Curanderismo, Holistic Nursing, and Massage: Dr. Caroline Ortiz on Building Community and Integrative Care
The Student to Therapist Massage Therapy Podcast by David R. Sol & Timur Lokshin
Episode notes
Holistic nurse, educator, and researcher Dr. Caroline Ortiz joins David Sol and Timur Lokshin to explore curanderismo, the Mesoamerican healing traditions she inherited in the Texas Rio Grande Valley, and bridges with her holistic nursing practice in New York City. She shares stories and lessons to show how ritual, community, and the language of “imbalance” rather than “disease” can reshape our understanding of health and wellness care.
Designed for massage therapists, nurses, and bodyworkers, this conversation explores traditional medicine from central Mexico, the idea of touch as a gift, and the role of practitioners as facilitators rather than “healers.” Caroline also speaks candidly about burnout and loneliness, and why caregivers must become their own first patient to stay balanced and be “good medicine” for others. ...