Cloud Galanes-Rosenbaum (they/she) is a gender-queer dog lover who lives with their family in their home city of San Francisco. Their two dogs, Billie, a retired service dog, and Frankie, a service dog in training (SDIT), help them manage their Asperger’s (ASD-1), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and chronic depression. After years of learning to self-advocate and push for the accommodations, they’ve made Integrative Health Sciences a dream career path. Thanks to American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) and the support of family and their community, this dream is now within reach. You can also read more about their journey on the ACHS Holistic Health & Wellness Blog.
Unicorn Roots
Today, we hear a lot about disability and the costs and causes of it. However, many people don’t fully realize the broad scope of a term like disability. People such as myself have what is often referred to as invisible disabilities, the complexities of which extend even further. While some people may have readily apparent physical disabilities, many of us navigate multiple co-occurring and/or invisible conditions. Some of these conditions ignite debate even within the disability community. Regardless of your personal opinion, identity, or abilities, disability can be defined as “a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs, interferes with, or limits a person’s ability to engage in certain tasks or actions or participate in typical daily activities and interactions” (Merriam-Webster, 2025).
Unfortunately, the disability community and our widely varying needs are also largely left out of conversations about integrative and holistic medicine. My aim here is to use Unicorn Roots to help include our often-overlooked community in current holistic integrative health conversations. I hope to help others like me find their unicorns and root them in everyday life. But don’t worry if you’re not disabled, often called able-bodied. I’ll do my best to include things that allies like you can use to help yourself and your disabled loved ones. With all of that said, I want to mention here that I am not a doctor. Everything that I provide here is and will be fact-checked to the best of my ability. However, I encourage you to seek advice from a medical professional for any specific health concerns.
Resource
Merriam-Webster, Inc. (2025). Disability. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disability
Unicorn Roots 
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