Real-Life Communication
In practicing any kind of medicine, you're going to be dealing with
people of all ages and experiences on a constant basis. In order to help them
as best you can, you need good communication skills. You have to be able to
get them to talk to you, and know how best to respond.
"Communication
skills are critical," says herbalist Aviva Romm. "You're really working on
communication skills with each of your clients in order to be able to elicit
information from them and get them to respond. You have to be a really good
listener. You sort of have to draw things out of people that they may not
be ready to talk about."
Herbal medicine is a field struggling for
respect and acceptance in public and medical circles. Some herbalists have
taken the initiative to spread awareness of the benefits of their practice.
They do this by writing books and articles, speaking at conferences, posting
material on websites and talking to the media.
"Even though
it's a field that most [herbalists] are really quiet about, many feel compelled
to do some interfacing with the media and the public," says Romm.
Perhaps
the most common communication skill used by clinical herbalists is writing
clear and informative patient files. A patient file is a list of recommendations
directing a patient on what to do with the medicine they're given.
"What
I do is I write down everything for my clients, because a lot of times you'll
tell them something and they'll get home and have the wrong idea," says Romm.
"So it's very important to write everything out and have a sheet of paper
you can give to them."
You are a herbalist treating a patient with
gallstones. You've come up with a treatment plan for them, which includes
some complex instructions.
Write answers to these three frequently
asked questions for the patient to consult:
- What is the tea made from and how do I take it?
- What should I stay away from while on this treatment?
- What should I put in my diet to help this treatment work better?
Base your answers on the following list of herbs, dosage directions
and health tips:
- Tea is made of dandelion, artichoke and Oregon grape root. First week:
1/2 tsp. herb with one cup boiling water. Second week: increase to one tsp.
herb, steeped five min. covered, strain, drink unsweetened before a meal.
- Take no iron supplements. Keep away from cereals with added iron.
- Eat bulking agents (psyllium, oat bran, wheat bran) and liver and gallbladder
treating foods (artichokes, lemons, beets, fennel).
- Avoid foods precipitating gallbladder attacks (fatty/spicy foods, eggs,
pork) and limit sweets (honey, raw and brown sugar, alcohol).