This is the third of three conversations with Sharon Weizenbaum. Here Waleed Almusharaf speaks with Sharon about a number of short cases exemplifying some principles of diagnosis, followed by a longer and complex case showcasing how Sharon allows diagnoses to reveal themselves.
Sharon Weizenbaum has been practicing for forty years and teaching the Graduate Mentorship Program since 2001. This two and a half-year program is designed for those who have obtained the basics of Chinese herbal training and wish to bring greater skill, effectiveness and confidence to their practices. A unique component to this program is the focus on diagnosis. Many programs teach the indications for herbs and formulas but then when a complex patient walks through the door, you may still be confused about which formula is appropriate. Patients come in and we see a multitude of symptoms (experiences patient’s suffer from) and signs (manifestations we perceive such as pulse, tongue, abdomen, complexion etc., that patents don’t notice) as well as diseases diagnosed by other practitioners. How do you sort through this plethora of input to succinctly determine a very accurate herbal formula? Sharon, recognizing this gap in practitioner’s skills, has been studying and teaching students how to hone the intake process and avoid the pitfalls that drive a diagnosis off track. This is a hallmark of her training.
Through an in depth study of classical physiology the program takes students through the key formula families, the formula architecture and the formula’s relationship to the texts, the Shāng Hān Lún and Jīn Guì Yaò Lüè.
When practitioners engage in this unique and supportive program, their grasp of physiology, diagnosis, herbs and formulas increases exponentially, which naturally leads to profoundly more reliable clinical results and hence, confidence and joy.
00:00 Going with the flow of reality
05:45 Diabetes
09:15 Staph/Chronic boils
17:22 Yang Tonics for Yin Generation
20:48 Post-Covid Syndrome
27:54 Epididymitis I: Case History
32:00 Epididymitis II: Case Intake
35:12 Epididymitis III: What Sharon does with all these signs and symptoms
38:34 Epididymitis IV: Emerging Patterns/Dynamics
45:06 Epididymitis V: Now going back and explaining the symptoms
47:49 Epididymitis VI: The formula, and why
53:37 Some further questions
