I’m Laurie Ratto, and I have been an RN for over 35 years. In that time I have found the strengths and weaknesses of western medicine. As a woman, I, like many women, have experienced several personal health challenges ranging from chronic pain to high stress and asthma flair ups.
I noticed I had a stress pattern that I think many women suffer from: I would push myself and take care of everyone else until I became physically ill which forced to slow down. OR I would blow-up, like an erupting volcano, at my family and then feel bad yet relieved that I did that. This pattern continued for close to 20 years before I discovered techniques to really manage it and now I am rarely sick or blowing up at my family.
After an injury, I developed chronic pain and did not want to take medication on a regular basis for the pain due to possible serious side effects from long-term use. Some days it was only a mild ache in my upper back and shoulder area. Other days pain would shoot from my neck all the way down my arm. I also knew that the medications treated the symptom(s) not the cause. I wanted a solution, not a band aide. So I started on a journey to learn holistic (also called complementary) therapies to improve my physical, mental and emotional health. What I found made such a profound difference in my life that I decided I must share it with others.
I have been interested in holistic therapies since the early 1980’s when I did a mini research project on chronic pain and complementary therapies. After graduating I chose to get married, start a family and continue working so I had no spare time to pursue an in-depth study of the therapies. When I developed the chronic pain I knew it was time to really explore some of the therapies and see how I could help myself to heal. I also value what Western medicine can do for pain and illness but when you integrate the 2 you get a much better result. Integrative medicine allows patients to relax and heal faster while helping staff to live happier, healthier, lives too.
Healing Touch, aromatherapy, and guided imagery helped me to relieve acute and chronic pain, manage my stress, and improve my energy level and general physical health. I started my private practice part-time in 2009 and left western medicine completely in 2011 to devote all my time to my healing practice. After a few years, I knew I wanted to bring integrative medicine into health care facilities and homes so the therapies could reach more people. That is why I became a Healing Touch Certified Instructor. When I teach a class I know these health care professionals and caregivers will touch many more lives than I could by myself. I also know these therapies will help them lead healthier, happier lives and help prevent burn-out.
I love working with clients one-on-one to assist them in overcoming their “pain” challenges (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual)by working with the whole person – body, mind, and spirit, and treats the root cause. I am not just putting a band aide on the problem. I am an RN, healing touch certified practitioner and instructor certified clinical aromatherapist and certified in guided imagery.
My passion is to bring integrative medicine to all who desire it. I want to see it as an option in all hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, clinics, hospices and board and care facilities. I want everyone, patients and professionals alike, to achieve their highest level of wellness and teaching them skills they can use the rest of their life. I see all of you – not just your physical body- when you see all of you, you will feel empowered to manage your health and wellness and help others do the same.
I’m Laurie Ratto, and I have been an RN for over 35 years. In that time I have found the strengths and weaknesses of western medicine. As a woman, I, like many women, have experienced several personal health challenges ranging from chronic pain to high stress and asthma flair ups.
I noticed I had a stress pattern that I think many women suffer from: I would push myself and take care of everyone else until I became physically ill which forced to slow down. OR I would blow-up, like an erupting volcano, at my family and then feel bad yet relieved that I did that. This pattern continued for close to 20 years before I discovered techniques to really manage it and now I am rarely sick or blowing up at my family.
After an injury, I developed chronic pain and did not want to take medication on a regular basis for the pain due to possible serious side effects from long-term use. Some days it was only a mild ache in my upper back and shoulder area. Other days pain would shoot from my neck all the way down my arm. I also knew that the medications treated the symptom(s) not the cause. I wanted a solution, not a band aide. So I started on a journey to learn holistic (also called complementary) therapies to improve my physical, mental and emotional health. What I found made such a profound difference in my life that I decided I must share it with others.
I have been interested in holistic therapies since the early 1980’s when I did a mini research project on chronic pain and complementary therapies. After graduating I chose to get married, start a family and continue working so I had no spare time to pursue an in-depth study of the therapies. When I developed the chronic pain I knew it was time to really explore some of the therapies and see how I could help myself to heal. I also value what Western medicine can do for pain and illness but when you integrate the 2 you get a much better result. Integrative medicine allows patients to relax and heal faster while helping staff to live happier, healthier, lives too.
Healing Touch, aromatherapy, and guided imagery helped me to relieve acute and chronic pain, manage my stress, and improve my energy level and general physical health. I started my private practice part-time in 2009 and left western medicine completely in 2011 to devote all my time to my healing practice. After a few years, I knew I wanted to bring integrative medicine into health care facilities and homes so the therapies could reach more people. That is why I became a Healing Touch Certified Instructor. When I teach a class I know these health care professionals and caregivers will touch many more lives than I could by myself. I also know these therapies will help them lead healthier, happier lives and help prevent burn-out.
I love working with clients one-on-one to assist them in overcoming their “pain” challenges (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual)by working with the whole person – body, mind, and spirit, and treats the root cause. I am not just putting a band aide on the problem. I am an RN, healing touch certified practitioner and instructor certified clinical aromatherapist and certified in guided imagery.
My passion is to bring integrative medicine to all who desire it. I want to see it as an option in all hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, clinics, hospices and board and care facilities. I want everyone, patients and professionals alike, to achieve their highest level of wellness and teaching them skills they can use the rest of their life. I see all of you – not just your physical body- when you see all of you, you will feel empowered to manage your health and wellness and help others do the same.