the
therapists
It is incredible for me to work in a mixed team of therapists from different countries, and everyone is valuing my skills and knowledge. We are respecting one another, and learning from one another.
Ven. Thupten Jinpa
A fully ordained Tibetan Buddhist monk and Haitian, Jinpa realized in the weeks following the great earthquake that he would have to go to Haiti to try to take his old father out of the country. “While I am there waiting for the papers to be processed, I would love to help my people,” he said. An herbalist and student of naturopathy, he assembled natural remedies to bring with him. Upon arriving, he quickly discovered how much his help was needed and which conditions were prevalent. Being able to help others was Jinpa’s greatest joy. Originally an electrical engineer, he has since acquired a 2 1/2 year university diploma in classical homeopathy to increase his ability to heal others, and is presently the main homeopathic teacher of the Haitian team.
Julia Graves
Julia, a naturopathic doctor and classical homeopath, planned and organized the entire fund-raising effort and conceptualized the clinic in its ever new manifestations. She stepped in as its head doctor and director and has guided and trained the entire team. She integrated the modalities of herbs, essential oils, homeopathy, flower essences and body work (particularly cupping) in such a succinct and successful way that she inspired other colleagues to do the same around the world, sparking similar efforts in the US, Japan, Ecuador, ect.
Michelle LaDue
Michelle is a Licensed Acupuncturist and practitioner of Chinese Medicine, She joined the clinic in 2012 a few years after the clinic opened. Her special methods of Acupuncture/Acupressure have brought about much relief to the many painful maladies that the Haitians experience, which lead to the phrase “the miracle doctors” that is how the Haitians refer to us.
Dani Oddly
Dani is a trained nurse. She brings a whole lifetime of nursing experience to the clinic. Presently, she is the nurse for a local orphanage, as well as the only professional health practitioner in Haiti willing to care for handicapped people. The local doctors simply say ‘we cannot do anything for them’ and refuse to see those children and young people. Out of compassion, Dani has cared for them. She is now very excited to try the naturopathic methods on them – everyone is amazed to see real changes from the homeopathic treatments in particular.
Jean-Louis Oddy
Jean-Louis is a civil engineer by training and works in his own small company. His life-long interest in natural healing made him eager to start working for the clinic. Due to his intelligence, he has been very fast to pick up whatever Jinpa has taught him, as well as devouring the clinic’s books. He has quickly become a budding aromatherapist and homeopath, in awe of the positive change in the cases he treats under Jinpa’s guidance.
I thought we would mostly be dressing wounds. I expected that Jinpa would teach me to dress wounds with lavender oil, and that most people at the clinic would be freshly injured. Instead, we found all these emotional wounds, just barely scabbed over. I felt that the moment I was massaging these traumatized people was the first moment they had felt safe since their houses had fallen down, and their humanness along with it. Allowing them just one moment to feel safe and protected allowed them to reconnect with a deep inner source of healing, and enabled them to start on the road to healing. I was most deeply touched by the profound sadness and devastation in the children’s eyes.
Lisa
When I heard that my country had collapsed, I felt moved to go and help. I was so happy to have had the chance to actually go and be part of the clinic effort! Although I am not a therapist, so much help was needed around the clinic that I did not have one idle moment translating, filling essential oil bottles, bagging herbs, arranging people in lines… I regretted very much having to leave, and hope that I can return soon for more concrete help to all those desperate people.
Ven. Puntsok