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On Healing: Finding Wholeness Beyond the Limits of Medicine
In On Healing, Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran MD—a physician, journalist, and integrative medicine expert, guides readers on a transformative journey to understand true healing and what it means to live longer, healthier lives. Drawing from her medical training and real-world experiences, she identifies 12 essential components of healing, each explored through powerful stories and backed by scientific evidence.
Blending expert insights and cross-cultural perspectives, On Healing challenges the limitations of modern healthcare, advocating for a holistic approach that honors the body’s natural ability to heal. Dr. Kalaichandran’s debut is a compelling blueprint for anyone seeking a fuller understanding of healing, making it an essential read for navigating today’s evolving health, longevity, and wellness landscape.
With deep empathy and insight, Dr. Kalaichandran shares her personal journey of moving beyond the predictable curing of illness to achieve greater wholeness. This book is an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand the art and science of healing in a rapidly changing medical landscape.
“An engrossing, inspirational call for a medicine that takes the soul as seriously as the body.”
—Kirkus Reviews (*starred review)
“Whether discussing hospital design, longevity villages, caregiver burnout, or mindfulness retreats, Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran writes passionately and compassionately about wellness and the myriad ways modern medicine has failed to promote health. Read her outstanding book, On Healing, to learn how you can live not just longer but better.”
—Sandeep Jauhar, New York Times bestselling author of A History and My Father's Brain
“Dr. Kalaichandran draws on her unique expertise in clinical practice and journalism to deliver a captivating exploration of the healing power of integrative medicine... full of compelling stories and experiences.”
—Dr. Valter Longo, Director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California and author of The Longevity Diet
“On Healing masterfully illuminates the critical role of psychological safety in both individual and organizational well-being. Dr. Kalaichandran’s personal journey serves as a powerful testament to the healing potential of compassionate, inclusive environments, urging us to rethink how we foster trust and safety in healthcare and beyond.”
—Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School and author of Right Kind of The Science of Failing Well
“Through lived experience, compelling research and a willingness to confront the uncomfortable realities of a broken healthcare system, Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran represents a generation most capable of creating meaningful change. With clarity and insight, On Healing reveals a much richer tapestry of genuine healing and transformation through a more holistic framework. A must-read.”
—Theo Koffler, Founder of Mindfulness Without Borders and Well-being Essentials, and author of Life Notes
Blending expert insights and cross-cultural perspectives, On Healing challenges the limitations of modern healthcare, advocating for a holistic approach that honors the body’s natural ability to heal. Dr. Kalaichandran’s debut is a compelling blueprint for anyone seeking a fuller understanding of healing, making it an essential read for navigating today’s evolving health, longevity, and wellness landscape.
With deep empathy and insight, Dr. Kalaichandran shares her personal journey of moving beyond the predictable curing of illness to achieve greater wholeness. This book is an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand the art and science of healing in a rapidly changing medical landscape.
“An engrossing, inspirational call for a medicine that takes the soul as seriously as the body.”
—Kirkus Reviews (*starred review)
“Whether discussing hospital design, longevity villages, caregiver burnout, or mindfulness retreats, Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran writes passionately and compassionately about wellness and the myriad ways modern medicine has failed to promote health. Read her outstanding book, On Healing, to learn how you can live not just longer but better.”
—Sandeep Jauhar, New York Times bestselling author of A History and My Father's Brain
“Dr. Kalaichandran draws on her unique expertise in clinical practice and journalism to deliver a captivating exploration of the healing power of integrative medicine... full of compelling stories and experiences.”
—Dr. Valter Longo, Director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California and author of The Longevity Diet
“On Healing masterfully illuminates the critical role of psychological safety in both individual and organizational well-being. Dr. Kalaichandran’s personal journey serves as a powerful testament to the healing potential of compassionate, inclusive environments, urging us to rethink how we foster trust and safety in healthcare and beyond.”
—Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School and author of Right Kind of The Science of Failing Well
“Through lived experience, compelling research and a willingness to confront the uncomfortable realities of a broken healthcare system, Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran represents a generation most capable of creating meaningful change. With clarity and insight, On Healing reveals a much richer tapestry of genuine healing and transformation through a more holistic framework. A must-read.”
