Holistic treatment provides an alternative or complementary approach to Western healthcare. A National Institute of Health study showed that a third of Americans use some form of holistic treatment approach on a regular basis.
Holistic treatment expands traditional Western offerings by providing holistic wellness alternatives. Moreover, such holistic services derive from integrative medicine that highlights the concept of a unified mind-body-spirit. Consequently, the goal of holistic treatment is to treat the whole person, rather than the individual symptoms of a disorder.
In many holistic treatment facilities, holistic wellness services, such as yoga, meditation, nutrition, and acupuncture, are used to augment conventional Western therapies, like individual counseling, behavioral therapies, and medication-assisted treatment. Furthermore, holistic wellness addresses the whole individual, including physical, environmental, emotional, and spiritual aspects.
Holistic wellness does not discount Western medicine. Rather, the holistic approach is seen as an alternative. Specifically, holistic treatment focuses on the idea that individuals can ultimately take charge of their own well-being. Thus, holistic wellness is an ongoing process that typically requires lifestyle changes rather than offering a quick fix.
Sources: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US Department of Veteran Affairs, Center for Spirituality & Healing (University of Minnesota)
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