He was the fourth cancer naturopath I saw, and by far the best. Uma also went to him, and again I got connected to a great healer through her. It wasn't that the other three weren't good, but they seem one-dimensional compared to the 3D Holder, who is also certified as an acupuncturist and can do a treatment to help side effects during an appointment, as well as many other treatments (Chinese herbs, nutrition counseling, cranio-sacral massage, counseling, indigenous healing, etc.). He's quiet but confident and really listens. One of the biggest differences between him and the other NDs I saw was how much flexibility and creativity he brings, depending on how I respond to deeper questions, because he's very spiritual and really encourages his patients to find a spiritual practice if they don't already have one. For patients with difficult relationships, he will help work with them or refer them to someone. The other docs seemed to have a pretty standard prescription of often expensive supplements based on a few basic criteria like type of cancer and chemo. Holder, by contrast, recommends particular foods whenever possible - and he even often samples, such as when he prescribed 1 Brazil nut a day for selenium, and opened his bottom drawer to offer one of his. He did something similar with shea butter when I mentioned that my hands were very dry.His biographical webpage says in part that he brings, "a global perspective to his practice and has spent time studying healthcare systems in many countries," which isn't just a line. In particular, he's talked to me about new treatments in Germany that I might want to consider.
I also admire that he served on a medical team after the Haiti earthquake, and he just told me that he tried to help right after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, but that the American Red Cross put up weeks-long bureaucratic hurdles for him and 200 other doctors and nurses who wanted to help. He also said the Red Cross was nowhere to be seen in Haiti, and that they have a high overhead (a fairly small percentage of your donation goes to helping people), which I was sorry to hear, but there are many other nonprofits doing very good work with much more direct aid.