Anthropologist and psychotherapist, Geral T. Blanchard, LPC, joins Raghu to discuss how to awaken the soul with indigenous wisdom for today’s world. Geral (Gerry) Blanchard, LPC, is university trained in psychological and anthropological approaches that can address a variety of mental health issues including trauma and addictions in a holistic fashion. He has decades of experience addressing matters of interpersonal violence, traumatization, as well as behavioral and substance addictions. Geral has served as a consultant and trainer for scores of social service agencies, prisons, and chemical dependency treatment centers. Geral has lectured widely throughout the U.S. and additionally in Sweden, Canada, Ecuador, and Nicaragua. He has authored a variety of books on the subjects of sexual abuse, post-traumatic growth (PTG), and the incorporation of indigenous healing traditions in today’s psychotherapeutic settings.

Geral defines the meaning of the clinical term "resistance" and defines the healthy or unhealthy nature of resistance.

The work of Dr. William J. Walsh, coming from the field of nutritional medicine, has provided us with additional and more comprehensive ways to diagnose and treat depression. He developed five primary depression biotypes, each with its own etiology and unique treatment strategy based on the patient’s biochemical individuality. His research was influenced by the nutritional theories of the Canadian orthomolecular psychiatrist, Abram Hoffer, and his American counterpart, Carl Pfeiffer. Walsh is the author of Nutrient Power. Types of depression discussed in this article include: unipolar, dysthymic, bipolar spectrum including cyclothymic, postpartum or postnatal, neurologically based, blue light technology induced, inflammation based, hypothyroidism, Facebook depression, dopamine deficiency, candida albicans yeast overgrowth, amino acid deficiency, undermethylated depression, folate deficiency depression, hypercupremic depression, pyroluric depression, toxic overload depression, and morning depression.

When I write about indigenous healing – what some call shamanism – I’m making reference not to romanticized groups of traditional healers wearing dramatic attire while surrounding themselves with exotic paraphernalia, truth is most authentic shamans I have encountered wear t-shirts and jeans while sitting on the land. I am referring to quite ordinary appearing healers whose traditions go back tens of thousands of years and have stood the test of time. Modern physicians and psychologists now talk about evidence based and best practice methods of healing, which often fall out of favor as quickly as research once proved they were the “cat’s meow.” Trends can be enlightening, wisdom lasts.