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Holistic Psychotherapy
Why Holistic Psychotherapy
Holistic Psychotherapy (mind therapy) offers the possibility of living and enjoying life to the full by using your mind to work for you rather than against you. It is an important part of holistic medicine aiming to bring about beneficial improvement in a person's mental outlook and whole life. The holistic therapist works with you as a whole person, though you may of course seek psychotherapy for a specific issue.
1 GOALS
Holistic psychotherapy encourages people to take responsibility for their thoughts and feelings, and provides them with the resources to do so. This involves above all training the mind to focus on desired outcomes.
The first step is to move your mind out of problems and overwhelming negative emotions, into thoughts of constructive end-results – such as greater life and health or other specific goals. The therapist can often make this amazingly easy to achieve.
Part of the therapy is to draw out and reinforce the person’s existing store of positive thoughts and memories – often called remembered wellness. This can suddenly make you feel much more at home with yourself, helping to release your potential where previously you might have felt ‘dammed up’ by a wall of negative feelings, depression etc.
2 EXPERIENCING YOURSELF
Through relaxation and practical mind exercises, but especially by personal contact with the holistic psychotherapist, holistic psychotherapy offers you possibility of the direct experience of you inner self.
Your self is described as “perfect, loving, and creative”. When you are assisted to relax and tap into this inner core you can experience a wonderful sense of well being. This brings increased mental and physical energy, effortlessly producing states such as confidence, happiness, successful relating, concentration, creativity and love.
It is important to note that even if you have experienced traumatic events, this essential self remains undamaged. Once released, the power of the self causes healing of past hurts to take place so that you can face life more directly and clearly. The flow of energy that is released starts bringing about positive changes – often things wished for years- effortlessly and automatically for the benefit of the person. It becomes a powerful guiding influence not just for survival, but for success in the business of living.
3 DISSOLVING STRESS/RELAXATION
The great authorities of psychotherapy such as Carl Rogers and Fritz Perls, speak of this self. They point out that the inner self is positive and forward moving in the direction of perfect self fulfilment. However in people it hides under a deep layer of stress. Holistic psychotherapy aims to loosen and dissolve this mental strait- jacket so we can experience what it is really like to be ourselves and to live life to the full.
Relaxation is the key. Your therapist trains you in active mental relaxation, developing a whole new approach to living your life and managing stress.
4 GROWTH-ORIENTED
Holistic psychotherapy is a co-operative venture into growth of self knowledge between therapist and client. Even where a person is already functioning well and enjoying success in life, holistic psychotherapy is a valuable way to uncover more of the person’s real potential and draw out more of the person’s real self.
5 OTHER WAYS THE HOLISTIC PSYCHOTHERAPIST CAN HELP
The holistic psychotherapist is trained in non directive counselling, includes the helping skills of non-judgemental listening and reflection rather that advice giving. This also involves helping the person towards self-expression by knowing how and when to ask the right questions.
Therapists may use behaviour modification techniques such as systematic desensitisation to eliminate phobias, or they may use relaxation with guided imagery to help clients reduce stress and eliminate anxiety.