Complementary Medicine
Once if you had a problem, you went to your doctor and followed
his or her directions carefully. Diagnosis and treatment were never
questioned. These days, however, Australians are also looking to
complementary medicine for help. About 2 billion dollars are spent
annually in this country on alternative medicine products. There
are over 10,000 alternative practitioners in the community waiting
to assist the public and these include naturopaths, homeopaths,
reflexologists, remedial massage practitioners, aromatherapists
and others. One must be careful not to class all complementary
practitioners together as inadequately trained and pass over them
as of no consequence. Homeopathy, herbal medicine and
acupuncture all require up to four years of study and the Australian
Traditional medicine Society (ATMS) carefully checks the
qualifications of all its intending members before allowing
registration.
The Sisters of Charity Outreach introduced a Wellness Program at
the Living Skills and Learning Centre in early 1997. It consisted of
individual Counselling, Herbal Medicine and Reiki, a hands on and
ancient form of healing. In addition it was also able to offer
remedial massage, but not on site. Because the practitioners
worked together as a team, the clients received appropriate
assistance, attending one or more of the practitioners as required.
Most of the clients attending these services came from the local
area and valued the free service. Many were elderly or came from
broken relationships. Most suffered from stress, were anxious
about the future of their children and found sleeping difficult. Many
received benefit from the wholistic approach of the team.
Because of the proximity of a local safe house to the Living Skills
Centre, women visited for assistance. Some, however, felt unable
to leave their children under supervision. The Reiki practitioner
offered to take the Reiki to the safe house. The manager promptly
set up a comfortable room and Reiki sessions were underway. The
idea was a very successful one and staff members were
encouraged to take up any vacant appointments as they too
experienced stress.
Consultations in herbal medicine were available at the Living Skills
Centre at Lewisham for local people including those women
resident at the safe house. Each month, a herbal study group
continues to gather, and herbal preparations are discussed and
also prepared. The Herbal Project, supported by the Sisters of
Charity, provides herbal medicine to those less able to obtain it. It
consists of consultations, visits (particularly to safe houses) and
herbal discussions and educational seminars. There is an
emphasis on referral to other complementary medicine services.
Herbal education sessions continue to be held at the Kilbride
Centre in Melbourne, and at Lewisham in NSW. These sessions
make herbal medicine available to the local people. Discussions
have been held with aboriginal people of the Glen Innes and
Deniliquin areas about types of herbs suitable for local planting.
Part of the pilot scheme set up at Lewisham in late 1999 provided
the inclusion of remedial massage into the Wellness Program on a
regular basis. This new arrangement was promptly adopted and
set up in the safe house by the enthusiastic manager as St Vincent
de Paul's contribution to the combined complementary medicine
offered. Here at Lewisham, at the Bethany Centre at Concord and
at Liverpool, Sisters of Charity work with lay practioners to respond
to those in need, offering wholistic medicine through Reiki,
homeopathy, herbal medicine and remedial massage.