—Theo Koffler, Founder of Mindfulness Without Borders and Well-being Essentials, and author of Life Notes
508 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 14, 2025
5 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Amitha Kalaichandran
3 books7 followersDr. Kalaichandran has given talks at Stanford University, Happify, and South by Southwest, while also regularly contributing to The New York Times (Well, Opinion, and Styles sections) on topics that deal with medical education, health, and wellness. Her writing also has been featured in a range of national and international publications, including Wired, Washington Post, New York Magazine, Discover Magazine, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, The Atavist (optioned for film), The Walrus (Canada), The Globe and Mail (Canada), and New Scientist (U.K.).
She earned her medical degree (M.D.) from the University of Toronto, and completed a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine through the University of Arizona. In addition, Dr Kalaichandran completed psychotherapy training through the Medical Psychotherapy Association of Canada, Wellness/Lifestyle Coaching through York University, a Journalism Fellowship at the University of Toronto, and a Master’s Certificate in Healthcare Management from the Schulich School of Business.
Dr. Kalaichandran has been a mentor for the OpEd Project, which aims to uplift under-represented expert/academic voices – largely women and people of color – in the media via Op-eds. She has served on the advisory boards of Artists Becoming, which strives to improve the well-being of performing artists in New York City, and the Close the Gap Foundation, which pairs first-generation, low-income, immigrant high school students with mentors to guide them through the college application process and job market.
Currently, Dr. Kalaichandran consults in health tech, for companies working on improving healthspan and longevity. She has served as a consultant for the Twitter (now known as X) Health Design Team and served on their health advisory board. She lives in New York City.
She earned her medical degree (M.D.) from the University of Toronto, and completed a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine through the University of Arizona. In addition, Dr Kalaichandran completed psychotherapy training through the Medical Psychotherapy Association of Canada, Wellness/Lifestyle Coaching through York University, a Journalism Fellowship at the University of Toronto, and a Master’s Certificate in Healthcare Management from the Schulich School of Business.
Dr. Kalaichandran has been a mentor for the OpEd Project, which aims to uplift under-represented expert/academic voices – largely women and people of color – in the media via Op-eds. She has served on the advisory boards of Artists Becoming, which strives to improve the well-being of performing artists in New York City, and the Close the Gap Foundation, which pairs first-generation, low-income, immigrant high school students with mentors to guide them through the college application process and job market.
Currently, Dr. Kalaichandran consults in health tech, for companies working on improving healthspan and longevity. She has served as a consultant for the Twitter (now known as X) Health Design Team and served on their health advisory board. She lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 5, 2024
Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran’s book is as entertaining as it is informative and eye-opening. It was an enjoyable read, but more importantly, I think it will change the way I view my interactions with the medical system in the future. The genius of the book is how the author weaves together so many strands into a readable, flowing narrative. First, it is a story about the author’s own health crisis. That is where the book begins, and that is what leads her on a journey to investigate some of the most interesting topics in medical science today, including the role of stress in the workplace, the quality of the food we eat and fasting, mindfulness and psychedelics, and how our physical environments affect our health. On this journey, the doctor meets and shares the stories of scientists and researchers and, very poignantly, other patients, some with devastating illnesses.
The author identifies 12 components to healing, with a chapter devoted to each. One of my favorite chapters was “Nourished,” which is all about what and when we eat. Do you think your doctor doesn’t talk enough about nutrition? It isn’t surprising. The author tells us that roughly two hours of her medical school education was devoted to that topic. In this chapter, she meets with Valter Longo, a cellular biologist who studies, among other things, how fasting protocols help cancer patients. Longo explained to her how and why fasting changes how cells work, how that is a benefit, and why it is so hard to get oncologists to understand and practice it. In the same chapter, Dr. Kalaichandran introduces us to the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry and how the types of food we eat can play a role in issues like depression, anxiety, and even ADHD.
As educational as each chapter on the 12 components of healing is, what is equally important is the theme of how our medical system currently deals (or doesn’t deal) with these issues on the journey to healing. Healing, here, is the operative word. As the author explains, the medical system in the West often relies on “quick fixes” and cures and has become nearsighted, forgetting the healing knowledge that has always been available to us: beautiful surroundings and nature, social connections, rest, and, in the end, acceptance. In fact, far from incorporating these components into our treatments, hospitals often ignore them to the point of doing more harm than good. Who among us hasn’t sat for hours in a cold, sterile waiting room, waiting for a test, and hasn’t wondered if this experience will hurt us more than help?
