Healers and Healing

All healers must learn their craft, and all healers must have verifiable outcomes (healed patients) as a result of their treatments. Medical Anthropologists study a wide variety of healers from diverse cultural settings. As you are aware, each culture has very unique definitions of illness and disease, as well as different expectations for being healed. As a result of these factors, we find very different techniques used for healing in these two broad categories of healers, indigenous, and biomedical. Yet even with the profound cultural differences, there are similarities in training and patient relationships between the two groups. Discuss what are the similarities and/or differences found in training between indigenous healers and biomedical healers? Furthermore, what are the similarities and/or differences in patient healer relationships? If for some reason you are fascinated by one group’s training or healing process/procedures, either positive or negative, you may focus upon that one group. Or you may wish to focus your attention upon healer client relationships and its effect upon outcomes (patient healing), that is also acceptable. This likely a very good place to use examples from the “Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down”. I would like to see a discussion page that reflects a common theme and a diversity of interest! You will not be penalized for creative thought as long as you are grounded in the information from the course readings, lectures, and views (videos) or additional research. Finally, provide specific examples from readings, lectures, and views (videos) for each of your discussion points. You may wish to expand your knowledge base beyond the assigned sources by poking around the internet but it is not required.