What is Holistic Therapy?
Don't let the name scare you off! Holistic therapy is often misrepresented by [social] media. People often think it is all crystals, essential oils, and Reiki healing. If you're into those things, great! We can use them as therapeutic tools, but that is not what holistic therapy is all about.
Holistic therapy is about seeing and treating the person as a whole. Looking at the mind, body, spirit, and lived experience of each individual and using all of that as a compass in treatment. Traditional talk therapy typically addresses cognitive processes (thoughts, feelings, and behaviors). What science is revealing (and some practitioners have known for ages) is that there is so much more involved when we are looking to improve our mental wellness.
Research into the Vagus nerve, neuroplasticity, and the somatic experience of trauma and dis-ease is revealing to health providers how truly amazing the human body is and how imperative it is to incorporate the whole being into health care. This is particularly true in the field of mental health. We are learning that mental health has a seemingly symbiotic relationship with physical health and lived experience. I won’t dive too deeply into this, but at the end I will list some authors and resources to look into if you are interested in learning more. The short explanation is that our brains are ever-changing and ever-evolving. Our lived experience (beginning even before birth) influences the connections and pathways in our brains which influence how we view the world, as well as our perception of safety/danger within our environment. These neuropathways then influence our nervous system, training our bodies how to respond to our environment based on the brain’s perception of safety and connection. Our nervous system controls everything from our heartrate, blood pressure, and digestive system, to our muscle tension, sex drive, hormone production, and so much more. When we experience trauma, chronic stress, and other adversities, our brains and bodies adapt to keep us safe. This is the basis of neuroplasticity- the brain’s ability to change based on lived experience. The difficulty comes in when these adaptations that once kept us safe begin to hinder our functioning. The good news is that neuroplasticity means that just as your brain changed to survive in a harsh environment, it can change again to thrive in a new one!
So what does that mean in Holistic therapy? It means that when you work with a therapist who provides Holistic care, your therapist will be working with you as a cognitive, emotional, physical, and spiritual being. They will help you assemble the puzzle of how you came to be the person you currently are and what tools you need to grow into the person you wish to be. Some of these tools may include meditation, somatic experiencing, cognitive processing, expressive therapy techniques, etc. The beauty of holistic therapy is that because it addresses each individual person as a whole being, you and your therapist will create a treatment plan that is tailored specifically to your individual needs and goals.
If this sounds helpful to you, please reach out to us! We would be happy to provide a short phone consultation to answer any questions you may have about whether Lotus and Stone Therapy would be the right place for you to start your journey to holistic wellness.
www.lotusandstonetherapy.com (616) 272-5943 anne@lotusandstonetherapy.com
If you are interested in learning more on your own, I would suggest the following resources and researchers:
Polyvagal Theory- Dr Stephen Porges https://www.stephenporges.com/
Somatic Experiencing- Peter Levine, PhD https://www.somaticexperiencing.com/
Neuroscience related to Trauma- Bessel Van der Kolk, MD https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/
Neurobiology and Attachment- Dr Dan Siegel https://drdansiegel.com/
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy- Dr Pat Ogden https://sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org/
Trauma Treatment- Janina Fisher, PhD https://janinafisher.com/ and Deb Dana, LCSW https://www.rhythmofregulation.com/
Photo by Bekir Dönmez on Unsplash