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Posted March 11, 2022 Reviewed by Hara Estroff Marano
There is a growing interest in natural healthcare practices. However, many people deeply interested and excited about healing themselves naturally are not trained in or do not understand how the body functions. Most of us have been raised and educated on allopathic, or traditional medical, practices.
Given a rise in medication interactions, lifestyle-related disorders, and failures within the current medical system, it’s understandable that people are seeking natural alternatives. However, holistic healthcare is itself an art and a science. In order to be effective, you must know both the science and the art of treating the body naturally.
Making the transition from allopathic healthcare to more holistic practices does take time, but the guidelines below can assist in the transition. Once a person learns how to heal themselves naturally, they are able to use this information throughout their life.
General guidelines to adding holistic healthcare to your traditional healthcare
Holistic healthcare is on the rise. Unfortunately, those adequately trained in proper holistic healthcare are few and far between. Allopaths are often not familiar with all that holistic practices have to offer and, most of the time, are not trained in holistic healthcare modalities.
To be clear, recommending a supplement over medication is not holistic; that is considered alternative medicine. Holistic healthcare addresses the person’s physical, environmental, mental, emotional, spiritual, and ancestral implications. They incorporate psychosocial and behavioral components, such as family systems theory and psychology, into their practice. They are diversely trained in many areas, with an array of skills and much insight. Tthe next few years will continue to see growth in the profession, as the need grows for providers who can see the whole person and not just a collection of symptoms.
Erica Steele, DNM, ND, a naturopathic doctor in family practice, is trained in holistic medicine, functional medicine, integrative medicine, and homeopathy, and helps people heal all over the world.
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We all harbor secrets. Some are big and bad; some are small and trivial. Researchers have parsed which truths to tell and which not to.
