The Fellowship of the River: A Medical Doctor’s Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine (2017) Joseph Tafur, MD
After completing medical school at UCSD and his residency at UCLA, Joseph Tafur, traveled to the Amazon to continue his training in fellowship as he explored the teaching of other medical traditions–that of Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine (TAPM) and ayahuasca shamanism (hence the book title “Fellowship of the River…”). As Dr. Tafur continued his education with postdoctoral research focused on mind-body medicine and he continued to be called back to the Amazon to deepen his experience with indigenous healing practices to broaden his understanding of health and disease, especially the exploration of spiritual healing–an element he feels is missing in the Western approach to healing. Over time, Dr. Tafur continued to deepen his shamanic apprenticeship with the sacred plant medicines and worked in collaboration with his master ayahuascero and other team members to develop a healing center in Peru. This book integrates assessment of Dr. Tafur’s own journeys of healing and apprenticeship, as well as case studies/healing stories of participants from his healing center from the different medicinal perspectives–often highlighting the shortcomings of Western medicine’s focus on the physical body and its failure “to address the emotional and spiritual dimensions of [...] chronic diseases and related illnesses”. While the use of psychedelic and plant medicines have been experiencing a resurgence in discussion and research in the clinical sphere, there remains a lot of dissension about its use as a form of clinical treatment. What I love about this book is that Dr. Tafur is exploring and researching its benefits within the container of its traditional cultural context, because the tradition and ceremony is just as much a part of the healing process as the plant medicines themselves. There’s a purity in that for me; humility. Traditional indigenous cultures have been practicing this form of medicine for thousands of years (that is much longer than Western medicine practices) and perhaps we have a lot to learn from their wisdom (a sentiment that was comparably shared in Braiding Sweetgrass).
“This new perspective respects modern biochemistry, anatomy, and pharmacology, but it also recognizes the profound influence of the immaterial in medicine, the emotional and spiritual dimensions of health. This is a book about the intersection between biology, emotion, and spirituality.”
How was this book recommended to me? A non-therapist friend of mine read it.
Would I recommend this to my colleagues? Yes
Would I recommend this to my clients? On a case by case basis.
How do I apply this content to my work: A big part of my work as both a social worker and a dance/movement therapist AND an addiction counselor is about the integration of mind, body, and spirit in my lens for healing. I am always assessing conditions and treatment options from the context of understanding both internal and external factors contributing to the client’s conditions. I am not treating my client’s symptoms or even their emotions, I’m treating my client–a whole person in their environment. So I appreciate increasing my understanding about the use of plant medicines and the traditional healing methods that accompany their use. I’m also a big fan of respectfully turning to the wisdom of healing practices that have been around for a lot longer than ours.
If you live in WA state and feel like you are interested in a more integrated healing approach (mind, body, spirit), contact me. Let’s schedule a free 15-minute consultation and see if we might be a good fit to work together.
