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The Holistic Health Model Put into Practice

In a society that is growing to be more and more dissatisfied with the traditional "disease care system", the holistic approach in health care has gained tremendous popularity in recent years and will continue to boom in the upcoming century. Holistic health has been especially useful to date in the areas of lifestyle problems, psychosomatic illness, chronic illness, chronic pain and stress-caused conditions, where conventional medicine has only provided symptomatic relief. It is quickly becoming the philosophy of choice for those individuals interested in being in charge of their health, rather than at the mercy of medicine. Below are some fundamental concepts of the holistic health model.

A focus on lifestyle change

A primary purpose of holistic health practitioners is to help people establish patterns of living that will discourage disease and enhance health, and so improve the quality of life.

A holistic system may include identification and treatment of disease, as a possible complement or alternative to conventional medicine, but does not focus exclusively on problems and symptoms. It focuses instead on the intention to heal and prevent disease, the development of well-being, and enjoyment of life in a perspective of self-responsibility.

The promotion of client empowerment

Each individual is responsible for his own health. In this way, the client is empowered to be in charge of his own health. This approach is very different than the medical system whereby the patient presents with a dependent attitude of "Cure me doctor!". This victim mentality is problematic because the individual believes that his healing resources are inefficient and depends on external agents (such as medication) to be symptom-free. As a result, the immune system of the individual further weakens as it "senses" that it cannot be strong by itself. On a psychological level, the individual may believe he has little power to effect an impact on his world, and thus learns helplessness as a general coping style with life. This individual will maintain a belief of "I am at the mercy of my environment" and become a passive spectator to the course of his life.

In the holistic health care system, the client sees the holistic therapist as a facilitating tool that will ultimately aid in his recovery of health. He will ask, "How can I best take care of myself?" This fosters the attitude that he has the power to effect a change in his own health. As a result, the immune system "learns" that it is a powerful agent and is thus mobilized. In parallel, the individual learns to believe that he is empowered and in control of his life. The mentality of "I am the creator of my reality" brings about higher self-esteem and the belief that abundance is under one’s control.

Education about general health and wellness

The goal of a good holistic health practitioner is to teach the client how to best care for himself, by instructing him on the inner workings of the body-mind-spirit system, and the ways to heal and maintain optimal health. This educational process will create greater awareness and promote a preventative health care system in our society at large.

The body has the wisdom within to heal itself

The aim of holistic therapy is to optimize the healing potential of the body and allow an individual to reach a state of overall well being. This process is done with the highest respect for the body’s wisdom (this is contrary to many medical treatments which seek to override the body’s intelligence system). In fact, many holistic therapists will seek counsel from the inner wisdom of the client before proceeding with a treatment. They will tap into this wisdom with various tools such as imagery, muscle checking, chacra tuning, meridian energy points, tarot cards, and body alignment.

Addressing the causes of a problem

The physical, mental or behavioral manifestation of a problem is understood by the holistic practitioner to mean that the body is signaling that it is in a state of disharmony. There may be a deeper root cause to uncover and resolve before the client renews with wellness. Treating the symptoms only serve to ignore the body’s wise messages. If the cause is not examined, then stronger messages are given, and the causal condition is aggravated. Listening to the body and treating the whole client with a combination of physical, psychological, spiritual, social and energetic approaches are the ideal treatment regimen.

Health is not absence of disease, but optimal vitality. The medical model is devised to detect abnormalities in a patient’s body/mind system and remove or reduce the apparent problem so the person becomes symptom-free. However, the absence of detectable symptoms may be far from the equivalent of a state of wellness. Remember that there are NO medical treatments or medication, which aim to enhance vitality and well-being!

The holistic health model seeks to bring a person to a state of optimal health, which may mean that the person becomes healthier than prior to the appearance of symptoms! Aside from feeling physically healthier, the individual may have achieved a state of inner peace, an improvement of their self-esteem, enhanced relations with others, developed spirituality, and discovered a new meaning to their life.

A synergistic view of human kind and the world. The holistic model sees the universe as a giant holograph. Every part of the external world is thus a reflection of our inner world. The physical environment around us reflects our inner environment. On a small scale for instance, a cluttered desk may reflect a cluttered mind, whereas conflicts with men may mean a denial of the male part of our psyche. On a larger scale, pollution of the earth relates to a contaminated body, and violence in our external world may reflect an attitude of self-hate. This ecological view of the world sees man synergistically and simultaneously related to all parts of his environment.

Each one of us is on a unique and precious journey. Healing is about taking care of ourselves throughout that journey, and that health is a reminder of where we are at in our journey, a reminder of our vitality.

All factors gross and subtle, including the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and environmental domains affect our health. All of these overlap and affect one another.

There is no single system, formula, remedy, or healer that will work for everyone. This is why we need to understand, experience and find ways to utilize our own healing resources using holistic means.

© Stephane Bensoussan, M.A., Holistic Psychologist, 2002

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