Today’s biggest medical breakthroughs have as much to do with looking to the future as they do with learning from the past – often simultaneously. Pharmaceutical companies develop new drugs and vaccines, sometimes by harnessing the power of ancient herbs and substances. Geneticists employ cutting-edge technology to decode the primal and long-buried secrets contained within our DNA. And perhaps most prominently in everyday life, millennia-old practices such as yoga and acupuncture have gained wide acceptance for their restorative properties for the mind, body, and spirit.
Increasingly, modern research has shown deep, quantifiable ties between a person’s physical and spiritual well being, but the medical establishment has been slow to catch up. Fortunately, Dr. Sharon Norling is one pioneer who’s taken the lead in integrating these techniques, and with the Mind, Body, Spirit Center in Westlake Village, California, she hopes to use them to better serve her patients.
At the Mind, Body, Spirit Center, Dr. Norling takes an integrative and innovative approach with patients. Starting with the natural medicine, supplements, and herbs that best suit each individual’s situation, Dr. Norling also addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the healing process. For example, a patient may be prescribed natural medicine to go along with integrative therapies such as acupuncture, as well as meditation or yoga for mind-body relaxation techniques.
In addition, Dr. Norling champions mutual awareness between the patient and the physician as essential ingredients in the healing process. As she explains, “The whole person gives you an idea of why some symptoms and diseases are occurring.” On top of studying their medical records, she goes directly to the patient for their medical, environmental, and social histories, as well as their goals and choices for their convalescence. By sharing a dialogue, both the patient and the physician can more fully understand the situation and step up their involvement in their healing process. Dr. Norling considers herself the patient’s colleague in their recuperation.
Dr. Norling’s extensive experience and impressive CV bear out her longstanding passion for and dedication to in integrative medicine. While she was assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Norling took an active role in developing integrative, holistic centers and served as medical director for the university’s renowned Center for Spirituality and Healing and the Mind, Body, Spirit Clinic. She is also board certified in holistic medicine, medical acupuncture, and obstetrics/gynecology–the only physician in the United States known to claim all three honors.
With the holistic philosophy gaining a foothold both inside and outside traditional medical circles, Dr. Norling has taken the message to a wide audience, including the White House Commission on Complementary Alternative Medicine. More typically, medical professionals, students, and healthcare experts, as well as cruise ship and convention guests have heard her lectures. Doctors and members of the medical community have also turned to her for advice on topics related to her specialties: the care of mature women, complementary and alternative care, and health and nutrition. She has co-authored the book Integrative Medicine and written for numerous publications.
Perhaps one of the most significant healthcare revolutions in the past decade has been the acceptance of alternative techniques as viable cures. The road to recovery is no longer paved solely with pharmaceuticals, and at the Mind, Body, Spirit Center, Dr. Sharon Norling has combined ancient practices, modern medicine, and old-fashioned patient care to create a new, holistic approach to healing. Leave it to the scientists to seek demonstrable, irrefutable evidence of the mind-body connection in laboratories – Dr. Norling will practice it in real life.
