The Healer’s Art

By Brooke Baldwin

March 2024

Going to Spain for the public and global health inspiring learning experience taught me the importance of understanding the Healer’s art. I have learned from my public and global health experience that the Healer’s art can be used no matter the type of diversity you come across. I could recognize aspects of the Healer’s art—kindness, patience, dedication, humility—in the care provided by the nurses I was blessed to observe.

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that the Healer’s art not only empowers the healed but can also empower the healer. I say this because I often felt very unhelpful in the clinical setting since I was unable to speak the language. However, the Healer’s art does not require words, so I strove to demonstrate my compassion, curiosity, and engagement in other ways. I used physical touch and body language and asked questions through my translator to show I cared and wanted to help.

I loved seeing the work of healing in Spain because it had similarities to processes I’ve seen in the United States—but it also had differences. Despite these differences, I got that same feeling of awe and wonder at the knowledge and capability we have to help our fellowmen to piece back what was broken and become whole again. Global health is all about addressing health issues that affect people worldwide, and the Healer’s art surpasses all borders and boundaries to bless and heal humanity. This truly was a beautiful experience. It made me feel closer to God than I had in a long time as I felt the Savior’s same overwhelming love for all His children.