Maryland University of Integrative Health Faculty Focus on Self-Care for the Maryland Higher Ed Community

Laurel, Md. – Maryland University of Integrative Health faculty members Bevin Clare and Camille Freeman were invited to share their expertise in holistic and integrative health as part of MarylandOnline’s professional development program for members of the Maryland Higher Education community. Clare and Freeman combined their experience as integrative health practitioners and faculty with MUIH’s focus on holistic health and wellness to help faculty identify personalized health and wellness strategies to navigate and sustain themselves during difficult times.

Like many others in the academic community, faculty are experiencing high levels of stress, uncertainty, and emotional strain this year. Faculty self-care is critical to avoiding burnout and ensuring a quality learning experience for students.  The whole-person and relationship-centered integrative health practices that underpin MUIH’s graduate programs and approach to health and wellness have been shown to build the resilience needed to thrive in the face of stress.

“Course design and teaching strategies can be an element of faculty self-care,” said Bevin Clare, professor and program director of the M.S. in Clinical Herbal Medicine program. “When we consider how both our students and ourselves experience a course and we get creative to make it more gentle, pleasurable, community-oriented, we acknowledge the stress we are all feeling as a society. This is self-care.” Bevin holds an M.Sc. in Infectious Disease and has studied herbal medicine around the world, blending her knowledge of traditional uses of plants with modern science and contemporary healthcare strategies. She is also the president of the American Herbalists Guild, where she works to promote clinical herbalism accessibility and professionalism.

“Paying attention to our circadian rhythms by eating, sleeping, and working at predictable times can help the body adjust to unusually stressful conditions,” said Dr. Camille Freeman, Professor of Nutrition and Herbal Medicine. “Working in short sessions of 20-25 minutes, followed by breaks for movement and mindfulness can also contribute to an increased sense of well-being.” Camille teaches physiology and pathophysiology online and specializes in online course development. She is also a licensed nutritionist specializing in reproductive health and fertility.

About Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH)

Maryland University of Integrative Health (MUIH) is a leading academic institution focused on the study and practice of integrative health and wellness and one of the few universities in the U.S. dedicated solely to such practices. Deeply rooted in a holistic philosophy, its model for integrative health and wellness is grounded in whole-person, relationship-centered, evidence-informed care.

Since 1974, MUIH has been a values-driven community educating practitioners and professionals to become future health and wellness leaders through transformative programs grounded in traditional wisdom and contemporary science.

MUIH has more than 20 progressive, graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines, offered on-campus and online. In the on-campus Natural Care Center and community outreach settings, MUIH provides compassionate and affordable healthcare from student interns and professional practitioners, which delivers more than 20,000 clinical treatments and consultations each year. For more information visit www.muih.edu.

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Kionne S. Johnson
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KJohnson@muih.edu

MUIHealth