I lost both my husband and my mother in the past few years. I know that not every disease has a cure. We cannot all be cured, but wholeness and some type of healing are available to us all, and the author encourages us to seek those avenues for ourselves. As I struggled through my husband’s final months of life, interacting with physicians, I often wondered what these doctors, whom we depended on so much, were really thinking. Did they feel or think anything beyond the “doctor speak” that had become so predictable? If you are like me, you have learned to believe that doctors are a special breed of people—always right, morally superior, and giving their all for our best interests.
The readers will meet some excellent, talented, and forward-thinking physicians and scientists in this book. There are many of them: Ortiz Catalan, who uses virtual reality and augmented reality to treat phantom limb pain; Dr. Christina Puchalski, who focuses her career on bringing spirituality, the sacred, and compassion into the practice of medicine; and, touchingly, the anatomy professor who expressed disappointment that only two students attended an annual Remembrance Ceremony for those who had willed their bodies to science. But readers will see the ugly side of the medical system, too. Doctors are human, after all. The author also covers workplace culture in healthcare settings and hospitals, including racism and bullying by physicians, which can often land in court. Dr. Kalaichandran points out that the leading cause of death for medical students is suicide. The book is a fascinating narrative, an insider’s peek behind the veil of modern Western medicine, and an intriguing look at some of the options. I wholeheartedly advise you to read it. It has given me a new perspective on healing and wholeness.
The author identifies 12 components to healing, with a chapter devoted to each. One of my favorite chapters was “Nourished,” which is all about what and when we eat. Do you think your doctor doesn’t talk enough about nutrition? It isn’t surprising. The author tells us that roughly two hours of her medical school education was devoted to that topic. In this chapter, she meets with Valter Longo, a cellular biologist who studies, among other things, how fasting protocols help cancer patients. Longo explained to her how and why fasting changes how cells work, how that is a benefit, and why it is so hard to get oncologists to understand and practice it. In the same chapter, Dr. Kalaichandran introduces us to the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry and how the types of food we eat can play a role in issues like depression, anxiety, and even ADHD.
As educational as each chapter on the 12 components of healing is, what is equally important is the theme of how our medical system currently deals (or doesn’t deal) with these issues on the journey to healing. Healing, here, is the operative word. As the author explains, the medical system in the West often relies on “quick fixes” and cures and has become nearsighted, forgetting the healing knowledge that has always been available to us: beautiful surroundings and nature, social connections, rest, and, in the end, acceptance. In fact, far from incorporating these components into our treatments, hospitals often ignore them to the point of doing more harm than good. Who among us hasn’t sat for hours in a cold, sterile waiting room, waiting for a test, and hasn’t wondered if this experience will hurt us more than help?
I lost both my husband and my mother in the past few years. I know that not every disease has a cure. We cannot all be cured, but wholeness and some type of healing are available to us all, and the author encourages us to seek those avenues for ourselves. As I struggled through my husband’s final months of life, interacting with physicians, I often wondered what these doctors, whom we depended on so much, were really thinking. Did they feel or think anything beyond the “doctor speak” that had become so predictable? If you are like me, you have learned to believe that doctors are a special breed of people—always right, morally superior, and giving their all for our best interests.
The readers will meet some excellent, talented, and forward-thinking physicians and scientists in this book. There are many of them: Ortiz Catalan, who uses virtual reality and augmented reality to treat phantom limb pain; Dr. Christina Puchalski, who focuses her career on bringing spirituality, the sacred, and compassion into the practice of medicine; and, touchingly, the anatomy professor who expressed disappointment that only two students attended an annual Remembrance Ceremony for those who had willed their bodies to science. But readers will see the ugly side of the medical system, too. Doctors are human, after all. The author also covers workplace culture in healthcare settings and hospitals, including racism and bullying by physicians, which can often land in court. Dr. Kalaichandran points out that the leading cause of death for medical students is suicide. The book is a fascinating narrative, an insider’s peek behind the veil of modern Western medicine, and an intriguing look at some of the options. I wholeheartedly advise you to read it. It has given me a new perspective on healing and wholeness.
January 24, 2025
On Healing: Finding Wholeness Beyond the Limits of Medicine. As the co-founder and creative director for Reimagine Well, a company that creates immersive healing experiences, and pre-procedure acclimation programs, for pediatric, adult, and Veteran patients, this book is an important find. So many healthcare practitioners find it difficult to imagine a patient's healing journey involving anything beyond the med school education they may have received 10, 15, or 20 years ago. This book is a fantastic resource to be able to offer to those health care professionals. It is also a good read for patients so that they can reach a greater understanding of how working with their providers can be a "partnership". Kudos to Dr. Kalaichandran!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews