Amoena has had the true pleasure of meeting and getting to know Dr. Beth DuPree in the last year; she is founder of The Healing Consciousness Foundation, and author of The Healing Consciousness: A Doctor's Journey to Healing (2006). Here, she explains her practice's distinct focus and mission.
State of the art treatment of a breast cancer may be the reason a patient comes to our practice; however, that is just the beginning of our quest to provide a path for healing the body, mind and spirit of our patients. Centers of excellence exist throughout the country and are providing women and men, diagnosed with breast cancer, a comprehensive, coordinated treatment program. This treatment focuses on the physical manifestations of cancer using various combinations of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. We feel that treating the body is just the beginning of the healing process and so much more is needed to facilitate this journey.
Curing cancer is the focus of Western medical care. This is a noble cause and one that requires us, as surgeons, to train for years to hone our skills and remain in the cutting edge of western medical treatments. What our Western medical education did not do was teach us how to empower our patients to “ heal.” We can “cure” a patient of breast cancer, and if she or he sits in their kitchen with the lights off awaiting the return or fearing a recurrence of cancer we have succeeded as a doctor and failed miserably as a healer. We have achieved our Western medical goal, but we have done nothing to facilitate healing. This is where we need to turn to the wisdom of Eastern medicine and remember the importance of treating the whole person and not simply the disease that brought them into our practice.
Eastern healing modalities focus on the mind and spirit as well as the physical body. Through modalities such as Reiki, guided imagery, yoga, reflexology and meditation, the mind, body and spirit can come into alignment and create wholeness in the individual. Many women and men, when diagnosed with breast cancer, already have stress and adversity in their lives. A diagnosis of cancer creates instant perspective on what is truly important in life. There is an opportunity to clear the clutter from their lives (ie. feng shui) and focus on what is guaranteed to each of us, this moment.
After years of working tirelessly to facilitate healing in my patients, I realized that all women and men diagnosed with breast cancer needed holistic healing services to support their healing journey and standard insurance does not cover these services. To facilitate this process, I worked with several empowered individuals to create The Healing Consciousness Foundation.
Our mission through The Healing Consciousness Foundation is to provide funding for the services that standard health care does not cover but which are vitally needed by women, men and their families when faced with a breast cancer diagnosis. Our intention is to empower women and men with breast cancer to find healing emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Our vision is to change the way we as a society view health and wellness. We strive to promote healing by empowering survivors to become “THRIVERS”. We lead by example and teach the world that adopting a healthy lifestyle benefits those effected by cancer and prevents the disease process that leads to the formation of breast cancer. We provide nutritional counseling, weight management, exercise training, meditation, guided imagery, Reiki, massage, acupuncture, “Thrivers” retreats, art therapy, healthy cooking classes, co-pay assistance and other holistic therapies that are essential to overall health and wellness.