Practitioners of holistic medicine are healing professionals that have skills in one or more areas of healing. From homeopaths to hypnotherapists to bodyworkers, the holistic practitioner is a term that has become one that is usually difficult to understand or describe. This article will hopefully give you a clear idea on what a holistic practitioner is and how you can find one that meets your specific requirements.
When you say holistic practitioner, you’re in a way, saying medical doctor. Although you will find general practitioners that cross along different paths, most practitioners specialize in one or more modes of treatment. The foremost fields of specialization are counselors/coaches, body-centered therapists, emotional release therapists, energy-centered therapists, spirit- and soul-centered therapists, and mind-centered therapists. Each of these practitioners attempts to provide their patients with a better quality of life. This can come about through emotional confidence, physical ease, self-empowerment, and inner balance.
One thing you need to know is that holistic practitioners work in many fields of treatment. Actually, it is oftentimes hard to limit a practitioner to just a single field. A hypnotherapist may, for instance, also be a spiritual counselor, a bodyworker, or even a chakra therapist, among others. Also, since the soul-body-mind connection is just that, connected, wherever you start, be it in bodywork, mind, or energy work, you will find that all of your being will be influenced by the work.
To investigate the realms of possibilities, instead of limiting your choices to an area, you can use this article as a guide.
Counselors and Coaches
These professionals help clients design and manifest the health situations, business, career, and life that they really desire. A holistic counselor or coach typically works one to four times a month with a client opening belief systems, setting goals, and cooperating with him to give his client the support he needs to move forward in life.
Body-centered Therapists
Examples of body-centered therapists are movement therapists, bodyworkers, alexander and feldenkrais method professionals, massage therapists, watsu practitioners, yoga and pilates therapists, thai massage therapists, rolfing professionals (usually termed rolfers), reflexologists, acupressure therapists, sports massage therapists, and myofascial release therapists. (This list provides a brief overview as there are a minimum of 50 kinds of body-centered therapists).
While every body-centered therapist have their own unique way of healing their clients, most adopt a combination of physical pressure (trigger points, massage, etc.) movement, and breathing to enable the body to release stress. This stress release then also enables the mind to find a relaxing state. The state of relaxation is at times, the objective of the therapies; it is, at times, the true starting point.
Emotional Release Therapists
Examples of emotional release therapists are amanae therapists, integrative release therapists, psych-k therapists, and somato-emotional therapists.
Emotional release therapists deal with emotional patterns that are stuck in the mind/body and help a client move through these obstacles into greater emotional freedom and joy. Several other therapies, including energy work, shamanic work, yoga, and neuro-linguistic programming utilize emotional release techniques.
Energy-centered Therapists
Tai chi masters, integrative energy workers, qigong instructors, reiki practitioners, cranial sacral workers, healing touch practitioners, polarity workers, breathwork therapists, orgone therapists, jin shin jytsu and jin shin do therapists, applied kinesiologists, breathwork therapists, and matrix therapists are examples of energy-centered therapists. Homeopaths and acupuncturists in Edina are also considered energy workers.
Energy workers usually deal work with the energetic ‘maps’ of the body. They focus on where energy is overtaxed, depleted, or stuck in the body and work with the patient to provide the energetic system of the body a level of balance. This balance boosts a patient’s state of being on many levels and also affects his overall body and mind.
Spirit- and Soul-centered Therapists
Spiritual counselors (who could also be considered in the counseling/coaching), shamans, intuitive guides, psychic mediums, and angelic masters are some examples of spirit- and soul-centered therapists.
Spirit- and Soul-centered therapists address the problem of their clients in a number of ways. A shaman may use soul retrieval on a client to restore a part of their soul ‘lost’ to trauma. Specific information on what will happen may be offered by a psychic if the client doesn’t make changes on his current path. A client may seek solace from an intuitive who will assist him in talking with a beloved departed. There are different ways spirit- and soul-centered therapists work with their clients.
Mind-centered Therapists
Metaphysicians, hypnotherapists, regression therapists, and integrative release therapists (IRT) are examples of mind-centered therapists.
Mind-centered therapists focus on the client’s belief system’s structures and how they may be in conflict with the quality of life of a client. They commonly find the underlying reason of what the stagnant states are and observe the client’s unconscious mind to reframe limiting beliefs and patterns that offer confidence and greater resources to the client to live the life he desires.
Holistic Counselors and Coaches
Nutritional counselors, empowerment coaches, intuitive and spiritual counselors are examples holistic counselors and coaches.
Based on this article, we can see that the term holistic practitioner can mean a holistic professional trained in any number of areas. A holistic practitioner will often list his fields of expertise in any of his ads to help you determine if he would be a perfect fit in addressing your specific situation and needs.