Unit 7: "One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself"

The 'saying' seems like common sense to me. We don't, for example, allow people to become certified mechanics if they don't have experience working on the mechanics of a car. The vast majority of things require first-hand experience if we are to share that knowledge or experience with others.

The same holds true for integrated healthcare. It doesn't seem realistic that a health professional could convince patients to explore integral treatment options if s/he isn't convinced of the value of using them. While I don't think this means that a practitioner needs to have mastered integrated treatments, an inherent belief, support, and acceptance of the process needs to exist. It certainly exemplifies the value that you place on it as a medical professional.

As for me, I try to be an informed patient. Because I have a chronic illness for which there is no known cure or consistently effective treatment, it's important for me to keep an open mind about causes and potential treatments. Until recently that seemed to be enough. It's becoming clear though that I need to do a quality assessment of my situation and more actively employ treatment options targeting multiple aspects.