Even though Hilda F. Booth was 39 before she discovered the right path for her, she has thrived in her career as a stress management and weight loss instructor. Her method, a Chinese system known as qi gong, is a specifically designed traditional medicine that works on all levels of life, balances the body from head to toe, and calms the mind. Ms. Booth has gone to China many times over the last few years, with the most recent stay lasting a full month, and has become known as an expert. She feels she has a gift for it.
Through her company, Hilda Qi Gong, Ms. Booth teaches The Dragon’s Way for weight loss and stress management at her home by tapping into the body’s wisdom and offering it what it needs to resolve health issues and diet. She has perfected the art of knowing what questions to ask of a person to help them get the most out of the therapy; she strongly believes the body will tell those who listen how to best treat it. Ms. Booth also uses her methods to teach qi gong for breast health at the Lourie Center in Columbia, S.C., and to provide services at the local senior center.
Prior to her current endeavors, Ms. Booth spent two years in the U.S. Navy, with 12 years in the reserves, and spent 22 years as the clinical intake coordinator for the psychiatry department in the emergency room at Palmetto Hospital. The lessons she learned there contributed to her expertise in crisis intervention, emergency psychiatric intervention and assessment, counseling, and teaching. All of these skills are valuable assets for her career today, and she credits them, along with her perseverance, with her continued success. She also attributes her achievements with the fact that she listens to her instincts and isn’t afraid to express her opinions.
To ensure she remains in touch with her profession and community, Ms. Booth maintains affiliation with the Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation. She is a former member of the American Counseling Association and the South Carolina Psychological Association, and is an ordained deacon and elder at the Shandon Presbyterian Church.
Ms. Booth prepared for her journey by earning a Bachelor of Arts in history and religion from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 1965 and a Master of Science in clinical psychology from Valdosta State University in 1985. She became licensed as a professional counselor in 1988, a certified qi gong instructor in 2009, and certified in The Dragon’s Way in 2009. Ms. Booth completed continuing education in The Dragon’s Way in 2014 and 2015, and advanced training in qi gong for women’s health in 2017. Further, she has studied under the supervision of Master Nan Lue of the Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation in New York City.
In recognition of her accomplishments, Ms. Booth earned the Service Award from the Palmetto Health Alliance in 2016, the Friends of Residents Award in 2013, and the Employee of the Year Award from Costal Empire Medical Health Center in 1990. Winning these awards counts among the highlights of her career.
When Ms. Booth isn’t working or performing qi gong, she enjoys gardening, swimming, dancing, and traveling.