Strictly speaking, the term Holistic therapy means to focus on all aspects of the individual within the therapy process whereas conventional medicine usually focuses on the problem only. A very simple example would be the following: anti antacids are prescribed for indigestion or heartburn in conventional medicine. If the medication was not successful the follow-up may be to prescribe a stronger medication. Whereas if someone was working holistically they would immediately develop on this and ask the question why is indigestion accruing? maybe it's diet? allergies? maybe it's accruing due to stress or anxiety? It could be linked to their environment? Is there a physical or energetic element to it? The answers to these questions would then lead to a deeper understanding of the problem and thus the ability to help a person change it for good, not just keep battling on with the difficulty of regular indigestion.
What we mean by 'all aspects of the individual' in holistic therapy is we take body, mind, relationship (environment) & spiritual aspects into account. Working in this way helps to promote overall well-being and deeper lasting change.
Holistic Therapy also falls into the 'Preventative Medicine' category. Meaning you do not have to wait until you are unwell or sick to make an appointment. The intention would be to have a session now and then to keep you balanced. Somewhat like a service for the car!
A lot of therapies can fall under the umbrella of holistic therapy, some examples would be:
Traditional Chinese medicine ( which acupuncture is a part of )
Ayurveda ( which yoga is a part of )
Polarity Therapy
Reiki
Reflexology
Massage
Energy Healing Therapies
Bach Therapy
Talk Therapy, Psychotherapy & Counselling
Ultimately the degree of how 'holistic' a therapy is will be dependent on the practitioner, their own experience, and expertise. The trick is to have an open mind and take some time for yourself to find a therapy and therapist that makes sense to you.
If there was a goal for society it would be that both conventional medicine and the holistic approach would be used hand in hand on an everyday basis within our healthcare sector.
But in the meantime as individuals, we can always go and discover for ourselves how a regular holistic therapy session, whether it is massage, bodywork, talk therapy, or any other of the wide options available, can influence our well-being and help promote more joy, balance, and vitality within our lives.
Now who doesn't want more of that?
As always, wishing you well,
