Thinking About Health Research

Inquiry: As a graduate student of Integrative Health Studies, what will I want to focus my thesis-writing research on?
Written by: Denell Nawrocki

I am a Masters student at a private graduate school named California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco, CA. I have the privilege of attending a school where radical ideas are supported, Earth renewal is talked about, and spiritual awakening is encouraged. CIIS is a hub of new-thinkers in the realm of psychology, integrated therapies, social justice and health. It is a school where the most 'out there' ideas are backed and given resources for, which is an incredible gift in this time of shifting paradigms in most realms of humanity. 

This semester I am in a course called "Integrative Health Research", which consists of what the names portrays: how to develop, propose, conduct, and evaluate health research questions. This course has inspired me in ways I never imagined, and has set my creative-thinking mind in action around what I deem necessary and important in the world of health research. I decided that it would be fun and exciting to share my research ideas on this platform with the small chance that someone may see it and also feel inspired by this inquiry.  Below you will find excerpts of my responses to brainstorming about Health Research.  

Why might I want to publish on this topic? Well, this question has a very extensive answer that I will attempt to condense into a nice paragraph. For starters, I want to publish on these topics (Nature and Forest Therapy; entheogens as healers; Coaching as a means to empowerment; self healing; etc) because I want to aid in the emergence of the health-paradigm that looks to Earth for healing, which will in turn help humans shift their perspective from “take it all!” to “preserve her so that she can help us heal!”. I envision a new type of Health Care; one that brings us back to what is already here present on this Earth- nature, plants, waters, animals, and ourselves. Nature helps us see that we are the masters of our own lives, and through our decisions and actions, we decide our course of health. I want to contribute to research on the benefits of Nature and self-empowerment so that they become central to our health care system.

Essentially, I want Nature and Forest Therapy (or something equivalent) to be considered an Alternative or Complementary modality that is taken seriously and employed continuously. I want the modern American to hear through their doctors and health practitioners that instead of the antidepressants they can go  spend time in the forest or on the beach 3-5 days a week. I want nature-prescriptions to be offered in Western Medicine, just like they are being offered in Japan and South Korea. I want Nature and Earth medicine to be recognized once again as a viable modality.

After sitting with what I wrote for a couple of days, my ideas morphed into something else, something bigger and more in line with my passions and desires for my offerings in life. 

I have been thinking a lot about what I want to research and what is important to me. I have determined that not only is healing by way of nature important to me, but healing by way of the entire biosphere of Earth. I imagine a paradigm of health where plants, animals, land, water, air, and humans join forces for an inter-species collaborative healing model that has yet to be determined. There is already animal-assisted therapy, nature and forest therapy, ecotherapy, herbalism, breathwork, soaking in hot springs and studies on how animals heal themselves with plants and Earth. I want to find a way to incorporate ALL of these modalities (plus more that I have not listed here) into a comprehensive Earth-healing Modality that can be utilized to help human reconnect with themselves, each other, and the Earth for improved health and well-being.

If you or anyone you know is interested in this topic, have resources or know others who are researching this topic, please contact me through the form at the bottom of the post. I am extremely excited about collaborating with others who are passionate about this topic.  
May we all continue to be enamored with this thing called Life and share in our admiration for Earth and all her beautiful living Beings.