After 26 years of living in the U.S., Robert Murdoch’s British accent is still detectable. A member of the Natural Family Physicians team, in Cape Coral, this doctor of Oriental medicine is quite good-natured about answering questions regarding what it was like to grow up in England’s Sherwood Forest. “My siblings, friends and I played there and hid in the hollow of an old oak tree, where the real Robin Hood was said to have concealed himself. His real name was Robbie Hode, and as stories about him were told and retold, they were embellished. For instance, there was no Maid Marian or Friar Tuck. John Little got renamed Little John,” recalls Murdoch.

Murdoch’s 1992 move to America was motivated by England’s lack of sunshine. “I wanted to live where there was sunshine and I could carry on my profession, which I began practicing in 1986 in Christchurch, Dorset, England,” he says.

A brief 10-week touchdown in Florida was followed by a move to Dallas, Texas, where Murdoch lived and practiced until 1996, when he relocated to Cape Coral and set up practice at Natural Family Physicians. Later, at the request of Kandy Love, the founder of Health and Harmony, in Fort Myers, which is now owned by Cindy Carfore and operated as AHA! A Holistic Approach, Murdoch opened an office there.

Confident regarding his philosophy about not only different therapies, but also about therapists, Murdoch says, “I include myself when I say that not every practitioner is suitable for every patient, nor is every therapy right for every patient. Finding a modality that produces results and establishing a good rapport with a therapist is a wonderful thing that contributes to the healing process.”

He jokes, “I have a few arrows in my quiver.” Murdoch is trained in therapies such as Classical 5 Element acupuncture, classical homeopathy, functional medicine, nutrition and pediatrics. “This means that I don’t have to treat everything only with acupuncture.”

Therapists each have their own style, and Murdoch believes that a patient should feel comfortable with that style so they can establish a long-term solid patient/therapist relationship. “My style is that I take a holistic view of individual. I view the cells in the context of their organs and their body, which I look at in the context of their life, environment and community. I put all the pieces of the puzzle together and figure out how all those interactions are going and determine what is best for the individual to move forward with their health and life. If I believe someone else could do a better job, I refer out to other practitioners,” explains Murdoch.

“Over the years I’ve been practicing, many people have tried to interest me in learning other modalities such as essential oils or how to use a variety of machines. Quite frankly, I’m happy working with the modalities that I know. I’m not too proud to suggest that there are others gifted at things I don’t do or know about,” says Murdoch.

Natural Family Physicians is located at 1222 SE 47th St, Ste. 118, in Cape Coral. For an appointment or more information, call 239-540-1220 or visit NaturalFamilyPhysicians.com.

AHA! A Holistic Approach Center, is located at 15971 McGregor Blvd, in Fort Myers. For more information, call 239-433-5995 or visit AHolisticApproachCenter.com.