Ruth Gawler

Dr Ruth Gawler, MB BS MGPPsych FACPsyMed FPA (Cert), Director, Insight Health Services

Ruth has been a practitioner of Mind-Body Medicine since 1993, and a doctor since 1981.

As Ruth Berlin, she graduated in 1981, at Sydney University, and spent 2 years as a Resident Medical Officer at Sydney Hospital before heading off to Kenya where she worked in the Nairobi Hospital and Tumu-Tumu Hospital (a Presbyterian Mission Hospital in the Kikuyu Highlands) for 2 years.

She came back to Australia in 1985 to work at The Rozelle Hospital as a Psychiatry Registrar for a year, she then became a mother, had two sons, and completed her training with the Family Medicine Program to become a vocationally registered GP.

From 1990-95 Ruth worked at the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Alice Springs) as a doctor in the Outpatient facility. She was Medical Director of the Family Planning Association of Central Australia from 1991-1997.

In 1991 she worked as the Medical Coordinator for the course held for 25 foreign doctors in the Alice Springs Hospital sitting the AMC examinations. From then on, she combined her work as a rural GP with her interest in psychotherapy and studied under the supervision of Drs Leon Petchkovsky and Craig San Roque (Jungian Analysts).She moved to Victoria, after 10 years in Central Australia, to marry Ian in July 2000, and has been working at The Gawler Foundation since 2001.

Ruth believes that in the process of integration- psychologically and spiritually, there are shifts in the energy flow of the body (an Eastern medicine paradigm) which can be augmented and supported by lifestyle factors.

This shift is what real healing is about. With support, it is then possible for people to make better choices about how to live well and be more at peace. When they recognize their options, and have the cognitive skills and the guidance to implement healthy changes their lives and bodies can transform. Once this shift takes place many illnesses can become a thing of the past..This naturally has a flow on effect and leads to caring more about other people, the environment, the community.

She is particularly concerned about the influence of the pharmacology industries on medical post-graduate education and sees an imperative to assist other doctors in developing a more holistic form of medical practice. This is both closer to the truth of what patients are seeking when they are unwell, and also will help doctors to take better care of themselves. Ruth assists in the maintenance of Health Practitioner focused programs at the Gawler Foundation with the Endorsement of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners through the QA and CPD Unit.

Ruth is particularly interested in guiding people in their integration of conventional and complimentary treatments. She believes that the basic principles that are taught in the programs at The Gawler Foundation- about good nutrition, meditation, emotional health and a spiritual view, are the fundamentals for sustainable health and happiness. Through her personal and professional experience she has learnt ways of helping people to help themselves.

Her work at Insight Health Services makes it possible for her to assist Ian reach more people. She understands that the people who do not come to groups can be greatly helped by reading and listening materials, as well as by personally attending a workshop with them. She wants to make this as widely accessible as possible especially for those who for various reasons cannot attend a program. She has a profound understanding of Ian, the depth of his wisdom and compassion, and aims to facilitate the methods he uses to help the greatest number of people on their healing journeys- physical, emotional and spiritual. She works approximately half her time at The Gawler Foundation and half her time for Insight Health Services.