Robin Thompson, RN truly believes in the preciousness of life. She also believes soul searching can be a process leading to a sense of purpose and healing fulfillment. Passionate about what makes the best life and an understanding of what can get in the way, she seeks to connect with others’ unique, one of a kind self, leading to a more vibrant and healthy existence.
Robin trained as an RN and began her career in a conventional medical environment. Along with the benefits of hospital care she still felt there was more to offer patients through complementary care modalities. Consequently, she became a certified holistic nurse focusing on the whole person with emphasis on the healing arts.
She states, “I wondered about why some patients got better, and others didn’t, how do they get better, what did they do or not do? What were the characteristics of those whose attitude supported their ability to heal?” She wondered why some improved while others succumbed to illness or disease. Many factors seemed germane, connection to others, gratitude for those helping, staying in the present, and especially, a connection to heart.
Searching for something beyond nursing, and with a recognition of conventional medicine’s limitations, she trained as integrative health coach at Duke University in North Carolina. This training provided a ground work for a more integrated mind/body plan of care. During this time she continued nursing at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam in the Medical/Surgical Department. Along the way, she campaigned for a more whole person approach to healthcare in a hospital setting, chairing the Employee Wellness committee. Eventually, Robin, with support from many physicians, nursing colleagues, and upper management, created and led their integrative medicine program. They offered many complimentary modalities to assist conventional medical approaches in a hospital setting, such as massage, reflexology, health coaching, guided imagery for surgery, mindfulness and healing touch.
Robin states, “I feel conventional medicine is great at diagnosing a problem and giving a prescription. Integrative health coaching helps patients translate physicians’ orders into specific everyday actions.” Robin doesn’t see a person who is ill as broken. They are whole and have the capacity to tap into their inner wisdom to facilitate removing the barriers to healing and living a better life.
Day Kimball welcomed these integrative additions. Unfortunately, extensive budget cuts ended the DKH program after a few years and Robin returned to conventional nursing still hoping to offer a more whole person approach in and out of the hospital setting. After much soul searching Robin and her husband Wayne founded East and West of the River Wellness. They mostly focused early on massage and health coaching. Robin recognized the need for more extensive services. Networking and with many blessings, they transitioned into more of a multi-dimensional wellness destination.
With Robin’s extensive training at the Center for Mindfulness at UMASS, she offered an eight week mindfulness class, called Mindful Living at Day Kimball Hospital, and now on Zoom due to Covid. Robin explains, “Mindfulness helps to shift out of a reactive and stressed mind to pause and become more embodied to respond with greater intention, wisdom and clarity. Stress is a huge factor in the body’s potential for illness. The mind can get stuck in a downward spiral of negative thinking; mindfulness is the useful tool in alleviating this.”
Always seeking to improve her approaches Robin also is trained in “The Art of Convening”. She is adept at facilitating a sacred space to support growth. She states, “It’s less about me being the expert, and more about creating space for each person to tap into their inner healer and offering healing practices to be added to their medicine bag.
Robin Thompson RN wears many hats in the promotion of living a better life. Akin to her holistic approach she promotes stewardship of the earth and reparation for racial injustices. Many of the programs she now offers follow the seasons. With her daughter, Chelsea Cherrier, with a master degree in Nutritional Science, they offer seasonal programs that include recipes, meals plans, mindfulness and insights into sustainable living practices. These programs remain mostly on line, but hope to offer in person classes in the near future.
Robin’s next seasonal offering SPRING RENEWAL begins April 23 and will be offered on Zoom. For more information please visit her website and become a subscriber for updates and class schedules.
Contact EASTANDWESTOFTHERIVER.COM or call Robin direct at 860-942-9046.