An interview in Eden Magazine with Dr. Veronica by Dina Morrone – Part 1

In a world increasingly focused on holistic health and well-being, Dr. Veronica McBurnie, Clinical Director, Founder, Family GP, and Specialist in Integrative Medicine, stands out as a pioneer in integrative medicine. Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, Dr. McBurnie’s journey from traditional family medicine to groundbreaking approaches in DNA analysis, gut microbiome research, and energy medicine has redefined how we think about healing. 

As the founder and Clinical Director of a renowned wellness practice, she combines her expertise in conventional medicine with cutting-edge methods, including homeopathy and the Frequency Treatment. In this exclusive interview with The Eden Magazine, Dr. McBurnie shares her inspiring story, her vision for the future of medicine, and how a truly integrative approach can empower individuals to live healthier, more balanced lives.

That’s an interesting question. Looking back, I think medicine chose me.

I grew up in the west of Scotland, the daughter of a dentist and a teacher both of whom had come from very humble beginnings and had to work very hard to carve out their professional careers.

On graduating high school in 1985, I was somewhat torn between following my heart or my head. Head - Glasgow University Medical School or Heart - to audition for one of Scotland's many prestigious and esteemed music institutions, following my lifelong passion. I followed my head, having no idea that my heart would also find a way through.

At that young age, I had no idea that the choice was actually not going to manifest as one or another nor that they would be mutually exclusive. On paper, Medicine and Music may sound like divergent paths, reminding me of a very famous Scottish song – “You take the High Road, and I'll take the low road,” but they are linked more than anyone might imagine.

I have always been interested in the mind-body connection, what makes people tick, why some people get ill, and why others don't. As a child, I could feel people's energy, both negative and positive, and I could see that it was somehow linked to health. I have always been fascinated by my fellow humans and our purpose here on Planet Earth.

Then, only a year or two into my professional career, after playing the piano on a Sunday for pre-op patients from my surgical ward in what was the old hospital chapel, I had an enlightening moment of clarity ... in short, a realization that music draws on your soul, your emotions and your energy. Music can make you feel good! I wanted to harness this somehow in my treatment plans for those willing to explore.

If you love music, you love life! I now combine my love of music and its qualities for mood enhancement, togetherness, and calm, soothing energy into suggestions and recommendations I make to my receptive patients. I have observed how music can be very effective when interwoven into any medicinal treatment program. We have observed time and again the role of music, in particular singing, as a bridge to therapeutic healing.

In many circumstances, the combination of music and medicine can be extremely effective, whether formally as part of a unique and tailored treatment plan or informally as a complimentary component alongside some of the other bespoke treatments we recommend for our patients.

Singing is a lifelong passion of mine and something I enjoy sharing and facilitating for others. When we sing, we are the most authentic version of ourselves. Singing is one of the best ways to link our minds, bodies, and hearts, express ourselves, and unite as one. Before humans learned to speak, language would be just a simple tonal sound. People used to communicate in song before words came along. Even now, for some, it is easier to communicate in song than it is with the spoken word.

Singing opens your heart and encourages a body state called heart coherence. A study by the British Heart Foundation shows that when people sing together in a choir or a group, their hearts start beating in synchrony. Singing connects us to ourselves and others and helps release the happy hormones of oxytocin and dopamine, which help facilitate the healing response.

I have a piano in my consulting room at Westbourne Studios, and many patients will come in with anxiety and other issues. Depending on the patient, I will ask if they have ever tried singing before, and wherever possible, I will encourage a little singing together with the piano. I had one lady in particular who was so nervous about having an operation.

Her blood pressure was sky-high. She came to see me and said, "Oh, I don't get out anymore. I don't feel like doing anything. I used to be in a choir, but now I am so concerned about my health that I am unable to do the smallest task." I then suggested we try a little singing together. She looked surprised but agreed, and after playing some simple, fun melodies on the piano, she began to sing. I could see and feel her whole demeanor change before my eyes. She floated out of the room at the end of the appointment, much to the astonishment of her husband, who was in the waiting area and could only ask, “What exactly happened in there?!"

Feedback, in general, has been extremely encouraging. Clearly, this is not for everyone, but where there is a will, openness, or intrigue, we find that the level of opt-in or willingness to learn more or observe or participate via a very gentle induction has a very healthy uptake and sustained participation. When it's appropriate, and it clicks, it's an emotive, engaging, and powerful asset in Westbourne Medical Studios Portfolio of core offerings.

I also run some charity music workshops every week. I work with a group of people who may have had a tough day, many of whom do not have the easiest of lives, but when they sing together, the powerful energy they create raises spirits without fail. Singing something simple together, creating coherence and harmony, can change even the darkest of days, and standing directly in front of that at the receiving end of these frequencies is a wonderful privilege and a powerful emotional release. It is an all-around healing, two-way experience, and I love doing that. I can see and feel music as an effective healer. Without fail, after each workshop, everyone leaves in a different state. I was recently at a public event when a lady came running up to me after dinner to tell me that she had enjoyed the workshop so much that she had never ‘felt her heart so full” as when she was singing in one of the workshops with us.

I always say to people that it is not my magic; it's your magic. You bring out your own magic when you sing. You are communicating from your heart. Singing is the true bridge to therapeutic healing