What Does Holistic Health Mean?
Holistic Health is a state of well-being in which an individual’s body, mind, emotions, and spirit are in tune with the natural and social environment. An integrative medical practice offers quality health care while addressing the holistic paradigm.
1. Treatment of the individual as a whole which includes the physical, mental/emotional, spiritual, social, environmental, and other aspects of the total person.
2. Patient interaction which is time intensive, emphasizing the individual and the underlying cause of disease(s) rather than symptoms.
3. Assistance in the empowerment of the patient to accept responsibility for decision making in their health care and well-being, utilizing the team approach of patient and practitioner as co-equals.
4. Concentration on patient education stressing prevention and wellness enhancement, aimed at balance in their lives, through necessary lifestyle changes, with the primary health care provider acting as teacher, guide, and facilitator.
5. Use of both allopathic and alternative modalities—selecting the most appropriate, given the individual and his/her circumstances.
6. Recognition of the triad of health as diet/nutrition, exercise/activity, and mental outlook/attitude (the last being the most important).
7. Focus on the art of medicine rather than the science.
8. Cooperation of all members of the health care team for the betterment of the patient.
9. Development of consciousness toward a global perspective, and the recognition of oneness with all things.
