What is Holistic Therapy?
People are far more than their symptoms or problems, which is why holistic therapy asks us to bring our whole selves into the therapeutic process. This approach focuses on fostering a balanced relationship between mind, body, and spirit to achieve optimal wellness and personal growth. As a holistic therapy practice, we at Repose integrate psychotherapy with movement and somatic education in order to help you gain clarity and overcome challenges.
What makes holistic therapy different?
Similar to traditional psychotherapy practices, holistic therapy aims to address the client’s emotional, psychological, and behavioral stressors. However, unlike other therapeutic approaches, holistic therapy tends to view symptoms as messengers rather than the problem itself. A holistic therapist will invite you to tune into your bodily sensations, emotions, thoughts, and beliefs in order to listen to those messages with curiosity, compassion, and an open-mind. By making space for our inner wisdom, we can get to the root of our current problems and learn to honor our unique needs.
In contrast, the traditional Western model of psychology tends to focus on cognition alone. Its goal is to explain how the brain works by assessing and diagnosing, with the goal of treating symptoms. This misses some key ingredients of healing: the body and spirit (which can also be thought of as the ways in which we draw meaning and purpose in our lives). Holistic therapy believes that cognition is only one component of our mental health, and that we cannot compartmentalize ourselves into distinct parts. The goal of holistic therapy then is not to just manage symptoms, but to elevate your self-awareness and address the root causes of your pain, which can stem from a myriad of interrelated sources.
Perhaps most of all, holistic therapy does not seek to “fix” you, as that would imply that you are broken and that the therapist is the one with the healing abilities. You are not broken, you are - and have always been - whole. You are the one who possesses the wisdom and ability to heal, grow, and come home to your most authentic self, and holistic therapy is meant to empower you to tap into your own strengths and inner resources.
What does holistic therapy look like?
There is no single approach to holistic therapy, as it is individualized and collaborative in nature. Each client has unique needs, and different strategies will resonate with different people. Holistic therapy isn’t so much a methodology as it is a lens; it’s a perspective that can be applied to any combination of therapeutic methods. A holistic therapist will often draw upon evidence-based practices you may already be familiar with, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), EMDR, emotionally-focused therapy (EFT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS), among many others.
But whereas some of these methodologies focus on cognition alone, holistic therapy will work with you to explore how your problems also affect your body and spirit, and vice versa. Additionally, a holistic therapist may choose to incorporate creative and body-based therapies, such as:
Somatic Experiencing (SE), which helps clients to process trauma and emotions stored in the body. This is a body-first approach to therapy, and focuses on how the felt-experience can lead to emotional healing.
Yoga therapy, which uses specific breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and yoga poses to reduce symptoms and restore balance.
Dance movement therapy, which facilitates self-expression and self-exploration through movement, while also deepening the connection between our emotional and physical selves.
Art therapy, which is an expressive therapy that can expand your ability to express yourself and understand emotions that can’t be verbalized.
Mindfulness meditation, which involves deep breathing, awareness of the present moment, and can help calm the body and mind.
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- Sarah Panzer, MSW