History of Holistic Counseling - Paper Example

Introduction

Holistic counseling is the approach by which the clients' entire body system is taken together including the life experiences are taken into consideration for assessment and treatment; therefore, enhancing the healing process. It includes both the physical and spiritual contexts as well as the psychological and mental ones. Holistic counseling is a very ancient science that dates back to about 5,000 years ago and has its origin in India and China (Hamilton 54). Socrates, who is a great philosopher recognized this idea and suggested that it should be taken as a whole body practice and should not be exercised part by part. The term holistic counseling was introduced in 1926 by Jan Smuts, and it meant viewing the whole body as the sum of their overall parts. It became more recognized in the 1970s to the current date as one of the best methods of alternative medicine. Typically, counseling can be very beneficial to people who are undergoing some personal problems such as past trauma, mental disabilities or relationship problems. Modern medicine has embraced holistic counseling in a modern medicine type, though talk therapy and medication support (Hamilton 54).

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The counseling approach depends on three main factors; these include the physical life, spiritual life and the psychological or mental life of the client. Several holistic professionals believe that holistic counseling affects how an individual feels on a more mental level. For example, a person dealing with depression or anxiety can effectively maintain and manage the situation using physical treatment options (Hamilton 54). This can include the diet, what a person eats can affect how they feel and what they lack. After a detailed look, the professional can advise the patient to cut off some diets, such as alcohol, processed foods, and refined sugars. Secondly, the overall body's alignment can affect their mental health. Therefore practices such as chiropractic care or ongoing yoga practices help in aligning the body and keeping it in sync physical and mental posture. Lastly, when an individual's senses are kept functional, it can help the person feel both physically and mentally stable. The new treatment techniques such as sensory deprivation chambers and saltwater chambers help to improve the patient's senses (Hamilton 67).

The holistic counselor has to acknowledge that a human spirit is intricately part and parcel of the total healing process of the person, the mind, body, and soul should be sound. According to Marianne Clyde, a licensed marriage and family psychotherapist, you cannot change your behavior and not change your emotions. When a patient feels like they do not have a greater purpose in life, it can affect their mentality. When a practitioner includes this sense of treatment to that, it can enhance a greater sense of self and aid in quick recovery. The psychological or mental composition of the client is important in holistic counseling. The knowledge acquired through academics and internships helps the professionals to read the symptoms and behaviors and helps them to determine the plan of action. They integrate both historically employed methods and their supplemental observations based on the client's condition.

Holistic counseling has increasing been rising. Methods used to heal patients physically and psychologically are being holistically incorporated. Research shows that these methods reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. These methods are increasing on the rice replacing the traditional pharmaceutical remedies. According to the study done by Samueli Institute in Alexandria, the United States military, for example, has recorded a marked an increase in the use of methods such as hypnosis, relaxation exercise, meditation, spiritual and energy healing (Hamilton 44). The ultimate goal of holistic counseling is to help clients heal by breaking free from destructive behaviors and start enjoying a new and improved state of mental, spiritual and physical health.

The concept of holistic well continues to guide best practices in counseling and other mental professional practices. Healthcare delivery involves a myriad of activities aimed at ensuring the best beneficial outcomes to the patients. As new challenges and struggles emerge, so do the need to enhance the mental health and therapy develop. Studies have been conducted to determine the connection between the mind and the body and how it influences the concept of holistic wellness (Daniels, and Marilyn 40). Despite the variations in the models and principles governing the counseling practices, the concept of holistic is based on the optimal and holism functioning of the body system and it continues to be a major framework guiding the counseling practice. The concept subsumes the associated fact that in as much various functioning aspects can be identified, all the systems are related and in case one of the systems is affected then the entire body system's functioning becomes compromised. Studies have also indicated that there is a strong correlation between stress and physical wellbeing and the mental health and the spirituality being. In addition, the physical exercises also have a significant impact on the recovery of depression; the interrelation between the various systems illustrates the principle of holism.

Subsequently, in analyzing the concept of holism, it is necessary to explore the meaning of optimal functioning. The concept means that the wellbeing of an individual should not only be defined as the absence of physical illness; however, the concept of psychology and counseling aims at integrating the mitigation of factors associated with the development of chronic diseases. Therefore, the commitment to the realization of the holistic counseling is rooted in the adopted of the measures that prevent, develop and enhance the strength-base approaches which should characterize. It is necessary that the counselors in the current century integrate wellness concept in the general treatment paradigm with the main emphasis being on holistic wellness (Daniels, and Marilyn 40).

