In the NEM Practitioner Series Dr Shami, Integrative GP and ACNEM Vice President, speaks with medical and health specialists who are practicing nutritional and environmental medicine (NEM), to get their personal insights and learn how their approach is transforming lives.
In this 13-minute interview Dr Shami speaks with Integrative GP and Researcher Dr Carolyn Ee, about her passion for integrative medicine and nutrition. They explore:
- What were you typically encountering as an integrative GP?
- How did patents react when you provided them with nutritional and lifestyle interventions?
- Imposter syndrome, self-care and the power of being kind to yourself
- Not aiming for perfection, and savouring the things that you enjoy
- How exercise can help to build that intrinsic motivation
- Gratitude and mindfulness practices
- The importance of having clear boundaries and psychological detachment from work
Dr Carolyn Ee, Integrative GP and Researcher
Carolyn is an integrative GP, Jacka Foundation Senior Research Fellow at NICM Health Research Institute, and Program Lead of Western Sydney Integrative Health. She has dual qualifications in Western and Chinese medicine, and a broad range of experience in health and medical research spanning randomised controlled trials, qualitative methods, co-design and translational research. She is particularly interested in the role of complementary therapies as an adjunct to lifestyle interventions in metabolic health including Type 2 Diabetes, weight gain after breast cancer, and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. She is lead investigator on multiple clinical trials currently including two trials on Shared Medical Appointments for Type 2 Diabetes and prediabetes, a feasibility study exploring acupuncture and ear acupuncture for weight loss in PCOS, and an open label study on nutraceuticals for male infertility. She is also chief investigator/associate investigator on another six randomised controlled trials of modalities including yoga, exercise, herbal medicines and nutraceuticals.
Carolyn is passionate about the translation of safe, well-evidenced integrative therapies into conventional practice and is a sought after speaker, with seven invited presentations in 2019. She has held the position of Chair of the RACGP Integrative Medicine Specific Interest Network since 2016. In November 2016 Carolyn was appointed to lead the Jacka Foundation Integrative Medicine Program at NICM HRI, which aims to further the translation of integrative medicine. As part of this role, Carolyn is responsible for developing a model of care for a new academic integrative health clinic which will combine acupuncture, Chinese medicine, mind-body therapies, and conventional health care. She has previously held roles as Reference Group Member on the Chinese Medicine Board of Australia, Editorial Member at the Australian Family Physician, and examiner for the RACGP specialist entry exams for over ten years.