Sociologist, writer, pedagogist, teacher and researcher, Valerio Sanfo founded and directs the Popular University AEME.TRA of Turin, the CO.N.DI.B. (National Coordination for Bio-natural Disciplines) and FENNAP (Italian Federation of Professional Naturopaths).
To this tireless man of culture, animated by a fundamental characteristic in life, curiosity, we wanted to ask some questions about the state of the art of natural cures and more.
- In short, what is CO.N.DI.B. doing?
There is an increasing number of associations, schools and professionals who choose to focus on the future of complementary medicines and, in general, on the practices of psychophysical well-being. The risk is to be in a chaos of institutions and pseudo-operators in which improvisation and indifference will be the exact price to pay. To build a strong identity, to present oneself cohesive and reassure users of the seriousness of the training institutions and the professionalism of the operators, the CO.N.DI.B., National Coordination of Bio-natural disciplines, non-profit association was founded. .
- "The world changes": it is the title of one of his very important contributions available on the CONDIB website. In this document you take the first steps in the direction of theorizing competences on the professions of bio-natural disciplines around the end of the 90s. How many and what changes from that period to now?
From the birth of CO.N.DI..B. (2005) a remarkable ferment has occurred in the field of wellness to date. There was a noticeable increase in users who turned to unconventional and complementary medicines. In these 5 years, doctors have approached collaboration with non-medical operators, trained in the bio-natural disciplines of well-being. Political forces are unanimously committed to regulating these new professions.
- "Complementary" suggests a supplementary idea. "Alternative" has a residual value. How do you think we should call the disciplines that rethink man in a holistic sense and exploit naturally available resources?
In this approach between health and non-healthcare workers, the most appropriate term is that of the "holistic disciplines" that foresee the interaction between biomedicine, non-conventional medicine and bio-natural disciplines in the near future.
- Do you believe that the "brain drain" also invests the natural bio disciplines? Or can a young person who wants to train seriously in this sector do so even without leaving the beloved peninsula?
No, there is currently no assumption of "brain drain" even in these disciplines. I will seem polemical, but there are very few good brains, but there are many improvisers of knowledge.
- Mind and body are not split. Do you find this truth still precarious here in Italy?
Yes, very united "mind and body", putting the mind first. In Italy biomedicine (conventional medicine) is getting closer and closer to the "mind-body" model and the consideration of the "PNEI" model (psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology) has produced a turning point in favor of the mind / body interaction.
