Before Family Doctors, We Had Family Healers …

Imagine going to your local GP and telling them your spiritual energy feels out of whack. Many would actually believe you, but their ‘professional memberships’ would oblige them to prescribe something, or refer you to a psychologist.

Maybe a few hundred years ago, families had their go-to trusted healers, shamans and elders that understood emotions, energy, and spiritual healing plays in true holistic recovery, and that psychical healing is more than simply addressing symptoms.

1. Industrial Revolution (late 1700s–1800s):

As cities grew and life became more mechanized, traditional healing practices started to be viewed as outdated or unscientific. Medicine began to professionalize. Hospitals became more common. People moved away from rural, community-based living where local healers thrived.

2. Rise of “Scientific Medicine” (mid–late 1800s):

This era saw the birth of germ theory, vaccines, and surgery advancements.

3. Pharmaceutical Age (20th century):

With antibiotics, painkillers, and synthetic drugs taking center stage, pharmaceutical companies rose in power and influence. Medicine shifted to managing symptoms over deeper healing. “Quick fix” culture emerged.

4. Cultural Shift:

Authority moved to lab coats and degrees, and ancestral, intuitive, and energy-based healing was labeled as “woo-woo,” especially in the West. The role of community healers was diminished or dismissed.

But here’s the twist:

Many people are returning to the idea of family healers now — energy workers, herbalists, spiritual guides, etc. People are craving deeper healing, connection, and meaning again.

It’s like a full circle.

Would you say you’re feeling that call — either to be that kind of healer or to find one in your own life?