Student Spotlight
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Diane Mateo, candidate for M.S. in Natural Health and Herbal Studies Certification
“Always look for the gift”
Diane Mateo will never forget the day her three–year–old son was diagnosed with autism. With two older children at home, the Mateos “were and are an active family of outdoor explorers, reverent to the miracles and mysteries of nature,” she says.
But suddenly, shuffled from one somber doctor to another, amid often–conflicting neurological philosophies, Diane felt the walls closing in. Choosing not to panic, the curious researcher decided to accept that new approaches were now in order.
Soon their dining room table overflowed with medical literature, and she recognized that a more practical focus came from herbology and nutrition books.
Bogged down at times by the Internet’s “dual reality as a vast mega–brain and a data wasteland,” once she found Clayton College, Diane’s bewilderment has been replaced with a growing sense of self–empowerment. She enrolled in master’s studies in natural health, often studying late into the night while also learning how to address a different kind of neurological condition in their middle child.
“For Lauren’s nervousness, aromatherapy and essential oils are her favorite mood enhancers,” Diane says. “Our teenage athlete, Dylan Thomas, loves deep–tissue sports massage. Thomas, who’s now adjusting to first grade, benefits from many holistic approaches: especially homeopathy, nutrition and supplements.”
In 2005 their Mom “got hooked on herbs” during CCNH’s four–day autumn herb tour. Eager to join Clayton’s natural health conference in spring, 2006, she was further inspired to broaden her Masters coursework by adding herbal studies to her curriculum. Diane recently attended her second Clayton College autumn herb tour, and has joined United Plant Savers this year.
“I never dreamed I’d be gaining such a diverse complementary skill set,” she adds enthusiastically, now including other local studies in massage and shiatsu massage therapies as well.
Shiatsu massage combines pressure with assisted stretching techniques to stimulate the circulatory, lymphatic, hormonal and immune systems. It helps the body release toxins, facilitating deep relaxation and inner healing through homeostatic rebalancing of the autonomic nervous system.
Diane recently started learning yet another fascinating modality, Acutonics. Blending the art of musical attunement with the science of acupressure/ acupuncture, an Acutonics treatment “assists from the ethereal plane in rebalancing human energies using the sound resonance of calibrated tuning forks. These are placed along specific median points throughout the body, and can also be used to help unblock energy chakras.
“Acutonics is so gentle that even Thomas’ highly sensitized nervous system feels pleasantly energized rather than overly stimulated. For a child with special needs, this therapy seems to be especially well–met. By remaining open minded and open hearted, our kids are learning new ways to feel better all the time.”
Diane Mateo believes that each of life’s challenges is presented as a gift, to be opened with curious excitement, graciously accepted, and enthusiastically shared with others whenever possible. In learning the ways of natural health, her goal is to help other children with similar health challenges to enjoy life more fully by learning healthy ways to cope.
This article was based on an interview with the student.
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