Introducing our new AIMA Quarterly Webinar Series – “Wisdom From The Elders”.

Every quarter, we ask an integrative medicine pioneer to share their wisdom and knowledge on a topic of interest.  This is a fantastic opportunity to hear from some of our most passionate integrative medicine ambassadors and talk about the big issues in integrative medicine.

For our first webinar, we are delighted to have Dr Vicki Kotsirilos AM present

The importance of a doctor-patient relationship based on hope, loving-kindness, empathy, compassion, and presence.

When: Tuesday 31 October 12pm AEDT
Duration: 50-minute talk + 10min Q&A
Cost: AIMA Members FREE or AUD$20+gst for non-members

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE.

When we are truly “present” in a consultation with a patient, it provides the foundation and core qualities for healing. Our hearts open, we engage, and connect and the healing process begins. Spending time with patients and actively listening to allow them to tell their story of how they became unwell and what impacts their health, empowers the patient to deeply understand the root cause(s) of their disease. With this awareness, their healing journey begins.

In presence, we find stillness, become mindful, and tap into our intuition. Combined with kindness, compassion, respect, empathy, and positive [verbal and non-verbal] communication, the connection becomes heartfelt for both the practitioner and the patient. It is then easier to encourage patients for positive change when we earn their trust. The relationship should be patient-centred. Being present allows something deep, so precious to occur, and the patient experiences the opportunity for healing when this deep connection occurs. We sit with them through their story; solid, unwavering, listening, and supporting….so they know they are not alone, …it’s okay. Ultimately presence leads to enhanced patient and doctor satisfaction, building the foundation for a solid therapeutic relationship leading to lifelong trust and connection for healing.

The sessions will be recorded so all registrants will receive a link to watch the recording.

We look forward to seeing you online soon!

About Associate Professor Vicki Kotsirilos AM
MBBS, FACNEM, FASLM, Awarded Honorary Fellowship of the RACGP,  Honorary Life Member of AIMA
Adjunct Associate Professor, NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University

Professor Kotsirilos is a respected specialist general practitioner with over 36 years of clinical experience who emphasises the importance of lifestyle, meditation, nutrition, a clean healthy environment, and preventative medicine. She works at Dunstan Dental & Medical with a great team of holistic GPs.

Professor Kotsirilos is passionate educating the medical profession and patients on non-drug approaches to managing diseases, including an emphasis on lifestyle, prevention and holistic healthcare. She is a regular public speaker and lecturer for doctors eg rural doctors on nutritional medicine.

In 1992, at the young age of 28 years, Professor Kotsirilos founded the organisation, the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association (AIMA) which she then became the founding president from 1992-1998, serving on the AIMA board for 20 years until 2012. Vicki has worked tirelessly in this field and was instrumental in helping AIMA to affiliate with the Australian Medical Association in Victoria in 1994, and to form a joint working party (JWP) with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in 2004, chairing the JWP till 2014. She also founded and chaired the RACGP Integrative Medicine Specifics Interest Group from 2010 till 2016. Her aim was to help build bridges, serve, and improve communication using respectful dialogue with peak medical bodies. The aim of the RACGP IM working group is to help address the appropriate and ethical use of evidence-based complementary medicine by the medical profession and the community.
Professor Kotsirilos played an active role within the RACGP such as creating and updating the Integrative Medicine curriculum & syllabus, the IM contextual unit, reviewing courses for Quality Assurance and Continued Professional Development and as a reviewer for the Australian Journal of General Practice.

Professor Kotsirilos has published well over 150 articles in a wide range of medical journals and public magazines such as the Medical Journal of Australia, Insight, Prevention magazine, Australian Doctor and Medical Observer (distribution to over 40,000 Australian GPs). She is widely quoted in the media such as radio, television and in magazines on issues related to general health care matters, lifestyle, environmental health, pollution, nutritional medicine, and medicinal cannabis.

Professor Kotsirilos is the lead co-author of the textbook titled A Guide to Evidence-based Integrative and Complementary Medicine (Publishers Elsevier) with A/Professor Luis Vitetta and Professor Avni Sali. Professor Kotsirilos also lectures regularly to doctors and has spoken at numerous medical and public conferences on the doctor-patient relationship, holistic medicine, air pollution, nutritional medicine, evidence based Integrative Medicine, lifestyle, and non-drug approaches to treating diseases and prevention.

Professor Kotsirilos is honored to have served and continues to serve on various state and federal government committees. For example, the Australian Drug Reaction Advisory Committee (ADRAC) for 5 years from 2004 until December 2009, and 8 years on the Advisory Committee on Complementary Medicines (ACCM) [formerly known as the Complementary Medicines Evaluation Committee (CMEC)] from 2002 till December 2010, Department of Health and Ageing, Therapeutics Goods Administration, Australian Federal Government.  She is proud to have worked as a Performance Assessor and Auditor for the national medical registration body, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), was an expert advisor for the Health Services Commissioner VIC and NSW, and formerly a committee member of the Professional Services Review (PSR) panel. She also served as a member on the federal government, Australian Advisory Council on the Medicinal Use of Cannabis.

Where there are issues related to benefiting our community, preserving, and protecting our natural environment, Professor Kotsirilos will extend herself beyond through community, the media, experts, for submissions and in presentations to assist where she can. A healthy environment is vital to supporting human health. Her current concerns include air, water, and land pollution directly as a result from human activity, and climate change as they all impact human health.