http://www.transmissionuk.org/ and here is what I wrote:
I am in my first year of four studying a complementary/alternative therapy called Naturopathy. I came to be a student (for the second time, at the age of 26) after my ‘quarter life crisis’ working in a job I hated and in an industry that I didn’t care about. Whilst working I did a lot of reflective thinking about what I would truly like to be doing regardless of salary and paying rent and bills etc; my answer was that I wanted to help people.
I have grown up with parents, especially a mother, who has been very aware of alternative health after my father had a heart bypass at 36 which lead her to question the health and diet of the family. As a small child I began to show signs of asthma and the GP wanted to put me on an inhaler, but instead I was taken to a homeopath, prescribed homeopathic powders and all the symptoms disappeared alongside the need for an inhaler. At the age of 22 I was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia and my whole life changed. I went from a fairly heavy smoker and drinker to someone who did neither, cut out dairy, refined sugar and caffeine. This was all due to the hours my mother spent researching on-line, and speaking to various clinics both in the UK and The States to get my body as healthy as possible to fight the Leukaemia and hopefully avoid the bone marrow transplant that was the next step if my body didn’t start responding to the pill form of chemotherapy I was taking. I have always been a fairly holistic person, and the journey I’ve been on since January 2007 has made me realise how important it is.
I initially thought about studying nutrition, but thought that whilst nutrition is key, it cannot answer everything and was a bit limiting. Someone told me that the University of Westminster did fantastic alternative therapy courses which are also science degrees and it was on their website that I discovered Naturopathy and how this was what I had been searching for. I bit the bullet, applied, got in and got a second student loan.
Naturopathy embodies treating the whole body, mind and spirit naturally to encourage it to get back into homeostasis and the natural healthy balance it should be in. It is so important not to separate these three components when treating someone as they are all aspects of human being.
Whilst only in my 5th week of study of year one, I have already learnt about castor oil packs, skin brushing, tongue cleaning and enemas. I have to do a report about treating myself (something physical and psychological) in a Naturopathic way so I can experience first-hand what we will be using to treat others and learn how it is to be on the ‘other side of the desk’ as it were. In the next four years I will be taught many more therapies including massage and body work, hydrotherapy and nutrition. We are not simply taught the tools of the trade, but also about self-care and how to be a good practitioner with a lot of reflective work. I am also very lucky to be studying at Westminster as there is a clinic attached – the Polyclinic – so from the word go, I will be observing real sessions with clients and practitioners.
I am only at the beginning of what will be a long journey, both literally in that it is four years, but also long in how much I will grow and learn as a person. By the end of my degree I will be a fully qualified Naturopath with a Master of Science degree and ready to set up my own private clinic where I will be able to treat those that have been unable to get the answers through the standard allopathic route. Often, GPs do not have enough time. I will not be limited to 5 minutes, but will have between an hour and an hour and a half per session per client. I will be looking after all aspects of the person, not just the physical, as I know from first-hand experience how the emotional can impact the physical. I will be able to teach people how to look after themselves without the dependence of pharmaceutical drugs which, whilst helping one thing, may be causing damage to another. I will be able to empower people with their health and bodies to make them stronger and put them back into homeostasis which is where every healthy, balanced body and mind wants to be.
When qualified I also want to go on the Teenage Cancer Trust ward at UCH and offer the patients a massage if they want it, as I know how soothing it can be both for the body, mind and soul whilst going through treatment and being in potentially very scary place both with health and emotionally. (This charity is very close to my heart as I was not lucky enough to be treated on one of their ward initially and really could have used the support and medical staff that they offer).
Most importantly I suppose, I am training to become a Naturopath because I feel that it is my calling – cheesy though that sounds. I feel that I have learnt so much through my experience of a cancer diagnosis and I have so much to pass on. I want to be able to help and with the training I am receiving at Westminster, I am in the best place to learn and be taught by both great teachers and practitioners. I will also learn more about myself and be able to continue to heal myself and know that I have the tools to take on whatever the future has to hold.
