An Introduction to Holistic Psychotherapy
January 6th, 2010
By Nicole S. Urdang, M.S., NCC, DHM, Holistic Psychotherapy Topic Expert Contributor
Click here to contact Nicole and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile.
Holistic psychotherapists use techniques from many disciplines, not just psychology, to mobilize people’s innate abilities to heal themselves.
Conceptually, what differentiates holistic psychotherapy from other schools of thought is its inclusiveness. A holistically oriented therapist assumes the body, mind, and spirit are interrelated. Consciously and unconsciously, they choreograph an ever-changing dance resulting in inner consonance or dissonance. Because a holistic psychotherapist has so many tools at her disposal, she can suggest a wide variety of alternatives to accelerate healing.
Whether it is learning to take good care of the little child inside, eating and sleeping well, reframing your thoughts with cognitive-behavior therapy, or soothing your mind-body with yoga and meditation, there are myriad ways to lovingly move towards balance, self-knowledge, and peace.
Holistic psychotherapy starts with the assumption you are a complex, intricately designed human being. One day, you may benefit from an herb, another time it might be yoga nidra (an ancient guided program of deep relaxation) that soothes your nervous system. There are many catalysts for growth.
True holistic psychotherapy uses anything that might help your personal evolution. Each therapist’s practice is based on her unique skills. If she has been trained in herbal medicine, for example, she will incorporate that knowledge into her work. She might suggest Passionflower for anxiety, Valerian for insomnia, or St. John’s Wort for depression. Another therapist would use a breath technique to switch someone from his sympathetic nervous system to his parasympathetic nervous system (fight or flight to rest and digest). And, another practitioner could suggest Bach’s Rescue Remedy.
As a holistic psychotherapist, my experience includes: homeopathy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, Rational-emotive behavior therapy, dream work, journaling, nutrition, addiction work, yoga, meditation, clinical hypnosis, healing the inner child, positive psychology, poetry, Sanskrit mantras, philosophy, yogic breath work, psychodynamic psychotherapy, Bach flower essences, vitamins/supplements, healing sound, sports psychology, Jungian shadow work, unlocking creative blocks, and radical self-acceptance.
In the coming months, I will focus on various ideas and techniques to help you gently and lovingly move towards inner peace, acceptance of your true self, and greater compassion for all beings. If you have a particular topic you would like me to explore please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this blog article.
In the meantime, remember that everything you seek is already within you. Whatever difficulty you’re facing is temporary, and happening for your highest good.
Here’s one of my favorite techniques to calm your body-mind in a few minutes. One of its benefits is no one will know you are doing anything other than sitting peacefully.
4-4-4 BREATH:
It is a good idea to make sure you are breathing diaphragmatically.
The easiest way to develop this ability is to lie on the floor with a rolled up towel under your knees (this relaxes the back). Put one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen. As you inhale, draw the breath deeply into your abdomen. That hand should rise a little, while the one on your chest should remain stationary. One of the simplest relaxation techniques is to practice this diaphragmatic breathing for 20 minutes with your eyes closed.
Once you have this mastered, the rest is remarkably easy.
Inhale to a very slow count of four.
Hold your breath, calmly, for a very slow count of four.
Exhale to a very slow count of four.
Five to ten cycles should leave you feeling calm and refreshed.
©Copyright 2010 by Nicole Urdang, M.S, NCC, DHM, therapist in Buffalo, NY. All Rights Reserved.
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4 Comments | Click here to leave a comment.
Comments
It is very important for an individual to be fit and healthy all over. Even if one component, or part of health is not fine, then there is a lot of suffering and weakness. Hence holistic therapy seems to address this issue to feel ‘alive’ again in every aspect possible.
Holistic psychotherapy sounds like a good solution in cases where a person does not seem to be reacting to a particular approach.By using this theory,we can hope to garner the person’s energy toward the problem and rid the person of it.
I wish that there were more practitioners of a holistic approach when it comes to wellness and overall health instead of the many pill pushers who seem to be more prevalent in today’s society. When I talk to others about how important holistic health is they look at me like I am the crazy one, when I know that this is the only real way to get and stay healthy.
As a population we have gotten way off track with our physical and spiritual needs. Time for a BIG wakeup call.
Hi Ronald, Wilson and Dale,
Thank you for your comments. I am glad you agree with the theory behind holistic psychotherapy.
If you have any particular topics you would like me to explore, please let me know.
Peace,
Nicole
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