Bozeman author and psychologist Robyn Nygumburo Bridges, M. Ed., LCPC, LPC recently released her latest book “Two-Legged Medicine-How to be Your Own Brilliant Therapist”.                                                   

According to her official bio Robyn has “offered body-mind-spirit healing services for the past twenty-five years through psychological private practice. Offering “At-Home” intensive retreats, and giving workshops on the Medicine Wheel and Finding the Divine Feminine, Robyn has facilitated hundreds of seekers in finding their ‘true north’.  She has taught healing methods nationally and internationally.” Robyn recently closed her private practice and has “re-fired” to focus on writing. As a prolific author she has written ten prose and poetry books that center on the healing of body, mind and spirit to include “Moose Medicine: Healing Wisdom from the Natural World” and “This Way to the Kiva”.  

Robyn recently took some time away from her busy schedule of writing, speaking engagements and travel to talk about her fascinating work.

Q:  What inspired you to write “Two-Legged Medicine”?

RB: I wanted my clients to have a comprehensive written guide that would assist them in remembering the techniques I was teaching them, and also to see in the written word how important and real their wounding was, and how important and real their healing could be. I also realized I was saying goodbye to my practice by reviewing all I’d learned and offered to others for over 25 years. It became a retrospective about health and healing as I was preparing to retire, or as former priest and current activist Matthew Fox says, “refire”. Compiling all the healing modalities and adding my bits of insight and advice was extremely satisfying.

Q:   Describe one aspect from the content of “Two-Legged Medicine” that might be beneficial to readers of Bozeman Magazine.

RB: “Perhaps the finest healer we will ever know is the one out our back door”. As I have detailed extensively in my first book, Moose Medicine: Healing Wisdom from the Natural World, to have a “real deal” experience in the wilds, you must either journey into nature alone or with someone who knows how to hold silence. As you quiet yourself, the spirit beings (or your Creator- however you envision that) can more easily speak and enliven you to synchronicities with animals, trees, stones, and even weather patterns. They will open your mind and heart to the vast reservoir of loving compassion so freely available in the arms of the natural world. Living in the beautiful Gallatin Valley surrounded by accessible mountains, we tend to be nature lovers, anyway. Moose Medicine AND Two-Legged Medicine both invite you to move in deeper, from outer physical enjoyment and natural inspiration into conscious, living relationship with all the aspects of the outdoors that come into your awareness.

Q:  With all of the numerous self-help books available in bookstores right now what makes this book different?

RB:  “Two-Legged Medicine” spends a large amount of time on the “solution” rather than the “problem”. The failing of self-help books of the past centered on spending too many pages and words on the problem and offering readers too little information in the way of solutions.

Q: Did you have any epiphanies or surprises while writing this book?

RB:  Two: 1) The table of contents just poured out of me first, before writing the book itself (it doesn’t usually happen that way), and I felt re-assured, even guided, that this was material that wanted to be out in the world. Since the topic of wounding and healing can be intense, I really liked the light-heartedness of some of the chapter titles, like “Know When to Hold ‘Em, Know When to Fold ‘Em”, and “The Man Behind the Curtain: Uncovering Your Oz”. I was curious then to see how I’d “fill in the blanks” for each chapter; it was like a puzzle unfolding before me. 2) About halfway through writing Two-Legged Medicine, I thought, “Damn, I really know a lot!” Ha, a rush of pride, followed by a humbling remembrance of all my human failings. So there are the opposites: knowledge and ignorance, which seem to accompany most human endeavors!

Q: What is your greatest wish for your readers?  

RB: That you understand that you are lovable, valued, and can heal your greatest woundings! Two-Legged Medicine seeks to provide you with that roadmap to embark on the most significant journey you’ll ever take.

Q:  Do you have any advice to give to budding authors that feel they may have a worthy subject to write about regarding getting started as an author?

RB: Just begin! Write, write, write. Pour out your heart, your knowledge, and always write keeping your imagined audience in mind. Pretend they are just sitting out there hanging on your every word, and make your words worthy of being hung onto! Let yourself be inspired each time you write. Get critiques from others you trust and admire. Stay focused and disciplined. Then when your first copy is done, edit, edit, edit, until you’re sick of it. Then it will be done, and you’ll send your best into the world.

Q: Who do you consider to be your teachers and mentors in your life and work?

RB: That is a large crew! They mean everything to me. Transpersonal Psychology authors like Angeles Arrien, David Whyte, John O’Donahue, Bill Plotkin, Thomas Moore, Matthew Fox, Greg Braden, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Robert Moore, Christiana Northrup. Healing mentors who loved and taught me: Vicki Molinar-Sanz, Linda Star Wolf, Malidoma Some, Jacquelyn Small, Grandmother Tywlah, Arapata. Healing modalities themselves, like Voice Dialogue, the Medicine Wheel, Gestalt techniques, hands-on healing, meditation, color, crystal and sound therapy, Transactional Analysis, trauma recovery methods. Wild things like Moose, Buffalo, Mouse, Whale, Turtle, the Bird Clan, the Standing People and Stone People, weather patterns, mountains, rivers, streams… and Spirit Beings like my Grandmothers and Grandfathers, Fairy beings, Creator, and a host of angelic souls I can’t define but feel around me, always.

Q:  Where can your book be purchased?

RB: In Bozeman at Country Bookshelf, Sola Café, Montana Gift Corral, at the airport. On the Internet at Amazon.com or through www.robynbridges.com. The audio book version will be available in 2015.

You can listen to Robyn read excerpts from her book and poetry in person during Dinner and a Good Book at cozy restaurants and private homes. Call 595-2410 to request these and other readings and speaking engagements.

Set to be released in September of 2015 is the book Robyn is writing now entitled “Turtle Medicine. The Art Of Swimming Sideways”   

For more info on these events or her books and work contact Robyn at www. RobynBridges.com