Happy Holistic Therapy Day!

Did you know that July 26th is Holistic Therapy Day? You do now, and now that you know, let’s talk about what holistic therapy can do for your clients. It’s important to preface the discussion by saying that Western medicine and treatment are undoubtedly effective and can be used as the main framework for healing. When these methods are combined with holistic approaches to treatment, the mental health services we can provide become even more valuable. 

So many mental health professionals are integrating holistic practices into their mental health services. That includes our clinical professionals at SokyaHealth. The mental health and wellness of our clients matter to us. We are focused on providing a truly holistic, whole-person approach to mental wellness. 

What Is Holistic Therapy? 

At its core, holistic therapy is a whole-person approach to treatment. It takes into account the person’s mind, body, and soul. A lot of unsuccessful mental health treatment focuses solely on the disorder or only one aspect of it. Treatment should focus on every aspect of a person.

Granted, how we treat anxiety or depression will be different from how we treat post-traumatic stress disorder. For that reason, we do need to consider the illness itself. However, focusing solely on the mental disorder doesn’t treat your client as a whole. We need to take the time to get to know each client, then create an individualized treatment plan with a whole-person approach. 

The key difference between mental health treatment and holistic mental health treatment is wellness. Holistic therapy promotes wellness for better behavioral and physical health. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), wellness is not “the absence of disease, illness, and stress.” Wellness is the “presence of a positive purpose in life, satisfying work and play, joyful relationships, a healthy body and living environment, and happiness.”

Everyone’s definition of wellness is slightly different. However, SAMHSA identifies eight dimensions of wellness that influence each other and affect our health. These are: 

• Emotional:

  Coping with life and creating positive relationships 

• Environmental:

  Creating and maintaining a healthy environment of support 

• Financial:

  Being comfortable with your financial situation 

• Intellectual:

  Making time for passion projects, creative hobbies, and educational pursuits 

• Occupational:

  Feeling satisfied with your career and the work you do

• Physical:

  Prioritizing the importance of fitness, nutrition, and quality sleep 

• Social:

  Making connections with others that add value to your life

• Spiritual:

  Contemplating your sense of purpose and what gives you meaning

Everyone addresses these dimensions in their own ways, but generally, all dimensions pertain to our overall wellness. 

The Benefits of Holistic Therapy 

There are numerous holistic approaches that, in combination with clinical methods and practices, can reap many positive outcomes for your clients. Surface-level therapy only acknowledges the problem at hand. A holistic therapy program takes into consideration so much more than just symptoms. It addresses traumatic experiences as well as painful childhood memories and reopens old scars from the past that may be causing mental illness to heal them more effectively. 

Holistic therapy may also introduce mindfulness practices to your clients. Mindfulness-based techniques are effective tools for coping with mental illness. They can practice these tools in therapy and then bring them home to utilize. Once mindfulness is integrated into everyday life, your client may start seeing small but noticeable improvements in their mental health and overall well-being. 

Another benefit of holistic practices is the different methods at our disposal. Common holistic services include acupuncture, yoga, and mindful meditation. Your client should feel free to experiment. They will be more receptive to some practices than others. Regardless of which methods work best, they will begin to notice those subtle differences in their lives.  

Once the practices have been taught, some of the benefits your client may see include improved sleep, better coping skills, improvements in lifestyle, and decreased symptoms of mental illness. Through these holistic techniques, your client gains a better understanding of their disorder, its roots, and how to cope with it long-term through an overall healthier lifestyle. 

How Can You Implement Holistic Therapy Into Your Treatment? 

The best way to implement holistic therapy into your treatment is to educate yourself on it further. You can also offer your clients resources. For example, SAMHSA published a step-by-step guide to wellness for creating a healthier life. This is just one of many tools and resources your client can utilize as they get started on their path to holistic healing. 

If you are struggling to implement holistic therapy into your client’s treatment, don’t hesitate to consult with SokyaHealth today. Our story and origin may inspire you to create your own unique methods of holistic treatment. Call us today to start implementing new methods just in time for Holistic Therapy Day.

The path to wellness can be long and tiring for your clients. There is so much information out there when it comes to mental health and how to better it. Society seems to overcomplicate what it means to be well. For starters, wellness is defined differently by different people. Nevertheless, to achieve wellness, we must first take care of mental health and overall well-being. A great way to do that is by practicing holistic techniques. By implementing holistic therapy into your client’s treatment plans, they’ll learn these techniques and be able to implement them successfully to achieve an improved path to wellness. There’s no better time to start holistic treatment than right now, with Holistic Therapy Day just around the corner. To learn more about ways to start offering holistic therapy for your clients, call SokyaHealth at 800-930-0803 today.