Has Your Doctor Earned Your Trust?

Excerpt from Health: A Natural Approach by Dr. Yael Tusk

How does a healthcare provider earn your trust? It should have nothing to do with the number of letters after their name, nor the impressiveness of the organizations that they are members of. It should definitely not come from a perceived intellectual superiority.

The following criteria may help you find a medical practitioner with whom you can have a trusting relationship.

• He respects your opinion and trusts your knowledge of yourself and your body. He also respects your preference for treatment or lack thereof. He understands that the final medical decision is yours and yours alone. He aims for individualized care, with the patient’s best interest as the central focus.

• He fully understands and is able to explain the benefits and risks of any treatment or diagnostic procedure offered.

• First, do no harm: He never offers treatments that are more harmful than the disease.

• Doctor’s orders: Why are doctors giving orders? Doctors are service providers; they are here to improve your health. Choose a doctor who advises without expecting blind obedience, not one who commands. Treatment is never given without the patient’s consent. He does not employ coercive tactics such as guilt, fear, or intellectual superiority to gain compliance.

• He has thoroughly reviewed and is actually knowledgeable of the potential side effects of any treatment, and never discounts side effects that the patient is experiencing.

• He is open to learning new ideas and not just from the pharmaceutical complex or the medical authorities and experts, but from everywhere, even and especially from his own patients. He is constantly seeking to uncover the truth, and is not simply following the rules blindly.

issues, definitely. In the way I treat them? I couldn’t be more different than a conventional doctor.”

Search for Truth

Yael’s relentless pursuit of the truth stands out as a hallmark of her character. Her book is primarily a compilation of her research on commonly accepted health notions with a deeper exploration.

“The book developed organically. I was writing a column on common health myths for a magazine and developed a nice amount of content.” Considering it was generally very well received by the readership, her editor suggested that she pitch it as a book.

“I never wanted to take someone else’s opinion and espouse it as my own, because maybe they’re wrong,” Yael says emphatically. And admittedly, it was her desire to help every one of her clients that led her to this intense research. “I simply wanted to help them with every issue.” This led her to dig into every subject until she felt confident to form her own opinion. “These days I still research often, but if I don’t feel confident in my understanding of a given topic, I’ve learned the beauty of telling clients, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘It’s a topic I’m not familiar with.’”

Her journey led her to discover some fascinating and shocking information. After years of research, Yael has the confidence to debunk common health myths such as breakfast is the most important meal, fever is a dangerous thing, or that whole grains are healthiest.

Yael is never discouraged or blinded by what is considered standard, and she isn’t scared to take a leap and lift the cover on what many people would prefer believing.

“Exploring the extent of the whole grain myth was probably the most shocking for me. For years, my family subsisted primarily on whole grains as I too believed that this variety was the healthiest option. After years of hearing hints that something might be awry with whole grains, I eventually began to explore this subject in depth. Shocked by what I read, I continued my search for the truth and uncovered some surprising information.”

More than learning about whole grains, Yael comments that she learned the importance of conducting proper research before accepting something as one’s personal belief. “Also, don’t accept any treatment because you are being pressured with warnings of the dire consequences that will occur if you do not. The treatment itself must have clear and demonstrable personal benefits. If a treatment’s only justification is the danger of not accepting it, this is a good time to take a step back and examine all your options carefully,” Yael cautions. “Barring a genuine life-threatening emergency, where every second counts, in most situations, making informed decisions is how you will retain your autonomy.”

Doctor in the House

As her book’s title suggests, Yael has a passion for helping parents treat their children’s basic health issues with common household remedies. She’s given many workshops on the topic and seeks to educate women whenever she has the opportunity. “For my own children—one son and many daughters,” Yael shares in her distinctive animated voice, “I literally schedule their acupuncture appointments as I do for others. They love the sessions and I’ve found that if I don’t book them, they don’t happen.” Yael’s children are proud of their Mommy and often demonstrate their own commitment to health.

