Are holistic therapies effective?
Holistic Therapies, are they effective?
Over the past decades, holistic therapies have gained popularity and become an option when seeking responses to different ailments. There has been a lot of discussion and controversy around them. But as science develops and studies these further, more and more knowledge there is about them. And at the same time, more scientific backup there is about holistic therapies, too, understanding what they can bring along as a benefit.
What is holistic therapy?
If we could separate therapies into two main categories, we would say they are either:
'Conventional', which comprehends every standard medical care, like board-certified or registered doctors and psychologists. Nurses and pharmacists are also part of this allopathic line. It attends to the most urgent and provides immediate relief for symptoms. This can be in the form of medicines or surgical procedures. Or,
'Holistic', or Integrative, considers the person as a whole with both a physical and an energetic and emotional body. And these are primarily affected by the mind. In some disciplines, you may even find a spiritual field too. Although it depends on each holistic technique, they generally tend to address the root cause of the disease - meaning, an emotional and energetic imbalance -.
(There are more categories, but to simplify, we will use these two for now.)
Are holistic therapies better than conventional therapies?
Does this mean holistic therapies are better than traditional therapies? Not at all! The term 'holistic' implies viewing the big picture and using as many handy tools as necessary. This also includes every 'standard' therapy or discipline.
Say, for example, you are suffering a heart attack (knock on wood, not!). You will not go to a holistic therapist to treat it. Due to their nature, these therapies usually take time to take effect. You don't have that time! You need to get to a doctor right away!
As I like telling my clients, the holistic therapies I offer are 'complementary' to any conventional treatment. They add a plus to whatever treatment you are already receiving, and that should be the primary goal to focus on. They do not replace traditional therapies; if anything, they work significantly as a synergy. Remember that we are addressing the emotional cause of your symptom, which can often take time to address and correct. You must follow the traditional treatment until the doctor or psychotherapist has discharged you. Meanwhile, work on your emotions and beliefs to help this improve.
Holistic therapies will never oppose conventional treatments. On the contrary, they will try to cover as many bases as possible to help the person feel better as long as traditional medicine allows.
What is the scientific basis of holistic therapies?
For some, they may seem woo-woo. But there's a lot more behind them. With the development of Quantum Physics, many holistic therapies began to be explained and understood. How so?
To begin with, beyond everything we see in this world, we also realise that there's more than just this physical dimension. There are infinite other dimensions or realities with multiple potentials happening simultaneously.
Through this, we discover that time is not linear but a construct of our mind to organise information. This, by the way, coincides with how our unconscious mind works: it lives in an eternal present moment. How do we see this in everyday life? With every trauma we experience, if it's not healed, we respond to certain situations as if the traumatic experience was happening at this exact time. If I asked you about that argument you had with your ex-friend or ex-partner, you'd probably reply to me with the same intensity it happened back then.
Not too long ago, this knowledge was not readily available to us as it is nowadays. And it changes the game quite much in both Psychology and holistic therapies.
On the other hand, everything is energy. Including us! We are all part of a unified energy field. When one part is affected, the rest is affected too. Also, energy constantly vibrates and changes and can be influenced according to the resonance principle. Everything surrounding us affects our energy field the same way we affect others. You could grab a Kirlian camera and verify it. Not to mention our thoughts, which are energy too! So, imagine how your thoughts affect your emotions and, so, your body.
I once met someone who worked with electrostatic paint. He used to say that every day he was in a bad mood, the paint would stick to him instead of the object he was trying to paint. Can anyone at this point deny how emotions affect our aura or electromagnetic field? Could you think of any consequences for this, knowing our heart - for instance - is affected by electromagnetism? Through this resonance principle, we now explain how gems, as an example among many energetic tools, can help restore balance with their specific high vibration to our bodies.
On top of that, the recent resurgence of Neurosciences lets us know much more about our nervous system and mind and how they work with our environment. It seems that every time, we increasingly realise the importance of our minds in everything we do and experience as a reality, so much so that it's even been applied to Marketing, Sales, and Human Resources.
With this, I'm not trying to broaden the breach between conventional and holistic therapies but rather bring them together and see that both have their unique advantages. It shouldn't be one or the other. Instead, it would help if you had as many tools as possible for your wellbeing.
If you enjoyed this post, I'd love to know your take on this!
