Meet us

Carlos Manuel Viana Alfaro – Medical Director
O.M.D., C.C.N., F.A.C.A.C.N., C. Ad., C.R.T.

Born in San Jose, Costa Rica, Carlos Manuel Viana Alfaro grew up on Aruba in the Dutch Caribbean. Young Carlos soon became multi-cultural. Studying in the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and the United States, he aspired to be of public service. Early in his life Carlos wanted to study medicine. Although scientifically based, traditional allopathic medicine left him feeling as if there were something missing. Altruistically young Carlos wanted to enhance medical service and make it available to all who needed assistance.

Dr. Viana earned his Ph. D. in Medical Anthropology (A specialty dealing in cultural, ethnic and social barriers to medical assistance) from State University of New York. In the late seventies, Dr. Viana worked on the staff of the Governor of New York, at the State University as a counselor for the equal opportunity program. Carlos Viana was a member of the division involved in the study to develop a new legislation for the Mandated Insurance Bill, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and changing the legal drinking age in New York from 18 to 21.

In the eighties Viana worked for the Mayor of New York City, Mr. Edward Koch, as a Medical Anthropologist on the Public Health Advisory Committee. This committee was responsible for the development of socially sensitive information campaigns on public health issues. Here Dr. Viana got involved in all peripheral medical issues. Along these years Carlos was the first to teach First Aid and CPR in a language that was not English. He also became involved in teaching trauma medicine. During these years, the close contact with “ethnic group healers,” including many Asians, exposed him to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Carlos could relate to it’s principals of treating the body as a whole, and thus began years of formal and self study in the teachings of Oriental Medicine.

In the late eighties, Viana returned to Aruba and developed a new approach to the branch of medicine called “Barometric” or high pressure medicine. This field needs costly recompression facilities. Instead of a chamber, Dr. Viana Successfully used SCUBA diving and his islands and perhaps the world’s greatest medical resource, the surrounding ocean. In 1996, Dr. Viana was invited to China, by the Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dr. Viana interned at Lang Hau Hospital. There he became the 238th “Westerner” to become certified as an Oriental Medical Doctor.

Dr. Viana has always been interested in reducing the inevitable sighs of aging: cardiovascular disease, loss of cognitive ability and decreased physical strength. Refusing to grow old himself, to continue his active lifestyle of work, study, family time, and his passion – SCUBA diving wrecks, Dr. Carlos has had to reshape the way he thought about aging and the limits of his body and mind. As he grew older, friends and patients were noticing that Dr. Viana continued to be positive about his overall health and his sexual attitudes stayed young. His physical appearance and continuing physical and mental activity were raising eyebrows. People started asking questions and following the suggestions presented by Dr. Viana. Soon new people wanted  consultations specifically for help on living longer and healthier. Dr. Viana continues his studies and is today a Certified Addictionologist (C.Ad.), a Certified Colon Hydro Therapist, a Fellow in Applied Clinical Nutrition, a member of the ,International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT), assisting professionals in the field of Biological Dentistry. Dr. Viana is a member of the International and American Association of Clinical Nutritionists (IAACN), and a Certified Cell Regeneration Therapist. Dr. Viana is the toxicology advisor for World Health Products and lectures on heavy metal detoxification protocols.

Besides being the Medical Director of the Viana Natural Healing Center, in Aruba, Dr. Viana  writes and lectures frequently on health in several languages. Dr. Viana-Alfaro was nominated by Dr. C. T. Smith as Medical Director for ICBR (International Clinic of Biological Regeneration) Caribbean and Latin American Division.

Dr. Carlos Viana is licensed to practice integrative medicine in Aruba, Dutch West Indies and in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles.
O.M.D. – Oriental Medical Doctor
(TCM, Peoples Republic of China)
C.C.N. – US Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist
F.A.C.A.C.N – Fellow American Council of Applied Clinical Nutrition
C.Ad. – Certified Additcionologist
C.R.T. – Cell Regeneration Therapist
C.H.T. – Certified Colon Hydro Therapist
Medical Anthropologist

Phyllis Viana – Clinic Director

Phyllis was an entertainer for over 30 years. She professionally sang and danced her way from New York City, through the United States and Canada to Europe, the Mediterranean and on to the Caribbean, living, absorbing and learning to become comfortable in different cultures. Coming from a multicultural background herself, including Native American, French, Spanish, German, Polish, Philippine and perhaps a few more, her mother always said, she embodied the true American “Melting Pot.” Blend in a marriage to a Portuguese, Central American, Arubian and being transplanted from the sophisticated, fast paced Island of Manhattan to the tropical Island paradise of Aruba her experience with diverse peoples, well you get the picture.

If overseeing every aspect of the Viana Natural Healing Center doesn’t keep her busy enough, upon turning 50, she commented “if this is mid-life, I’m only half way there and have so many things still to do” and decided to jump out of an airplane over the ocean in the Yucatan of Mexico, sky diving in birthday celebration. “Because I’ve never done it before & I wanted to experience it.”

Into “Natural Health” before it was popular, mom Jane, had an organic family garden, “because she wanted us kids to be able to walk down the rows and pick beans and tomatoes & eat them right there. I didn’t know any different. Everybody worked and did chores that actually made your muscles strong in those days.” Add, splits and cartwheels for hours on the front lawn, the grueling discipline of ballet classes, were actually a wonderful place where a young girl could feel like a princess. “We didn’t know it was keeping us healthy and teaching us life management skills.”

Besides performing, Phyllis has taught dance, yoga, relaxation techniques and fitness, which she has been able to use to teach breathing techniques to many patients who for various reasons have lost their ability to relax and breathe efficiently. This is vital to a healthy body and mind. Along the way, Phyllis became a Scuba Instructor, ran her own Dive Company, and has trained in Reiki, Shamanism, and nutrition for fitness and is the Clinic’s expert in Bach Flowers Remedies.

She has raised 2 athletic boys, Julio and Fernando, oversees all aspects of the day to day administration of the Healing Center and is also the personal assistant of Dr. Carlos Viana, admittedly her biggest job.