Some Frequently Asked Questions About:

Holistic Healing Concepts and Practices

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These basic concepts and practices are far more complex and nuanced than these simple definitions and people have many points of view (see our book Holistic Healing: Theories, Practices and Social Change for more details).

 

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What is the holistic healing paradigm?

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Holistic healing offers another way of viewing and responding to issues. It focuses upon the whole, rather than reductionist concepts. The values and elements listed below unify the field of holistic healing although there are many different perspectives.

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Values: What are the values of holistic healing?

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The values of holistic healing include: wholeness, connection, interdependence, linkages, reciprocity/mutuality, balance and harmony, and change/social change.

 

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Elements: What are the elements of holistic healing?

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In the West holism usually focuses on the interrelations of at least four elements: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, while some people add cultural, social and economic. Indigenous thought conceptualizes w/holism in more complex ways, by adding elements of time and space: past, present, and future, and the four directions.

 

 

How should holism/wholism be spelt?

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Although some individuals feel that holism and wholism represent slightly different concepts dictionaries and most practitioners view them as similar concepts now. Holism is used more widely, but many people use the word wholism to emphasize becoming “whole” which makes conceptual sense. 

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