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Holistic Therapy

Our bodies are a complicated system of physical, mental, and spiritual aspects.  When something goes wrong with our body, most people will likely turn to the help of traditional medicine.  However, traditional medicine focuses on the study of physical aspects of health.

Holistic health, on the other hand, studies the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of life.  Holistic health, then, believes that all aspects of life are interconnected and equally important.  Treatment in holistic health focuses on this belief, usually leading to the use of holistic therapy.  In addition, holistic health philosophies may also work in traditional medical practice as a way to view patient care broadly.

Understanding holistic health requires starting at the beginning of its history.  Before the many different types of holistic therapy were developed, it took a while for it to be integrated in the mainstream health care system.  For example, only in June of 1975 did the United States have its first National Conference on Holistic Health.  It was not until 1989 that the American Holistic Health Association was established.

It was and still is not considered a method of treatment, but instead a philosophy and approach to the application of said treatment.  For example, maintaining “good health” is holistic health is more important than taking extra care of a particular part of the body.  In addition to maintaining good health, holistic health may implement different types of holistic therapy to improve emotional and spiritual health.  Holistic health preaches an ultimate goal of a wellness that coverage the entire being, not just physical health.  Achieving this wellness can be compared to the goal of reaching Nirvana in Buddhism, as reaching the ultimate goal is not easy, and most people fall in between the ultimate goal and the opposite end.

Some distinguishing holistic therapies focus either on the body, the mind, or the spirit.  The rest of this article will focus on 2 popular types of each holistic therapy aspect:

1.  Body holistic therapies – these treatments are examples of holistic health for the body.  They may also help the mind and the spirit, as the body is seen to

- Acupuncture: originating in China, acupuncture involves inserting the tips of needles into specific points of the skin.  It is used to treat a variety of disorders through the stimulation of nerve impulses.

- Chiropractors: chiropractors treat health problems dealing with the body’s muscles, nerves, or skeleton (usually the spine).  They usually adjust the spine, correcting misalignments that may affect the brain and nervous system.

2.  Mind holistic therapies – this type of holistic therapy affects behavior, emotions, and other issues of the mind

- Psychotherapy – psychotherapy is the biggest application of mental holistic health therapy.  It involves developing an interpersonal relationship with a psychotherapist and usually involves the sharing of experiences and feelings for the benefit of mental health.

- Meditation – meditation is a deep focus or reflection that can relax the body while the mind enjoys the most simple form of awareness, opening the door for mental or spiritual clarity.

3. Spirits – this type of holistic therapy helps the patient understand his or her purpose and journey in life

- Psychics: psychics are people who claim to have heightened intuition.  Seeing a psychic may help you answer questions that you would not be able to answer otherwise.

- Astrological counseling: practitioners of astrological counseling use astrology for a basis knowledge.  The information obtained may help understand general life issues and receive warning for future dangers.

Will Lee
Counselor Network Writer

Online Therapy

Technology is booming, and innovations in many industries continue to develop.  One of the main goals of technological innovations of this time is the increase of convenience, specifically, the ability to do more tasks from your home computer chair than ever before.

One instance of this added convenience is the innovation of online therapy.  Online therapy provides potential clients with the ability to obtain professional mental health services through the internet, using internet communication technology.

Online therapy is also known as e-therapy, teletherapy, e-counseling, or online counseling.  It is usually used either in addition to typical psychotherapy, as a replacement to typical psychotherapy, or as an occasional mental health checkup.  For those unable to visit a traditional psychotherapist, online therapy may provide a channel to professional therapy that would not have been an option otherwise.  Online therapy also provides those who are unwilling to see a traditional psychotherapist due to a fear of exposing their feelings, embarrassment, or on a low budget.

The convenience of online therapy, though, is the most cited reason for its widespread use.  The use of technology allows both the therapist and the client added convenience, effectively providing better hours of treatment and transportation convenience.  Most of online therapy is usually conducted from the home of the client and the office of the professional.

Saving money is another benefit of online therapy that is recently emerging.  Free online therapy is now available on some websites, providing those with financial troubles a free consultation with a real therapist.  The use of these free online therapy websites has not yet become widespread, but the benefits associated with free online therapy are obvious.  Providing free online therapy to its clients over the internet allows the client to have substantial convenience, save a lot of money, and easily refer one to a traditional psychotherapy session, if desired.

So how can you find free online therapy?  Here are a few steps that you can take to find the free online therapy that you are looking for:

1.  Understand your situation

Before seeking an online therapist, do the best that you can to understand your own mental health situation.  Do you need a therapist to help you understand the situation?  If you do, will free online therapy help you understand and solve the problem?  Doing your research will help you better understand how online therapy may help you with your problem.

2.  Do an internet search

When you have decided that you want to see free online therapy, use an internet search engine to find a website that offers it.  Searching terms such as therapy, counseling, and online will enable you to find a site that has what you need.  Online therapy websites are abounding on the internet, you will surely find what you are looking for.  Be sure to find the right website that provides you with access to many different professional therapists.

3.  Contact your online therapist

When you have found a place that offers online therapy, contact a therapist, either through the website or through e-mail.  Ready your situation or problem so that you can get right to the point.  If desired, set up an appointment to further follow up with traditional psychotherapy.

Tim Du
Counselor Network Writer

Family Therapy

Everybody has experienced problems within their family and close intimate relationships.  When you are that close to another human being, the sharing of experiences and feelings can cause substantial stress.  It may be only a matter of time before you need help from an outside source.  Family therapy, then, may be the answer to your family problems.

Family therapy is defined as a type of psychotherapy that focuses on families and couples in close relationships, in hopes of bringing change and positive development.  In other words, family therapy may help you better your relationships and understanding within your family and close relationships.

Since a significant amount of stress is common in the family, family therapy aims to involve families in solutions for problems.  The overarching belief in all different forms of family therapy is that involving the family can bring out the strengths of the wider system.  The use of family therapy is widespread, covering almost every relational or psychological problem with its family approach to psychotherapy.

What separates family therapy from other forms of psychotherapy is undoubtedly its approach to therapy.  More specifically, therapists in family therapy focus on the dynamic of relationships between people, not the specific problems within one individual.  They focus on the systems of individuals and the impact of their relationships, either negative or positive, on each other.  The maintenance and solving of problems is more important to family therapists than the single cause of a problem.  For example, a family therapist may see more than one family member at each session and aim to relate the conversations and patterns of each family member to the others.

Family therapy utilizes a wide range of many different counseling and therapy techniques.  The rest of this article will help you understand some of the techniques that it uses:

1.  Psychotherapy

As mentioned before, family therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on the family and its intertwining relationships.  Using psychotherapy, family therapists are likely to develop an interpersonal relationship with the members of the family, helping them better understand themselves and the problems between them.  Using the other family members present, the therapist may find solutions to a specific problem that involve the participation of the family.

2.  Personal Coaching

This technique uses questioning, reflection, and discussion to develop strategies and relationships.  Personal coaching is designed to develop a relationship between the therapist and the client, in this case, the family.

3.  Communication theory

In family therapy, communication theory refers to the benefits of transmitting information from one member of the family member to another.  Communication of feelings and experiences can benefit clients through the expressing of troubling issues.

4.  Media psychology

Media psychology is the seeking of an understanding of how people will perceive, interpret, and respond to a world filled with media.  The goal is to identify benefits and problems related to media.  In family therapy, then, the effect of media on the family has gotten so pervasive that family therapists have begun to study media psychology.  This will help them better understand the issues of media affecting the family.

Will Lee
Counselor Network Writer