For many years, the major spiritual and wisdom traditions included the Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and the Christians who recognize the holistic psychology form at the various levels of human consciousness. The transition of the recognition of the holistic care from the subconscious to human being is associated with the great chain in the human system's interconnection ranging from the matter of the body to the spirit. The prevalence and application of the holistic counseling remains an important and relevant process of evolution that cannot be detached from the prior emanation processes (Daniels, and Marilyn 40). The trends towards the application of holism in the counseling can be analyzed from the healthy corrective which is inclusive and highly specialized and integrated on the strong ethical values and principles. There are currently limited studies conducted to explore the concept of holism and its application in the healthcare system; though, it is an important counseling framework that can be used to improve the patient's outcomes.

Holistic counseling involves the science that incorporates the entire human behavior and considering other parts as outside ream; therefore, it is concerned with the human beings in the context of their consciousness, aspects and reality. Human system's functioning can easily be affected when there is a disconnect in the manner in which the various parts are coordinated. Therefore, the introduction of holism in the counseling and psychology involves improving the psyche, breath, spirit, soul, the mind and the body. The practice framework embraces both the felt sense which all people experience on daily basis. It combines the knowledge of other health sectors including medicine, nutrition and the psycho-immunology.

Basing in the spiritual and wisdom traditions, the tenets of holistic psychology are integrated in the holistic themes which reflect the distillation of the perennial human experiences which have been witnessed over time. In reality, the integration of holistic theme in the counseling recognizes both the non-dual and dual elements of the reality which is also referred as the transpersonal aspect comprising of the consciousness aspect of human being which is composed of the changing realities and the daily human experiences (Daniels, and Marilyn 40).

The Definition of Consciousness and How It Related to Holistic

The theme of consciousness is greatly integrated into the holistic concept and it involves the energy, the soul, the self and spiritual aspect of a person. The three basic states of consciousness include the waking, the sleep and dream aspect of human being. The three elements correspond to the gross and observable levels of energy and the state of pure self. Finally, the term soul and spirit are also important elements in the conscious definition. The soul of an individual is the expression of their spirit and thus the soul and spirit are conceptually distinct. Therefore, the state of wellbeing requires that all system including the soul and the spirit are harmonized. Harmony can be achieve when one blends their environment and creates an interrelationship interaction that speeds and supple the strength of an individual which is expressed physically. People undergoing emotional distress are more likely to have poor or delayed prognosis and this is a clear indication that the emotional and spiritual beings affect the physical wellbeing. Therefore, the practice of holistic counseling has gained much significance and recognition in all parts of the world with time as psychologist came to realize the tenets of holistic element in enhancing an individual's wellbeing.

Spirituality in Counseling

By the end of the 20th century, the United States was characterized by the resurgence of the devout towards spirituality and various media forms were focused on spirituality and how it could be useful in addressing the people's daily life issues. Religion is the backbone of spirituality and in as much it be a better solution to the issues experienced by people on daily basis, it also presents with threats associated with the increasing incidences of terrorist attacks. However, the continuing interests in the religion and spirituality have created a significant cultural demand for the psychological intervention when dealing with clients with mental disorders (Sawai, Dini and Muhammad 21). During the previous decades, various studies were published on mental health and religion and the findings indicated that integration of spiritual elements in the counseling could an important way of enhancing the effectiveness of counseling. Various mental organization currently recognize the role of religion as one of the explicitly knowledge in ethical guidance. Therefore, trainings in psychology have also adjusted to incorporate the spirituality and this is a major drive towards the realization of the holistic counseling. The emergence of the spiritually open Zeitgiest in the behavioral science facilitated the development of the religiously and spiritually accommodative treatment models (Sawai, Dini and Muhammad 27). The model encourage the counselors to address the client's spiritual concerns whenever relevant and use language as well as interventions that portray respect and honor to the clients. In the normal healthcare setting, the patient-centered pproach of care is being advocated as one of the possible way of improving the quality of healthcare delivery. The process involves a detailed engagement between the healthcare providers and the patients; through this, the healthcare providers are able to understand the underlying issues that could be affecting the patient's wellbeing. Addressing the needs of the patients wholly promotes good prognosis and reduces the tim...