In conventional medicine, the body is the starting point for addressing most of peoples ills. Many in this tradition believe we are the physical products of our genetic inheritance, shaped by the physical environment, and slated when the physical body releases its hold on life to end our existence and return to dust. There is no purpose to life other than reproducing the species, plus that which an individual chooses to make of her or his existence. These assumptions have significant implications for caregivers and careseekers