A presentation for the Institute of Government and Public Policy – November 2022

Dr Elizabeth Thompson gave a talk about Integrative Medicine and its role in prevention and management of long-term health conditions at a recent conference. She wanted to look at how how stress and trauma are often at the root of disease and why we need a trauma-informed model of care.

The context that Elizabeth used for the presentation was about needing to move on from a healthcare system focused on illness and heroic intervention, and driven by technology and pharmaceuticals.

NCIM, and many others (and you?) believe that what we now need more than ever is a system that prioritises well-ness, whole-person health, diversity, choice and empowerment. The system needs to work for patients, professionals and the planet.

Some of the things Elizabeth touched on in her talk: burnout, complexity, wellness, resilience, choice, nature, community, wisdom, adaptiveness, carbon footprint, mortality, root cause, existential distress, healthy feedback loops, and balance.