Occidental Institute was founded in 1972 as a traditional Chinese acupuncture training organization. In spite of harassment from the medical authorities, it developed into an internationally recognized research and support organization for practitioners of Biological Medicine. Finally settling in Penticton, British Columbia Canada, under the corporate structure of a nonprofit research foundation, Occidental Institute continued to function as an information and technology bridge linking top German practitioners and suppliers involved in aspects of German Biological Medicine with progressive English-speaking practitioners around the world.
By providing information, seminars, workshops, educational materials, and facilitating instrumentation, OIRF promoted the growth of German Biological Medicine throughout North American, and in other English-speaking countries.
OIRF was a nonprofit society supported by its membership base. As a research organization they were constantly seeking and evaluating new approaches to health care for our Members.
Occidental Institute Research Foundation permanently closed its doors on 29 June 2018, a few days short of their 46th anniversary
Their founding and Managing Director, Carolyn L. Winsor, semi-retired and has continued to make the legacy of OIRF materials available, and is responsible for creation of this archive and library website. Privately researched, developed and published by Occidental Institute, all these Extension Training Programs, articles, reports and publications are now available and accessible for self-study and reference.
Carolyn has continued publication of a monthly newsletter updating research in this field through Praxis2Practice Consulting.
Proudly Canadian family owned and operated since 1972.
Dedication:
To the many colleagues, practitioners, friends and people who have been a part of the great adventure that has been Occidental Institute. You are far, far too many to mention individually, but I treasure the memories each of you have created with me over the more than 50 years of researching, learning and helping our patients. Here are the words of Flavia Weedn:
“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to a new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.”
Thank you – each and every one of you – for your support and your trust. May this legacy become the phoenix rising from the ashes to pass this knowledge forward to enhance the future of Biological Medicine.
Carolyn L. Winsor,
Managing Director
Mission Statement of OIRF (1984):
In the words of our esteemed Founder, Dr. Walter D. Sturm†
[1944* – 2004†]
Occidental Institute Research Foundation functions was an information and technology bridge linking top German practitioners and suppliers involved in aspects of German Biological Medicine with progressive English-speaking practitioners around the world.
“Biological Medicine” – a phrase coined by Occidental Institute during the early 1980’s – was intended to be a general and inclusive term that incorporated many non-allopathic or natural diagnostic and therapeutic methods. There is no single product, personality, method or approach within Biological Medicine that will allow you to help all of your patients, with all of their health challenges, all of the time. It is for this reason that we see a constantly changing and developing range of methods coming available to practitioners worldwide.
By providing newsletters, exclusive books and publications, educational materials, hands-on seminars and workshops, video/DVD training, instrumentation recommendations and yearly clinic and lecture tours to Germany, OIRF promotes the growth of German Biological Medicine throughout North America, and in many other English speaking countries.
OIRF was a nonprofit society supported solely by our internal fund raising activities. As an independent research organization we are constantly seeking and evaluating new approaches to health care for our affiliated colleagues and supporters.
A Few Words About Occidental Institute (2005):
By Carolyn L. Winsor, Chairman of the Board and C.E.O.
Occidental Institute was an international nonprofit society for practitioners of biological medicine. The Institute itself has been in continuous operation since 1972. Since 1980, they specialized in German biological medicine, which is far ahead of the United States and Canada from the standpoint of its acceptance, utilization, established remedies, and superior instrumentation. Since then, we have become the most influential organization in North America and many other English speaking countries, serving Biological Medicine practitioners worldwide.
We were not some Johnny-come-lately group just climbing onto the German Biological Medicine bandwagon. We have trained hundreds of practitioners from diverse English speaking countries, in the most effective German diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Essentially, we were an information and technology bridge linking clinically proven German advancements with English-speaking practitioners. However, since we do not simply endorse any particular German approach or product line, but rather cover all of the most effective modalities, you can rely on us for truly unbiased advice.
Besides facilitating purchase of instrumentation and training on it, we offered comprehensive printed or recorded programs, publications covering acupuncture, homeopathy and a wide range of related topics, newsletters, yearly clinic and lecture Tours to Germany, seminars by top experts from Germany and North America, and – most importantly – affiliation with fellow practitioners.
