to walk with a frame; something she hadn’t done for a long time. Her spirits were lifted giving her new hope and motivation.When I returned home to Australia my newly acquired skills were greeted with much less enthusiasm from the more conservative M.D. colleagues (their comments termed them, “hocus pocus”). I brushed aside their scepticism and used essential oils in subtle ways such as Lavender or Roman Chamomile bed baths and placed a few drops in a small fan on the bedside table for the terminally ill. I included oils such as Cypress, Clary sage and Melissa for the grieving families to restore comfort and peace. It wasn’t long before I began my own private practice and furthered my studies in Kinesiology & Emotional Healing.
I offer a holistic approach to health and having had first-hand experience of how disempowered and dependent patients can become in hospitals, it is my belief that prevention is the pathway to empowerment.
