To Whom It May Concern:

I have had the privilege of being in the roles of client and peer with Toni Gilbert, RN, MA, HNC and it gives me distinct pleasure to recommend Ms. Gilbert, to those seeking a holistic practitioner who specializes in holistic psychological and spiritual modalities.

In the patient-client role, my wife, who had encountered her in a social setting, referred me to Ms. Gilbert. My chronic low back syndrome, associated with five lumbar laminectomies and the insertion of titanium rods and a bone graft, had left me with constant pain, hardly responsive to oral analgesics and adversely affecting activities of daily living. I was desperate for relief, having tried and failed with most of the conventional modalities.

To my surprise, Ms. Gilbert, after careful history taking, was able to focus on the physical and psychologic stressors in my life and how they were having a negative effect on my back. This was later combined with counseling sessions, therapeutic touch, and referral to a Tai Chi relaxation exercise program. Soon, the previously ineffective anti-inflammatory medications began to have their desired results. Now, several months later, I have fewer symptoms and more mobility than I did in early 1998. When discomfort begins I fall back to the relaxation and imagery techniques that I was taught by and through Ms.Gilbert.

As a board-certified specialist in internal medicine, I consider myself to be a credible observer of Ms. Gilbert's professional activities. She is always friendly and professional. She has an excellent base in anatomy, physiology and pharmacology. She never demeans other practitioners or their methods, and especially never simply to maker her methods seem superior. I have been chided for referring to her practice as "alternative" and urged to consider it "complementary." Ms. Gilbert brings a very calming demeanor to the consultation room, which proves to be contagious. Would that my thousands of patients over my 38 years of practice had been so influenced by me.

In summary, Toni Gilbert has a gift in the combination of her knowledge, her skills, her credentials, and her kind but directive personality. Her willingness to work with peers is an extra. In all, If the term "holistic" fits anyone, I would declare that Ms. Gilbert has already arrived.

Joseph A. Intile, Jr., M.D., FACP
Medical Director, OMAP/OHP