DESCRIPTION OF CURANDERISMO

Curanderismo is a type of holistic folk medicine traditionally used in Mexican and

Mexican American cultures. Followers of this healing system define disease as having
both biological and spiritual causes.

In 1519, when the Spanish arrived in Mexico, they were amazed to find out the Aztecs
held a vast knowledge of traditional medicine. The Spaniards brought their own
medicine and traditions, which they learned from the Moors in Northern Africa, including
healing herbs from Africa and Spain. The Spaniards combined their medicinal herbs
with the Aztec knowledge of healing, and the result was a mix of European and Native
curative traditions.
Types of Curanderos and Curanderas
The word curanderismo, comes from the root word curar. This word, curar, is a Spanish
word that means to heal. Individuals who practice curanderismo are called curanderos
(male healer) and curanderas (female healers).
According to Johnston (2008), curanderismo has specialists, including: hierbero
(herbalist), sobadoro (massager), partera (midwife), consejero/consejera (counselor),
huesero (bone setter—less common), and espiritualista (spiritualist). Curanderismo
works with the individual on the physical (hierbero, sobadoro, partera, and huesero),
mental (consejero and consejeras), and spiritual (espiritualista) levels.

The curandero played all these rolls, and continue to bring the ancient healing wisdoms to
communities today. Therefore, utilize curanderos who treat on three levels—material,
spiritual, and mental. These physical, spiritual, and mental processes are integrated
within healing rituals and result in a type of insight termed actualization. This
actualization results in individual growth. In treating illnesses, curanderos/as do not treat
the mind and body separately, but rather simultaneously treat both in their healing
practice.
 Nosology of the Curanderismo
Traditional diagnoses and those described in curanderismo often overlap. For example,
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; American Psychiatric
Association, 2013) and curanderismo both describe diagnoses such as depression
(melarchico), posttraumatic stress disorder or emotional shock (susto), and mood
disorders or nerves/nervous stomach (latido or munia). Another psychological illness
treated by curanderismo that co-occurs with traditional diagnoses includes billis (also
known as bile or suppressed anger).
According to Salazar and Levin (2013), curanderismo is used to treat not only
psychological disorders but also with general medical disorders such as empacho
(intestinal obstruction), mal aire (bad air or exposure to cold wind), and mollera caida
(fallen fontanel)

Treatment Approach in Curanderismo

The curandero or curandera views the person holistically. Curanderismo believes that
the mind and body are inseparable and that no dichotomy exists between emotional and
somatic illnesses. Curanderos understand health and illness as a manifestation of an
interactive process between three main dimensions of regulatory process: the religious
and/or spiritual dimensions, the affective-emotional dimension, and the somatic
processes of health and illness. Curanderos and curanderas seek to provide treatment
or interventions that include the whole person. All of the senses and psychological
resources of the person are utilized to bring about a cure or improve an illness.
To create this movement, the curandero or curandera employ the use of symbols,
objects, rituals, and herbs. By the mixing these components, the curandero or
curandera invokes internal processes of the person that support the overall goal of
healing.
This practice is an important cultural phenomenon for many Mexican American
clients and may cause misdiagnosis and misunderstandings in the client counselor
relationship. Ethical counselors must consider the cultural implications
of curanderismo if they are to communicate clearly and advocate for clients
adhering to this practice

To assist clients from this culture, counselors must be aware and open to the
expression of these elements (physical, mental, and spiritual components of a person)
and approach the diversity of these systems through the spirit of respect and
acceptance. Arredondo stated that counselors establish awareness and sensitivity to
client issues, are aware of their own biases and limitations, gain knowledge of personal
and others’ social impact, and seek skills to better understand culturally different
populations.
LA PARTERA

Partería tradicional- refers to ancestral knowledge used by laypersons, mainly parteras

tradicionales (lay midwives), to provide health care to women and children. This care,
initiated prior to formalization of health care continues today.

 The Partera In Mexico and South Texas there is a long history of the use of
midwives, or parteras. The practice of midwifery predates Cortes. The goddess
Tlozoteotl was the goddess of childbirth, and the midwives were known as
"Tlamatqui- Tut."

 The parter is viewed as a healer by many members of the Mexican Amer- can
and Mexican communities. She (most are women, although currently ob-
stetricians from Mexico are providing this service in South Texas) is described as
an individual who has the ability to heal and is outgoing, warm, gentle, caring,
and cooperative.
The partera's duties include
(1) giving advice to the preg- hant woman,
(2) giving physical aid, such as treating any illness the woman may experience
during pregnancy,
3) guiding the woman through her pregnancy in terms of nutrition or activities she
can and cannot do,
(4) being in atten- dance during labor and delivery.

