Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolyn Torkelson.
Hi Carolyn, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a young girl growing up in a small town in northwestern Minnesota, my journey to becoming a physician and author has been circuitous and adventurous. I began my health career in 1975 as a nurse, eventually working as a nurse practitioner in a holistic clinic. This experience inspired me to go to medical school with a focus on preventive care and holistic health. Once in practice, I learned quickly that Western medicine offered few answers to the array of chronic illnesses that plagued my patients.
I committed myself to finding alternative solutions to the myriad problems and concerns I heard about every day. At that time, formal training programs in integrative holistic medicine did not exist, so I studied botanical medicine from naturopaths, Tibetan medicine in India, and different cultural perspective when working in Guatemala and the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota. I investigated functional medicine, explored elements of self-care, and became active with the American Holistic Medical Association.
In 2000, I received a Bush Fellowship to study integrative medicine which broadened my understanding of how holistic approaches can be introduced into a clinical setting. After 10 years in family medicine, I joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota where I completed a master’s in clinical research and published over 30 articles on integrative medicine and women’s health. My clinical practice continued and, since 2004, my focus has been on women’s health and providing integrative healthcare at Women’s Health Specialists at the University of Minnesota. I have been recognized as a “Top Doctor” in Minnesota Monthly from 2010-2020.
I am active on the Board of Pathways, a crisis healing center, that provides complimentary alternative healing services for the underserved. For the past 25 years, I have co-chaired the Minnesota Holistic Medicine Group with Bill Manahan MD, an organization that now connects 900 holistic providers from multiple healing disciplines.
In December 2019, I retired from clinical practice to write and consult on women’s health issues. With the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, I returned to a part-time faculty position as a community preceptor and just recently resigned from that position.
In October 2022, my co-authored book, with Catherine Marienau Ph.D., was published: Beyond Menopause: New Pathways to Holistic Health. The book brings to light the unique healthcare needs of postmenopausal women that are often overlooked by conventional medicine. Anxiety, fatigue, sexual health, and bone health are among the 8 conditions that we feature and are especially amenable to holistic approaches. Our holistic approach combines the ‘best’ of conventional and complementary medicine.
We encourage women to engage in self-advocacy, self-discovery, and self-compassion to optimize their health and well-being. The response from our readers is that the book is a must-read for women living on the other side of menopause. I continue to promote my book by offering webinars, and presentations, and facilitating book clubs and conversations for women aging well.
I have been married for 38 years, and have one daughter and three grandchildren who I love deeply.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a woman coming from a nursing background, I was not the typical candidate for medical school. Students usually matriculate into medical school soon after their bachelor’s degree and that was not my situation. Yet, I came with considerable knowledge about patient care, a keen interest in preventive-holistic medicine, and a wealth of experiences that well prepared me for the role of being a physician.
Certainly, deciding to write a book about integrative women’s health was a challenge for me as I was used to writing for academic and medical audiences. I did not have experience writing about my knowledge and experience for the lay audience. However, the collaboration with my co-author, Catherine Marienau, proved to be the solution.
We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is more than the achievement of a desired goal, such as publishing a book. It is about finding joy and fulfillment in the process of this endeavor.
The ultimate success for me is reaching the audience of post-menopausal women who need to be part of the conversation, and the solution, about their health.
Contact Info:
- Website:www.womenagingwell.org
- Instagram: @womenagingwell
- Facebook: @womenagewell
- Linkedin: Carolyn Torkelson
Image Credits
Dr. Carolyn Torkelson at the University of MN, Women’s Health Specialists, Carolyn Torkelson MD & Catherine Marienau Ph.D., Insights About Menopause and Aging Bodies sponsored by Women’s Minnesota Press & at Woman’s Club of MSP (May 2023), and 70 Podcast
