Why I Became a Certified Tribal Healer
Summary: When people see “Certified Tribal Healer” among my credentials, they sometimes wonder what it means and why someone with a conventional medical education became involved with the First Nation Medical Board. Here, I share the story behind that decision and how it fits into my approach to whole-person health.
This article is part of Let’s Ask Dr. George, where I answer real questions about health, wellness, and the ideas that shape my approach to whole-person health.
A Question About My Credentials
Every so often, someone looks through my credentials and asks about three letters they may not recognize:
CTH.
They stand for Certified Tribal Healer, a professional designation I hold through the First Nation Medical Board, or FNMB.
That usually leads to more questions. Why did I become involved with FNMB? Does this mean I am Native American? And why would someone who began with conventional medical education become interested in Indigenous Medicine and whole-person health?
To explain that, I need to start with medicine.
My Foundation Was Conventional Medicine
My professional journey began with conventional medical education and clinical training.
I studied anatomy, physiology, pathology, diagnosis, pharmacology, emergency care, and surgical medicine, with training and experience in both the United States and the Dominican Republic.
Those experiences gave me tremendous respect for conventional medicine. Emergency medicine, surgery, diagnostic imaging, and appropriate medications can save lives.
Sometimes the most important question is simply:
What needs to be treated right now?
I have never lost sight of that.
If you’d like to know more about the experiences that shaped me before and during my years in medicine, I’ve shared that story in a four-part Founder Series, beginning with Part 1: Before Medicine, I Learned Compassion.
But as the years went on, I found myself asking another set of questions.
I Wanted to Keep Asking Why
When someone develops a health problem, identifying and treating it matters.
But I also wanted to understand what happened before it appeared.
What may have contributed? What roles might nutrition, sleep, movement, stress, metabolism, environment, relationships, or emotional well-being have played?
Could some factors be changed? Could something have been done earlier?
Those questions led me into deeper study of nutrition, naturopathy, functional and integrative medicine, holistic health, regenerative approaches, and eventually Indigenous Medicine.
I don’t see that journey as turning away from conventional medicine. I see it as continuing the education that conventional medicine began.
Discovering the First Nation Medical Board
I first learned about the First Nation Medical Board in 2017 at an American Naturopathic Medical Association convention in Las Vegas. By then, I was increasingly interested in prevention and looking at the whole person rather than considering one symptom or diagnosis in isolation.
FNMB’s interest in Indigenous Medicine, natural healing, complementary approaches, and whole-person health aligned with the direction my journey had already taken.
That introduction at the convention eventually led to my becoming credentialed through FNMB as a Certified Tribal Healer. I consider that credential another chapter in a much longer story. It doesn’t replace my medical education or other studies, and it doesn’t define everything I believe about health. It complements them.
What Does “Certified Tribal Healer” Mean?
My Certified Tribal Healer credential is issued through FNMB within its Indigenous Medicine framework.
It is not a state medical license, and I do not represent it as one.
I am also not Native American, and I do not claim citizenship, enrollment, or membership in a Native American tribe. My relationship with FNMB is professional.
Those distinctions matter. Credentials should be understood for what they represent, not more and not less.
For details about FNMB, my registration, Turtle Healing Band, and how the organizations relate, visit our First Nation Medical Board page.
What Indigenous Approaches Have Reinforced for Me
There is no single Indigenous system of medicine. Indigenous peoples around the world have distinct histories, cultures, beliefs, traditions, and healing practices, and those differences deserve respect.
What traditional and Indigenous approaches have reinforced for me is something I had already begun to see:
Health does not exist separately from the rest of life.
Food, movement, rest, environment, community, relationships, tradition, spirituality, meaning, and prevention can all be part of the larger picture.
The human being cannot always be neatly separated from the life that human being is living.
Your Health Blueprint Is Your Own
I often tell people that each of us has a different health blueprint.
We share basic human biology, but not the same genetics, history, environment, exposures, diet, stress, relationships, metabolism, or experiences.
Two people can arrive at the same diagnosis through different paths. That’s one reason I am cautious about one-size-fits-all answers. The more you understand about your own health, the better prepared you are to recognize patterns, ask informed questions, and participate in decisions about your care.
That educational philosophy is a large part of what we do through Mufarreh Wellness Institute.
Whole-Person Health Does Not Mean Rejecting Conventional Care
There is a tendency to divide healthcare into opposing camps: conventional versus alternative, medication versus natural, modern versus traditional.
I don’t find those divisions particularly helpful.
When someone needs urgent medical treatment, that comes first. Whole-person approaches should never delay necessary medical care. But after the immediate problem has been addressed, I still believe there is value in asking:
- Why did this happen?
- What may have contributed?
- What can we learn or change?
- What might reduce future risk?
For me, those ideas belong together.
One Credential in a Much Longer Journey
When someone sees Certified Tribal Healer after my name, I don’t want them to assume those words tell my entire professional story.
My credentials represent different chapters of a journey through conventional medicine, nutrition and naturopathy, functional and integrative approaches, and Indigenous Medicine.
Through all of it, I keep returning to the same questions:
- What needs attention now?
- What may have contributed?
- What might be preventable?
- What don’t we understand yet?
I don’t believe any one system of medicine has all the answers. I do believe we have a responsibility to remain curious, thoughtful, and willing to recognize both what we know and what we don’t.
Treat what needs to be treated. Keep asking why.
That is what this journey has taught me, and it is a large part of what Mufarreh Wellness Institute means to me.
Want to Know More About Dr. George?
This article touches on just one part of my professional journey. If you’d like to know more about the experiences that shaped me, I’ve shared them in a four-part Founder Series. Begin with Part 1: Before Medicine, I Learned Compassion and continue through the series from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. George Native American?
No. I am not Native American and do not claim Native American ancestry, tribal citizenship, enrollment, or membership. My affiliation with FNMB is professional.
Is a Certified Tribal Healer credential a state medical license?
No. My CTH credential is issued through FNMB within its Indigenous Medicine framework. I do not represent it as a state medical license, and I do not currently hold or practice under a state medical license.
Does Dr. George reject conventional medicine?
Absolutely not. Conventional medical education remains an important foundation for how I understand health. Whole-person approaches should never delay necessary medical or emergency treatment.
What does Mufarreh Wellness Institute do today?
Much of our work centers on health education and helping people better understand the factors that influence health.
Where can I learn more about FNMB and Dr. George’s credentials?
Visit our First Nation Medical Board page for details about FNMB, my CTH credential, Turtle Healing Band, and how the organizations relate.
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