Criticspace: Before we begin with the interview, I would like to extend warm congratulations from our team for “The Kintsugi Moms: Transformative Insights from a Healer’s Diary.” It seems to have become quite a sensation soon after its publication. How do you feel about it?
Dr Haseena Chokkiyil: For a debut author this is the best thing that can happen.To be validated and accepted by a worldwide community of readers. Feel so blessed.
Criticspace: Tell us the story behind the creation of “The Kintsugi Moms: Transformative Insights from a Healer’s Diary.” What were the events that led to its creation?
Dr Haseena Chokkiyil: To be a published author was a teenage dream but never got the right subject or guts to embark upon the journey, nor did I have enough life experience or imagination. But as life took its twists and turns, many profound experiences both on the personal and professional fronts happened; Good and bad which eventually prepared me to become who I am today-far wiser and rich with experience. Many tools were added to my treasure box of knowledge as a healer, apart from my basic degree in Homoeopathic medicine.
I could be of assistance to innumerable people in their healing journeys of many diseases stamped incurable by modern concepts of medicine. Add on to those, I had personal challenges to overcome in the course of life like a separation from my spouse, the challenges of single parenting and physical and emotional diseases like an initial stage of Cancer of the uterus, Addison’s disease and emotional breakdowns as part of them. However, I could tackle all of them with the holistic healing tools I have acquired throughout life and also advocate for my patients. Finally, I felt like it is high time that I started penning down my observations. My main aim was to bring out the possibilities of Homoeopathic medicine and other Holistic healing modules in the treatment and radical cure of diseases to the world at large. But I knew not how to consolidate all of them into the parameters of a small book. However, like a play of serendipity, at the Heal your life teachers training, when we were asked to write our intentions for the near future, the first one on my list was that I am writing a best-seller book and all my colleagues chorused. SO IT IS.
Immediately after that the covid lockdown happened and I got enough time to reflect and write the book.I got a good author mentor Jyotsna Ramachandran of the Author success academy who very efficiently helped me carve out the manuscript within days.
Criticspace: As an author, do you think “The Kintsugi Moms: Transformative Insights from a Healer’s Diary” successfully conveys all that you had in mind? Or would there be more to come through your pen?
Dr Haseena Chokkiyil: I was under the impression that I have written all that I had to convey to the world at that point in time three years back. But I realize that life is a never-ending school of learning.Many more healing modules have been added to my treasure box knowledge after the publishing of The Kintsugi Moms. So yes, I do have the material to write more on the subject of healing in the coming years.
Criticspace: “The Kintsugi Moms: Transformative Insights from a Healer’s Diary” is developed in an abstract manner that reaches the readers in no time. Did you have any other ideas for its construction or chose the poetry format for writing in the first place?
Dr Haseena Chokkiyil: Actually I haven’t used the poetry format. Dont know if the question is confusing me or did you as a reader find it poetic…I am a novice in the world of writing and what I did was just to write from my heart.
Criticspace: As an author of “The Kintsugi Moms: Transformative Insights from a Healer’s Diary,” would you describe yourself as being influenced by other authors? Which authors would they be?
Dr Haseena Chokkiyil: The giant part of my book is adapted from the books I have read over the course of my life. It would be difficult to list out the names of all the authors that have influenced me but let me try to mention a few that mostly helped in crafting the material for my book. The works of Louise L Hay, Harvey Diamond,Dr.Wayne W Dyer,Pam Grout, Rhonda Byrne,Dr.Patricia Crane, Dr.Joseph Murphey,Micheal and Raphael J Tamura, Paulo Coelho, Dr.Deepak Chopra,Robin Sharma, Paula Horan, Cheryl Richardson, Dr.Hahnemann , Paramahansa Yogananda, The Holy Bible, Quaran and Bhagvat Gita are some of the names that come to mind.
Criticspace: “The Kintsugi Moms: Transformative Insights from a Healer’s Diary” has introduced you as a promising writer. Can the readers expect more work from you in the future? Would you please share your plans?
Dr Haseena Chokkiyil: I plan to write the next book as a tribute to my mentor in Homoeopathic medicine.The efficacy of Holistic medicine in tackling psychosomatic disorders.
Criticspace: As a title, “The Kintsugi Moms: Transformative Insights from a Healer’s Diary” carries associations that touch multiple dimensions. What is the story behind its creation?
Dr Haseena Chokkiyil: My only intention for writing this book is to enlighten the world at large about the possibilities of Holistic healing in curing every disease under the sun at any level of human existence, psychological, physical or psychosomatic through real-life experiences of my own and my clients in my three decades in the field.
Many a time alternative medical systems like Homoeopathy are stamped unscientific and even called pseudo-science by the torchbearers of Modern medicine due to a lack of evidential research papers based on the existing protocols of research.
I have innumerable successful case reports of every disease faced by humanity -cancer, autoimmune disorders and psychological disorders to name a few and have presented papers in many scientific conferences like the Indian and International Science Congresses. Yet there was no significant validation for holistic healing systems of medicine. In fact, in my state Kerala, IMA the medical association of Modern medicine doctors and beaurocracy literally look down upon every other alternative system of medicine citing that they are all unscientific. My conscience used to boil witnessing their untoward comments and resistance but was always helpless. Just the fact that the Homoeopathic system of medicine cannot be proved based on existing research models of RCT or case-cohort studies due to its individualized nature, does not mean that it is not effective or not scientific. A new protocol will have to be devised in order to explain the modus operandi of Homoeopathy and other holistic healing methods. All I can produce are clinical evidence of fully recovered cases like lab reports and investigation reports and living testimonials from my totally cured patients. But none of these are acceptable to the media or modern medical community. That’s when I decided that I need to jot down my observations in a book where I don’t have to seek approval or validation from any controlling body but can express myself freely. There is a large community out there seeking help from alternative systems of medicine yet have no true guidance or direction. This book is my contribution to the world, to enlighten anyone seeking holistic healing methods as a resort to cure themselves. Having said that I don’t refute the concepts of modern medicine nor do I establish that Homoeopathy is the only way to radical cure. On the contrary, I believe that every system of medicine has its own possibilities and an integrative approach is the right way while tackling diseases. This book is a testament to this belief of mine.
Criticspace: “The Kintsugi Moms: Transformative Insights from a Healer’s Diary” strongly stimulates the readers to take an objective approach and understand life in that light. How did you as a person develop this approach?
Dr Haseena Chokkiyil: From my three decades of experience as a physician as well as from my own life experiences.
Criticspace: There are so many unique perspectives in your “The Kintsugi Moms: Transformative Insights from a Healer’s Diary.” What is the most challenging thing about writing such complexity in a simpler version?
Dr Haseena Chokkiyil: Ans: Yes to explain medical and metaphysical concepts without jargon which will resonate with laymen readers was indeed the biggest challenge while crafting the book. I have tried to write in the most simple way using minimal medical and metaphysical terms so that everyone can understand the concepts I wish to propagate through the book.