What is a ‘Holistic Practitioner’?

Posted @ Aug. 01 2011 04:35PM by brian - in-print

By Allison Sandblom, RMT, CHt, CMBM

According to the Encarta World English Dictionary, holistic is “1) characterized by the view that a whole system of beliefs must be analyzed rather than simply its individual components and 2) taking into account all of somebody's physical, mental, and social conditions in the treatment of illness.”

Until recently, a holistic approach to wellness was common practice among most cultures living on the planet. They had an understanding of spirit, energy, and matter and used this knowledge to heal their bodies and lead their spirits to health, wholeness, and balance. Historical documents show that it was only in the past thousand years or so that the connection between mind, body, and spirit was lost, which brought imbalance and created mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual distress in the human population. Eventually, “specialists” in each area were developed to treat the symptoms people were experiencing. Rarely, though, did they address the concept of mind, body, and spirit balance. There is a shift in consciousness taking place on the planet today, and more and more people are returning to the belief that the path to health, wholeness, and balance is through the mind-body-spirit connection.

So what is a Holistic Practitioner? A Holistic Practitioner is someone who facilitates healing by taking into account a client’s individual situation on all levels: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual; in other words, using a holistic approach to wellness with the belief that these parts of us aren’t separate. Having just one area out of balance can create imbalances in the other areas, as well. Imagine a three-legged stool with one leg representing the mind, another leg representing the body, and the third leg representing the spirit. When the mind, body, and spirit are in balance and working in alignment with one another, it creates a solid foundation upon which we can live joyful and healthy lives—just like how the three legs of a stool create a solid foundation to sit upon. When one aspect of us is out of balance—let’s use the mind for example: someone who’s experiencing a lot of negativity—that stool becomes wobbly and may even break or fall over. You cannot be out of balance in one area without it affecting the other areas.

The Holistic Practitioner’s job is to do a thorough investigation into a client’s individual situation and discover what areas are out of balance. Using a variety of tools and training, the practitioner coaches the client and facilitates healing and balance, bringing the client back to a place of well-being and a feeling of wholeness. The goal is to treat the root cause of the issue and heal it, thereby releasing the need for the distress or illness, rather than just treating the symptom. The body is usually the last place the imbalance manifests. If we have ignored the opportunity to heal the situation at the mental, emotional, or spiritual levels, pain or discomfort will manifest in the physical body as a red flag or signal to us that something is out of balance.

Holistic Practitioners use a variety of techniques to assist the healing process, and can receive training in many different areas—specializing in one or two and offering a variety of services. Many practitioners are self-employed, but some work in spas, chiropractor offices, medical offices, or healing and wellness centers. Massage therapists, nurses, chiropractors, and Reiki practitioners are often drawn to adding holistic training to enhance and expand the work they are already doing. Some of the areas a Holistic Practitioner may receive training in are: Hypnotherapy, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Life Coaching, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy and Flower Essences, Reiki, Energy Medicine, Sound or Crystal Healing, Meditation, Acupuncture, Nutrition and Herbs, Ear Coning, and Detox Footbaths.

A holistic approach to wellness can be used in all areas of life: health, relationships, financial, career, life purpose, addictions, weight and body issues, PTSD, self-esteem, pain management, and stress relief. Healing and the path to wholeness can be similar to peeling away layers of an onion. Releasing old beliefs; changing negative thoughts, patterns, or habits; letting go of past hurts and resentments; and moving into forgiveness are all ways of moving through the imbalances and beginning the journey to health and wholeness.