“When schools were pushing us to put some of our children on Ritalin, and we instead chose an alternative route to deal with our children’s strong personalities, my children appreciated the effort we invested to avoid medicating them, instead fine-tuning their health and wellbeing. One child in particular thanked us for our efforts after watching a friend’s suffering while on medication.”

Yael has a wealth of knowledge that she employs all the time in her home, but she emphasizes that all of us can expertly care for our children, as long as we learn some basics and keep our calm. “There is an entire repertoire of resources and remedies we can access to treat basic problems.”

She describes fever as an example. “Fever is not something to fear. I always encourage mothers to use their intuitions instead of a thermometer. It’s not about the temperature, but rather about the child’s temperament. A child who’s hot but acting himself wouldn’t be cause for serious concern as much as a child who’s acting out of character. Lethargy and listlessness are greater indicators than the numbers.”

Yael adds a word of caution regarding using cooling methods to bring down a fever. “Bringing fever down at all costs can be a dangerous game, especially if ice is used. Listen to your sick child. His body knows what it needs to fight the disease and will tell you if it’s uncomfortable. Cooling off in a bath is great, but only if the child is comfortable doing so. Never torture a child to bring down a fever.” So what does she suggest for a sick child? “Keep them home and give them some TLC. Make them comfortable, give them enough fluids, especially broth. And hold them against your body. Physical contact is so important.”

For bruises as well, Yael is also wary of placing ice on the wound. “Instead, a friend, who’s also a noted kinesiologist, once advised me to rub the bruise gently forty times. The physical touch is so powerful and healing. Just last week, I banged myself badly while on a bus that stopped short. I rubbed the area immediately, which provided instant relief.”

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Success

The proof is in the pudding. For Yael, the continuous success stories are what keep her going. In her 15 years of experience, she has seen—and helped—hundreds of patients in her clinic or via phone or Zoom.

Considering her specialty in pediatrics and fertility, Yael has amassed a collection of success stories. Just as we conclude our interview, she receives another heartwarming call from one of her patients with good news to share regarding the results of her fertility treatments. Women preparing for birth are also high up on Yael’s “favorite patients” list. The birth stories Yael tells are surprising and entertaining. “There are the many mothers who were being pressured with an induction who thankfully went into labor shortly after receiving acupuncture, or the woman who finally had a healthy pregnancy after several consecutive miscarriages.”

Yael shares some more success stories of children with constipation, weak digestive systems, weak immune systems, and other medical concerns. “An exasperated mother once came to see me with a baby that had no appetite. After a thorough examination it was clear that his digestive system was terribly backed up, so there was no room for food.” After receiving the appropriate treatment, the baby was able to empty his bowels and soon began eating normally. As an addendum to the story, Yael mentions that children and adults alike should have at least one bowel movement a day to properly clear their system.

Yael remembers another baby who was severely developmentally delayed. “He looked much younger than his age. He was in such a weakened state that I was nervous to treat him. In the end, we treated him with acupuncture and some other modalities, and the results were immediate.” Each story leaves Yael motivated to continue the work she does despite the challenges she often faces.

As she recounts her stories, Yael points out that she often doesn’t know the success stories because they are simply not told to her. “Patients are happy to be treated, but often forget to relay the success to the practitioner. I can meet patients a few months after treatments and they’ll comment, ‘Oh, I forgot to let you know I’m finally expecting,’ or ‘I went into labor immediately,’ or ‘The constipation abated.’ If you go to a practitioner and see results, it would be so kind to let them know. Our patients are on our mind! We are trying to help you and have no way to know if you’ve seen results, and so we really appreciate getting the feedback,” Yael advises.

While this is a good piece of advice, I can’t help but wonder if Yael is a one-of-a-kind practitioner who invests herself fully into the wellbeing of her patients. It’s obvious that her approach to healing is unique, and that her methods are driven by a deep desire to make a difference in the lives of those she treats.

Note: Wellspring does not endorse or promote the views expressed by interviewees in this column.