Patients are most often referred to the parters by their friends or rela- tives.
"A partera with a good reputation is always busy." Several parteras receive
referrals from the health department with which they register, some advertise In
the local newspaper, others in the telephone book, and several have signs on
their homes or clinics.

 The parteras avoid delivering women with high blood pressure, anemia, a history
of diabetes, multiple babies, and transverse presentations. Several parteras also
prefer to send women with breech presentations to the hospital.

 Most of the parteras keep records of their deliveries . Included in these records
are such data as the name of the mother, date, time of admission, stage of
labor, time in labor, contractions, time of delivery, presenting part, time of
delivery and condition of placenta, and the physical condition of the mother and
baby.

 The amount of prenatal care the parteras deliver ranges from "a lot to a little." In
genera, the mothers seek assistance during their third or fourth month of
pregnancy.
 When the partera's assistance is sought, the mother is sent either to the health
department or to a doctor for routine blood work. The partera is able to follow the
mother's case and gives her advice and massages. One important service that
the parter performs is the repositioning of the fetus in the womb through
massage.
 A partera may give several forms of advice to the pregnant woman. The mother
with food cravings is advised to satisfy them. The mothers also are instructed
not to lift heavy objects, to take laxatives to prevent constipation, to exercise
often by walking frequently, and to not cross their legs or bathe in hot water. The
rea- son for the last two admonitions is the belief that crossing the legs and
taking hot baths can cause the baby to assume the breech position.

 If the partera knows the exact date of the mother's last period, she is able to
accurately estimate when the woman is going to deliver by calculating eight
lunar months and 27 days from the onset of the last period.

 With the onset of labor, the mother contacts the partera. She goes to the birthing
place home or clinic of the partera- or the partera comes to her home. The
mother is examined vaginally to determine how far along in labor she is and the
position of the baby.

 She is instructed to shower and to empty her bowels, with an enema, if

necessary; and she is encouraged to walk and move around until the delivery is
imminent. Once the mother is ready to deliver, she is put to bed. Most of the
mothers are delivered lying down in bed. If the mother chooses to do so,
however, she is delivered in a squatting or sitting position.

 Several home remedies may be used during labor, including comino (cumin
seed) tea or canela (cinnamon) tea to stimulate labor.

 The baby is stimulated if needed, and the mucus is removed from the mouth and
nose as needed with the use of a bulb syringe. The cord is clamped, tied with
cord ties, and cut with scissors that have been boiled and soaked in alcohol. The
stump is then treated with merbromin (Mercurochrome), alcohol, or a
combination of the two. The baby is weighed, and some time after the delivery, it
is bathed. Most of the parteras bind both the mother and the baby. The baby
may be fed oregano or cumin tea right after birth or later to help it spit up the
mucus. Eyedrops are instilled in the baby's eyes, in compliance with state laws
(silver nitrate is used most frequently).
 The partera stays at the mother's home for several hours after the delivery and
then returns to check the mother and the baby the next day. If the mother
delivers at the home of the partera, she generally stays 12 to 14 hours.

 There are several ways of disposing of the placenta. It may just be placed in a
plastic bag and thrown in the trash, or it may be buried in the yard. Some
placentas are buried with a religious or folk ceremony. The placenta must be
buried so that the animals will not eat it. If it is eaten by a dog, the mother will not
be able to bear any more children. If it is thrown in the trash, the mother's womb
may become "cold" . If the baby is a girl, the placenta is buried near the home so
the daughter will not go far away. If it is a boy, it is buried far away. The practice
of the partera in the Rio Grande Valley is the life of the past, the present, and of
the future.
REFERENCES:

 Trotter, R. T. (2001). Curanderismo: A picture of Mexican-American folk

healing. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 7(2),
191–131.
 Faver, C. A., & Cavazos, A. M. (2009). Church, culture, and curanderismo:
Mexican American social work at the border. Social Work Forum, 42/43,
41–54.
 Hoogasian, R., & Lijtmaer, R. (2010). Integrating curanderismo into
counselling and psychotherapy. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 23(3),
297–307.
 Johnston, L. (2008, May). Curanderismo. Townsend Letter for Doctors
and P
 Zacharias, S. (2006). Mexican curanderismo as ethnopsychotherapy: A
qualitative study on treatment practices, effectiveness, and mechanisms of
change. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education,
53(4), 381–400
 Salazar, C. L., & Levin, J. (2013). Religious features of curanderismo
training and practice. Explore, 9(3), 150–158.