By Michael N. Schneider, Psy.D.,
I am thinking that a good place to start with my initial article on Holistic Psychotherapy is to define this term or label. Just what does “Holistic Psychotherapy” mean?
Let’s begin with psychotherapy. The word is derived from two Greek words: psyche which refers to the soul or the spirit and therapeia which means to care for or to cure. So, quite literally, psychotherapy is an endeavor that involves caring for the soul with the ultimate aim of alleviating suffering. Of course, within this definition, many different theoretical and applied approaches to psychotherapy have been developed such as ... Read the rest of this entry »
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This sounds like an interesting approach to therapy. What are some of the tools you refer to? What are some known schools that teach this type of practice? Is this an addition to a traditional counseling degree or a substitute for it?
I find that blending eastern and western practices in whatever field to be a great way of helping people. Ignoring tradition such as exists in the eastern part of the world is a grave mistake in my opinion. There are reasons why our eastern brothers and sisters manage themselves and their lives so well in so many circumstances. And, who can deny the important break throughs of modern medicine the west has brought us? Taking the best of both worlds benefits us all in the end.
I have to agree with Aaron. I feel that the eastern culture is in touch with something that goes way beyond what we experience on a surface level. Through periods of quiet meditation, those in the east are able to connect to themselves and the environment in ways the fast paced life of the west won't allow.
I know this is slightly off topic, but I would like to pick up on something James said. I do agree that the west is inherently too fast. But, what can we as westerners do about it? If I stop to meditate in the middle of my work day, I'll be fired! How can I practice ancient rituals that I know make a difference in a world that doesn't recognize its value?
Regarding Maya's question about meditation - the benefits of meditating are felt not just in "the moment" when you are meditating, but more in an overall sense. I am an acupuncturist and recommend meditation to many of my patients. There are a lot of studies published about meditation used in the treatment of not only emotional disorders, but also physical ones. They show that people who meditate for 20 minutes a day for 2 to 3 months will show improvement in their symptoms - regardless of what the symptoms are. I'd say - just try it. Make time for meditation every day for a while and see if you notice any changes. Good luck!
Regards I am lecturer who teaches psychotherapy. Would you please help me to have movies which show the types of psychotherapy. Highly appreciated in advance. best wishes Mehran Rostamzadeh
Psychotherapy is not easy but it is very effective. Anna
Great blog!!! Very informative and inciteful. Excellent!!!
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
we need to be aware opf whatever we are doing or saying and it takes complete mindfullness for this to happen... without which we will be uncontrollable creatures with no self-control or apprehension...
hmm...I would not have thought of 'welcome' unpleasant things in my life, but after reading the article I think it actually makes sense! You see, if a person welcomes all that he gets,whether good or bad, he becomes more content and has nothing to complain or worry about.It gives you a calm mind and peace,something that is so lacking in today's life!
Thanks for adding a new perspective to the way that I have always thought about depression. I think that you are exactly right- there ARE going to be times in life when we do not feel as good as we know we should but these are the normal ebbs and flows in life. That might just be proven with the fact that just as many people recovered with the use of a placebo pill as did with a traditional antidepressant. Food for thought anyway.
Namaste Norris, You are so right! It's a path to maximizing your joy. Peace, Nicole
If we think of things happening to us as problems,we are definitely going to be sad about it and feel depressed. It is indeed a good idea to welcome everything that comes our way so that we can focus more on solving the problem rather than fretting about it.
although each of the medical fields tries to find the malfunctioning part and tries to fix it, we should not forget that this fixing is done so that the body can return to normalcy as a whole.so the whole aspect of treatment and cure is to make sure the entire body works in tandem and is fine as a whole with no part of it malfunctioning.