About Dr. Steffe
Erika M. Steffe, M.D. is a board certified internist and infectious disease specialist who has been practicing in Sonoma County for over sixteen years. Her experience has shown that often in chronic illness, traditional medicine does not have all the answers. She has broadened her office practice to include an Integrative Medicine work-up incorporating appropriate referrals for complementary therapy in her medical practice, and imagery work, which is done at separate times, apart from the medical visit.
Dr. Steffe has conducted workshops and given lectures to healthcare professional in dreamwork, guided imagery, and Integrative Medicine. She has additional certification in guided imagery, has studied dreamtending at Pacifica Graduate Institute and has taken many additional courses at the CG Jung Institute of San Francisco. She founded Sebastopol Integrative Medicine in 2002.
Healing Imagery in Health Care
Dreams and images have been used for tens of thousands of years to help people during their healing process. Over two thousand years ago the Greeks practiced Asklepian medicine, a form of medicine based on dreams. This approach was used alongside Hippocratic medicine, on which our current Western Medical model is based. Although the regular practice of Asklepian medicine declined over 1700 years ago, the process of using dreams for healing has always remained valid. Revisited by Carl Jung one hundred years ago, depth psychology is now based on this process.
Dr. Steffe has been listening to dreams and utilizing guided imagery to help patients in their healing process for over seven years. Although this technique can help any person interested in learning more about themselves, Dr. Steffe encourages patients with chronic disease, or those who are in a life transition, to use imagery and dream work as a healing tool if appropriate. Her particular interest is working with physical ailments from an Integrative Medicine approach and using imagery at the patient’s request. By listening to these images that are the patient's own voice, an innate wisdom can begin to emerge and become understood. The process takes commitment and courage, but can be remarkably rewarding as the healing path begins to emerge.