Seminar #5 - Making reflexology Indigenous-friendly

Seminar #5
Making reflexology Indigenous-friendly

Presenter: Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, PhD

MD, professor, author and advocate

➡️ Description

I will present what makes healthcare Indigenous friendly, including listening without judgment or interpretation, reducing hierarchy and professional distancing between practitioner and client, allowing family members and friends to attend sessions if desired, and respecting and reducing barriers to healthcare that can exist. In my context with the First Nations of rural Maine, barriers include lack of transportation, the sudden appearance of family needs which take precedence over personal appointments, lack of funds to travel to appointments, and more. We reduce some of these barriers using Zoom, FaceTime, and sometimes just the phone, which would be difficult to do with reflexology. Flexible scheduling and forgiveness for canceled or missed appointments is part of our practice. Stress levels are high among many First Nations people related to historical trauma, epigenetic transmission of ancestral trauma, and trauma within the persons’ own life. Reflexology can reduce the effects of that stress and build resilience. We will finish with a review of hands-on healing within First Nations in North America.