Hi Susan,
I’d love to be part of your community – how can I resist – a community that shares my love of dogs and cats, horses, woodpeckers and rats!
Nudge
Tumbleweed
I’m Marilyn. I’m a holistic veterinarian with a house call practice on Vancouver Island, Canada. My family consists of my husband, three wonderful cat companions and one very enthusiastic mini Australian Shepherd. They all have blue eyes (even the husband!).
Holistic veterinarians are something we need more of these days, and I do think it’s coming. With the increased desire to have alternative therapies available for people, it’s only natural to watch this desire flow into our animal communities as well. Marilyn, after your formal training as a vet what did you specifically do or study to become “holistic”? I would love to know as I feel pulled at times in this direction. Being also a Reiki practitioner I know how well animals respond to holistic care!
In gratitude for your service to others….Cindy
Hi Cindy,
Thanks for you kind words.
You asked me what I studied after vet school, to consider myself a holistic vet. It has been a journey. I was thinking about this recently – when did it all begin to change for me? Perhaps it was a client, years ago with a young son who was dying of cancer. The only thing that helped with his pain was the Therapeutic Touch she did for him. I was intrigued and she was nurse! In those days I had great faith in conventional medicine and science. Surely a nurse couldn’t be completely hokey 🙂 So I signed up for my first energy medicine course. During the course homeopathy was mentioned. I recall actually cringing at how silly this sounded. Six months later I was on my way to becoming certified in veterinary homeopathy. Next, I studied acupuncture. I remember sitting in the first lecture and realizing that my life had changed and I could never go back to practicing medicine in the same way. I was blessed to work for a few years in one of the leading holistic clinics in North America where had the chance to learn herbal medicine, both western herbs and my love – traditional Chinese medicine. All of this led me here to my home on Vancouver Island, a place I completely resonate with and a small house call practice where I can spend time with my clients and their animal friends.
Cindy, you are right, animals respond so well to many of these gentle but powerful therapies! Of course sometimes nothing we do can help and that is another long journey and interest of mine – holding the space and helping as our beloved companions leave us.
I look so forward to being able to share my thoughts and hear from all of you in this community that Susan has facilitated.
Love Marilyn
Marilyn, I want to thank you for sharing this story. Many people write to me and ask how they can find their true work. Stories like your strengthen anyone’s resolve. We need these stories of how it has been done to keep us confident and hope-filled on our own journeys.
Marilyn….
Thank you so much for the information. Once a person is exposed to alternative therapies, and more importantly, seen them work better then traditional medicine, well…there’s no going back! Bless you and all you do, you are a gift!
Being with an animal as they pass is one of the most spiritual and moving things I have ever done. The power in “bearing witness” to the passing pet, in supporting the transition, and the owner, is holy beyond words. We’ve all shed hot tears at a pet’s passing, but in the process we’ve surely been deepened as human beings. The way animals view death is so very different then ours. We hold on to them, they want to let go…..willingly and unafraid. Beautiful.
Cindy