Taking Care of the Mind, Body, and Spirit
When referring to holistic wellness, people mean one of two things. The term is often a shorthand for alternative medicine, for example, when someone has a medical diagnosis and looks for natural ways of treating their illness. The more broad and all-encompassing definition of holistic wellness uses the word ‘holistic.’ It defines wellness as the interdependence of all aspects of health, meaning the person is not considered well unless they are well in all components of life. Although experts highly debate what should be included in holistic wellness, the majority agree that it involves mental, emotional, and physical health.
Holistic wellness takes an approach to health that comprises all components of an individual's life and aims to treat the whole mind, body, and spirit. It is a departure from how we typically define health, especially in Western society. Wellness is commonly associated with physical health, and health is traditionally viewed as the absence of illness and disease. While traditional medical practitioners might aim to treat various symptoms without considering other factors, a holistic wellness provider typically seeks to find the root cause of the signs and treat everything accordingly.
The National Wellness Institute (NWI) promotes a 6-dimensional holistic wellness model, identifying the critical components as Mental, Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, Social, and Occupational. Many wellness professionals feel that this model should also include a category for financial wellness. Some practical ways to immediately incorporate holistic health into your life include self-care practices like acupuncture, chiropractic care, mindfulness, volunteering, reiki, exercising, and meeting with a naturopathic physician.
How A Holistic Therapist Can Help with Holistic Wellness
For more information about holistic wellness and incorporating it into your life, check out ChoosingTherapy.com:
“A holistic therapist can help an individual develop holistic wellness through assessment of the holistic domains, set goals related to the outcomes and then facilitate interventions to expand and grow areas of deficit. The theory of holistic therapy suggests that an individual cannot optimally function without nurturing the integrated facets of wellness.
A holistic therapist provides an objective and integrated lens to client problems, and proposes complementary and alternative interventions in order to advance awareness and interconnection of self. Holistic and integrative mental health providers should possess the adequate training and competencies to provide the adequate assessments and treatment.
When choosing a therapist, first identify your desired areas of focus and what your needs and goals are. Then, asking your primary care physician for a local referral, or searching a directory may be helpful in ensuring that a provider has adequate education, experience, and expertise.”
From Holistic Wellness: Caring for the Mind, Body, & Spirit - Choosing Therapy
Photo Source: WIX
Have you tried practicing any form of holistic wellness? What effect did it have on your and your ailments?
Written by Yellow Brick Road Token
April 4th, 2022