TOUCHED BY LYME: (guest blog) Remembering Elyssa Harte, ND
Elyssa Harte, a much-loved and respected Lyme-literate Naturopathic doctor, died from a fall in her home on January 7.
From therapist Sandy Berenbaum:
Sad news – Elyssa Harte, ND, a much-loved Lyme-literate Naturopathic doctor, died from a fall in her home on January 7, 2012. She was 59 years old.
Dr. Harte was a compassionate, gentle woman, who treated Lyme disease patients for over 12 years. She had a brilliant knowledge of tick-borne diseases. She was able to merge her extensive scientific knowledge with her trained understanding of what the body needs, during the patient’s treatment phase, as well as recovery. She was supportive and validating to patients, while she helped them gain an understanding of what was needed from her lens as an ND.
Dr. Harte was able to work collaboratively, as part of the team that many patients need. The patients that she and I shared, children and adults alike, looked forward to seeing her, and to the next phase of treatment. When one treatment was not effective, she always had another to offer, or would research the issues, and propose another approach. Hope was always present in the relationship between Dr. Harte and her patients.
Dr. Harte will surely be missed.
Those close to Dr. Harte have requested that donations be made in her memory to the Lyme Disease Association (LDA) at www.lymediseaseassociation.org (Acknowledge donation to Naturopathic Medical) or to the Ridgefield Lyme Disease Task Force (RLDTF), 66 Prospect Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877 (In memory of Elyssa Harte, ND, to be used for Education & Training Health Professionals)
Sandy Berenbaum, LCSW, BCD, is a Lyme-literate family therapist with offices in Connecticut and New York. Her website is www.lymefamilies.com.
Hope. What a wonderful thing to be able to give. That was Dr. Harte's most precious gift she gave her patients. So soft and kind, gentle and compassionate was everything she did. When you sat with her, she such a feeling of peace emanated from her. Her confidence in being able to aid the body to heal is what gave so much hope.
I was only lucky enough to have seen her twice. In that short time, I knew she got me. She understood exactly what was going on with me. She confidently assured me that she knew how to make it better. What wonderful hope, and how cruelly fate stole it away.
No one knows why things like this happen to such good people. I know I feel blessed to have known her. To have gotten some benefit from her wisdom. Forever indebted to her for helping my mother so much. Dr. Harte changed my mother's life in such a wonderful way. Gave her back the gift of happiness and hope and laughter.
I was so devastated to hear this news and I expect most of her patients were. Her passing will not be an easy thing to get over. Her impact on her patients and the people around her will reverberate forever.
Thank you Dr. Harte. I wonder if you knew how important your life was to so many people. You will be sorely missed.
I am so stunned. I just saw Elyssa on Jan 4th and have just read this now on the 23rd. She has been a tremendous help to me. Oh what a loss. I am speechless and so very sad. All my gratitude to Elyssa, and much thanks.
I had the privilege to know and work with Elyssa in the 1980’s at Hypnosis Motivation Institute. She was a talented Instructor and Hypnotherapist. She also helped manage the Institute and was an extremely hard worker and dedicated to our goals. At that time we bumped heads a few times over management issues. I regret my part in those trials and had held hope that we would reconnect at some time in the future and that she would visit the Institute as see the progress we had made. It was my intention to make an amends to her at that time. I am saddened to hear of her passing and hope that she will accept that amends in my prayers. Despite our trials we still managed to share some laughs and I am very glad that I had the opportunity to know her and remember her as an important chapter in my history.
George, I was first a patient then a friend of Elyssa. I thought you should know that she mentioned you to me on several occasions in the context of discussing hypnosis. I became a hypnotist several years after I met her. She always spoke highly of you. Peter
Elyssa was a dear friend and she helped me to save my life after twin diagnoses of lyme and leukemia 9 years ago. She became the go to medical professional for my family. Her greatest gift, it seems, was the often described ability to transfer a deep, calming sense of hope to her patients. I always felt understood and walked away from her office with optimism that I would heal. She had that wonderful blend of compassion, intellect and an overarching wisdom. She was my unofficial teacher and mentor and I am blessed to carry what I learned from her always. My sadness at losing her, for now, is tempered by my belief that her important work here has merely moved to a more subtle plane.
I was shocked and saddened to learn of Dr. Harte’s death. She was the only one who understood and was able to cure me of migraine headaches that I had suffered for more than 20 years. On another occasion she cured me of another illness that no other physician could diagnose or treat.
After learning of the success I had experienced with Dr. Harte, my son and 2 grandchildren became her patients and were greatly helped with her diagnosis and treatment of allergies and asthma.
We all miss her and greatly admired her gift of healing.
I was stunned and very sorry to read that Elyssa Harte had died. I saw her as a therapist when she was in Seattle from about 1994 through 1997 (I believe that was the time period), and while we had our differences at times, she was without a doubt the best therapist I have ever been privileged to work with. She was extremely intuitive and brilliant, and I made amazing strides in personal growth through working with her. She was loving and giving of her time and emotional energy. I’d always hoped to reconnect with her online, and I’m very sorry to hear that that chance has passed. She will be missed and remembered very fondly.
I never new the doc but after being with several LLMD’s who just turned out to be predatory in nature as I continue to get worse. It sounds like we need a lot more doc’s, that actually hasve, love,compassion and empathy in thete heart! My first PC when I was a kid had it and back then most did. They actually want to heal you not just stuff there bank account. Men/Dr. Like him are going away, we are loosing a national treasure. Sad?