"Health Care, Healing, and The Men Spirit: A Journey from Symptoms to Wholeness"
Despite a long career in health care, I felt unfulfilled by the limitations of Western medicine, which often overlooks the mind-body connection. This realization led to the creation of The Men Spirit.
Despite nearly 20 years in health care, I still struggle to grasp how the system operates. Western medicine often feels like an old, stubborn man—unyielding, certain it knows best, holding onto a past sense of authority. Even when faced with his own limitations, he resists change. In a way, I was that old man too.
My journey into health care began in Athens, Greece, before I was even born. Nursing felt like destiny, with both my parents devoted to the profession. My mother, a theater nurse, spent long hours on her feet, sometimes standing for 10-12 hours during operations, until her back gave out. At that time, occupational health and safety were just abstract ideas, not practical realities.
My father’s path was different. He hadn’t finished high school and often worked two or three jobs to support our family, especially after my mother had to stop working. In the mid-80s, he took a job as a nurse in a mental health institution. With no prior experience, he learned basic nursing skills on the job. I remember his stories—large wards filled with men from various backgrounds, each with different diagnoses. Dementia, severe autism, depression, schizophrenia—they all shared the same space, receiving care that, in hindsight, seems raw and unrefined but profoundly human.
One story stands out. My father cared for a young man in a severe depressive episode—a high school math teacher. One day, my father asked me to bring him all my math homework and any questions I had. For about six months, he would give my assignments to his patient, asking him to mark them and provide feedback. This man, who had felt lost and purposeless, found a new sense of meaning. Within a few months, he showed remarkable improvement and was discharged.
Reflecting on those times, I see an essence of nursing that feels lost today: caring for patients in a truly holistic way, long before that word became popular. Modern Western medicine is so focused on symptom management that it often overlooks the broader aspects of well-being. Preventative medicine and primary health care aren’t prioritized as they should be. Only recently have concepts like cultural safety, trauma-informed care, and a holistic view of health begun to gain traction. In many ways, Western health care is catching up to what Eastern medicine and Indigenous cultures have understood for centuries—a comprehensive approach that sees health as a balance of mind, body, and spirit within a thriving society.
You might think my parents’ stories inspired me to pursue nursing, but that wasn’t quite the case. I had dreams of becoming a sailor or working in tourism. Only after failing my Year 12 exams did I turn to nursing as a practical choice. Looking back, it was the best decision I could have made. Nursing became my purpose, and, over time, it became a part of my identity. Yet, despite this fulfillment, something was always missing. I remember asking my nursing lecturer, “Does anyone teach empathy and compassion? We’re here to care for people, yet we’re measured by the number of patients we see or calls we make. Where did we go wrong?”
For years, a small but insistent voice inside told me something wasn’t right. I tried to ignore it, but it kept urging me to look closer—not just at my life but at the health care system, at how we connect, love, and support one another. Eventually, I reached a turning point. I could no longer ignore the desire to embrace a broader view of health, one that includes the mind, emotions, and spirit. This marked the beginning of my personal healing journey, revealing new insights and setting me on a path I hadn’t fully anticipated.
As I grew, my purpose began to shift. It became clear that my work was leading me toward helping men specifically—an underserved group in need of safe spaces to explore vulnerability, identity, and well-being. This realization led me to create *The Men Spirit*, where I guide men to discover their authentic selves, strengthen emotional resilience, and cultivate mental clarity.
Interestingly, Western medicine is beginning to “upgrade” as well. Influential voices like Dr. Gabor Maté, Dr. Joe Dispenza, and Dr. Dan Siegel, among others, are reshaping the field by exploring the profound connections between the mind, body, and spirit. Dr. Maté’s work on trauma and addiction highlights the need to address emotional wounds to achieve true healing. Dr. Dispenza’s research into neuroplasticity demonstrates how our thoughts shape our bodies, while Dr. Siegel’s studies in interpersonal neurobiology reveal how relationships and social environments impact our mental and physical health. These pioneers are helping forge a future where medicine no longer sees the mind and body as separate but as an interconnected whole, aligned with principles long honored in Indigenous and Eastern traditions.
This journey has become one of defining who I am, both for myself and for those around me. Though I’m still navigating this path, I am confident that my purpose is to help others—particularly men—reclaim their wellness in a way that respects both science and spirit. *The Men Spirit* is my way of bridging these worlds, empowering men to become whole, resilient, and fulfilled. Through this work, I hold hope that Western medicine will continue to evolve toward a more integrated, compassionate model—one that values not just physical health but also the emotional and spiritual dimensions that make us human.
