Holistic point of view

Sean McCarthy

Leah Marie Doroch of Westport is a holistic medicine success story.

While in her early 30s, this mother of two young children suffered a near-death accident while riding a horse. Her recovery would include an introduction to holistic medical approaches that would inspire her to reach out to others, perpetuating the success she had experienced in her own life.

Today, Doroch helps others in a variety of ways. As a board-certified holistic practitioner and holistic life coach, she uses her education to benefit people dealing with a variety of situations. And as the owner and CEO of Professional Care Match, she spearheads a company that incorporates holistic approaches as it specializes in assisted care for the elderly and end-of-life patients.

“When I had my accident, I went on an eye-opening healing journey to treat my posttraumatic stress and anxiety, I became a student of holistic practices,” Doroch says. “I needed to do something to help people and I knew there were ways to manage our conditions other than medicines. I knew first hand that holistic treatments like yoga and meditation work.”

Among Doroch’s multiple certifications and education background in ayurvedic practices, she is also a certified dementia practitioner, a reiki master, a life transitions coach, and a hypnotist.

“I have the tools to enhance a patient’s physical and emotional well-being, enlivening the nourishing connection between mind, body, and spirit, bringing balance and healing into your life,” she says. Dorch offers an array of programs based on her ayurvedic studies, including weight loss, stress management, chronic pain management, overcoming PTSD, meditation, and caregiver stress.

“These are long-term solutions to revitalizing our lives, providing balance, self-care, and personal growth,” Doroch says. “It’s based on a 5,000-year old healing system of medicine.”

But Doroch has another medical identity – she is the owner of Professional Care Match, a company that helps people in need of end-of-life care.

Doroch was inspired to start Professional Care Match in part due to her experiences with her grandfather. She is a certified end-of-life coach, also known as a doula.

“When I was eight years old my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It was really challenging for our family because there wasn’t a lot of education and understanding at that time,” she says. “People were put into an institution and heavily medicated. Behaviors weren’t managed in a way that was humane.

“Today there are wonderful, positive ways to manage the disease process and the challenges that people with dementia have. It’s really about diving deep into who they were and having a lot of respect for them – utilizing the knowledge of what they did for their career, what their cultural beliefs were, and their daily routine. With our company we look at the whole person and develop a plan that soothes them and brings them into positive places.”

Sean McCarthy has been a freelance journalist for 35 years. He lives in New Bedford.