Complimentary and Alternative Medicine
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has been used for thousands of years. In fact, CAM has been the main course of treatment for most of human evolution. It involves the treatment of mental conditions and mental disorders via nutrition (diet & supplements), exercise, life-style adjustment, meditation and mindfulness practices. CAM is often practiced in conjunction with, allopathic or conventional Western medicine. According to the National Institute of Health, when allopathic Western medicine became standard in the developed world, practices such as nutrition and mindfulness became “alternative.”
In an era where children as young as toddlers are being diagnosed with mood disorders to the tune of billions of dollars for the pharmaceutical industry, we would do well to explore natural approaches to mental health. Trauma victims who fail to thrive in traditional therapeutic settings may regain health and functionality with CAM. Some people with bipolar disorder, who are concerned with medication side effects, can thrive with the right diet, supplements, sleep, and exercise. Meditation has also been shown to change people’s brains for the better over time.
Holistic & Nutritional Approaches to Treating Psychological Disorders
As the old mind/body dichotomy continues to fade, psychotherapists are becoming increasingly aware that diagnosing and treating mental disorders requires a broader approach. Common disorders such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, ADHD and many others are intertwined with physical symptoms and even physical causes. Individuals with these disorders can benefit greatly from a complementary-holistic perspective that takes into account such factors as diet, nutrition, and exercise.
Holistic Psychology: Treating the Whole Person
Increasingly, psychotherapists are recognizing that they cannot separate the mind and body in treatment, and that adopting a holistic perspective leads to more effective modes of psychotherapy. Exercise, proper nutrition, hypnosis and other relaxation techniques all support the notion that psychological disorders, and their treatment, involve a complex interaction between mind and body. Yet, psychology has also seen its share of quackery and fads, and so it is also important to employ critical thinking, utilize evidence-based treatments and ensure practitioners are well trained and qualified to perform the modalities they use.
BodyMind: Goodbye to Dualism
Since the era of Descartes, harmful ideas about mind-body dualism have permeated Western culture. This mind set separates the body from the self, resulting in low somatic awareness and a feeling of being disconnected from the senses. There is an old adage that “cells that are wired together, fire together.” The body holds memories, emotions, experiences, joys, pleasures, and pain. The intense effort many people put into separating mind from body results in a host of psychological and physical problems, including depression, anxiety, obesity, and repression.
Meditation and Psychotherapy
Even though the word “psyche” means spirit, the field of psychotherapy has traditionally ignored the spiritual realm as it relates to people’s struggles, successes, and general relationship to living. Many of people go through intense tragedy and stay stuck in sorrow, anger, or resentment. And many more miss the beauty of everyday life, bogged down with patterns that do not serve them. It important to discuss meditation, mindfulness, happiness, forgiveness, death, and laughter. Similar to the field of Jungian Psychotherapy, all of these varied topics fit together in a beautiful and whole package.
Mindfulness & Meditation in Psychotherapeutic Practice
Despite its more recent popularity, mindfulness and meditation have likely been in practice since long before recorded history. However, the inclusion of these practices in modern psychotherapy is a growing phenomenon. Psychotherapists have traditionally been trained to maintain emotional distance and strict boundaries. Many have not embraced integrative interventions such as meditation, body psychotherapy, and aromatherapy. Recently, research studies have provided the scientific basis supporting the use of these techniques in psychotherapeutic practice, empowering clinicians to broaden their minds as well as their skill sets.
