Today we’d like to introduce you to Melinda Edwards, MD
Hi Melinda, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey began as a child of missionary doctors in the Mayan Indian village of Nahualá in Guatemala. The Indians had no electricity or running water, lived with their extended families in a single-room adobe hut with a dirt floor, cooked on an open fire in their huts, and washed clothes in the river. We were considered wealthy because we had an outhouse. We moved to the U.S. when I was 12, and it wasn’t until then that I realized some of the gifts that growing up in an entirely different culture provided. I had spent my formative years living with people with completely different ways of being and living and with unique values. For example, in Nahualá, elders held a place of stature in the community, and were honored for the wisdom their life experiences brought them. In the U.S., I saw that aging was seen as something to resist. Youth and appearance were valued, and elders seemed to be set aside. My Indian friends in Guatemala were poor and often didn’t have enough to eat. They took delight in and appreciated the small things. They had never even seen cardboard boxes, and would play for hours with a small cardboard box from the clinic that had held a medication bottle. When we arrived in the U.S., I was overwhelmed by the wealth and the seemingly endless options for every item. These contrasting values and ways of being in the world allowed me to recognize that every culture, every person, is unique, and that there isn’t a single “right” way of doing things. In a sense, from a young age I naturally recognized the inherent value of diversity.
Within the context of my natural welcoming of diversity, I experienced a deep longing to understand and know the truth of what all human beings have in common. This longing took me on a profound journey, which I chronicle in my memoir, Psyche & Spirit. It included meditation retreats, spiritual teachers, living in communities, and travel to India. Ultimately, I came to the ongoing realization that the core of each of us is Love–that beneath all defenses, personalities and values, we each share a profound, open and connected Heart of hearts.
Today, my life is infused with and fueled by this deep knowing of our shared connection. There are three aspects of my work in the world–my work as a psychiatrist with underserved patients in South Carolina; my work with Living Darshan, the 501c3 nonprofit I founded to foster a deeper understanding of autism in the world; and supporting others on their journeys back home to their hearts.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey was not smooth and included many challenges. My book is a deeply personal sharing of my story, intertwining memoir and self-help and chronicling my extraordinary life and my struggles while offering insights along the way. From my childhood in Guatemala, through trauma, an eating disorder and the challenges of medical training, I ultimately discovered the truth I sought through my autistic daughter, Saachi. In the book, I delve into psychotherapy, meditation, and spiritual teachings. I describe how my inner and outer challenges were ultimately doorways that led me back to my heart. And I share the discovery of the love within each of us.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
There are three aspects of my work in the world–supporting others on their journeys back home to their hearts; my work as a psychiatrist with underserved patients in South Carolina; and my work with Living Darshan, the 501c3 nonprofit I founded to foster a deeper understanding of autism in the world.
I support others who are seeking something deeper in their lives through presentations, conferences, writing, interviews and sharing my story and insights with groups. Being witness to the discovery by others of the love that we each are when we let go of our defenses brings me great joy.
My work with the nonprofit organization, Living Darshan (https://livingdarshan.org/), was born out of my journey with my daughter Saachi, who is on the autism spectrum. The mission of Living Darshan is to deepen the understanding of autism beyond the traditional medical disease paradigm–to help others recognize the wisdom and beautiful hearts and spirits of individuals on the autism spectrum. We also plan on building a Residential Community Center for both autistic individuals and neurotypical folks.
And my work with underserved individuals, although challenging, is a gift to my heart. My patients are those who are experiencing tremendous suffering and includes people who are homeless, chronically suicidal and/or psychotic, and individuals who have suffered severe trauma. Many of them have never been deeply heard or seen before. Through this work I have witnessed the healing power of love–and the blooming of another’s heart and spirit when all aspects of them are fully received.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I love the most about Charleston is the marsh. Looking out at expansive marsh that seems to extend into eternity, with the tickle of a breeze on my face, and the fragrance of the plough mud filling my lungs, nourishes me deeply, down into the cells of my body. I also love the ocean here, especially during the warmer months…it’s gentle nature and warmth feel like a mother’s embrace. I love the diversity of the people, and Charleston’s rich history.
Pricing:
- Psyche & Spirit–paperback on amazon $17.99
- Psyche & Spirit–Kindle on amazon $2.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.melindaedwardsmd.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melindaedwards.md/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melindaedwards.md/
- Other: https://livingdarshan.org/
Image Credits
Alan Edwards
Hector Salazar
Ed Wallace
