It's important to note that there is a difference between a holistic
health practitioner and a holistic doctor. When we speak of a
doctor we are usually referring to a medical doctor who practices
holistic medicine.
If you're searching for a holistic doctor then you should look for
someone who has a medical degree and yet approaches health and disease
with a holistic philosophy.
I recommend that anyone living with a chronic illness, disease or
condition that uses holistic health practitioners to also have a
holistic doctor. There are certain aspects of disease and illness
management that require the skill of a medical doctor. So
finding
a holistic doctor is the perfect route. You can then
supplement,
compliment and extend your health care plan by including other
practitioners to cover other bases you desire to explore.
A holistic health practitioner may be a doctor, but there are many
other health care professionals from a variety walks of life that fall
into this category as well.
Many people are beginning to recognize the interconnection of body,
mind and spirit and the importance of treating the whole person rather
than separate body parts and adopting a holistic approach. They
are beginning to see the value in treating health conditions with
natural, alternative and preventative methods.
Most practitioners tend to specialize in a specific area or maybe
several areas. For example an acupuncturist may offer acupuncture
as well as massage and nutritional counseling. It's hard to find
someone who does it all, so you usually end up with several different
holistic health practitioners.
A holistic health
practitioner may be any of the following:
Dentist
Homeopath
Massage Therapist
Osteopath
Acupuncturist
Mental Health Counselor
Psychologist
Naturopath
Nutritionist
Educators
Yoga Educator
Herbalist
Aromatherapy
Cranio Sacral Therapist
Chiropractor
Nurses
Health Counselors
Orthomolecular Physicians
There are even holistic practitioners for caring for your dog and cat
and many others.
Although there is a wide variety of practitioners and treatment
modalities they all share a common belief and operate under the basic
premise of holistic health. They focus on aspects such as life
style changes, diet, exercise, and nutrition as well as a variety of
other alternative health options.
How Should I Choose a Holistic Health Practitioner?
It depends on your specific circumstances and what it is your looking
to accomplish. Some people may desire to explore many different
treatment modalities while another person may wish to experiment with
only one or two.
If you want to look into herbal healing then you would want to acquire
an herbalist. On the other hand, if you're looking for some pain
relief you may want explore an acupuncturist, massage therapist or
chiropractor.
Most importantly, you should choose a treatment plan and holistic
health practitioner that you feel comfortable with. This may require
making a few visits to several different people and doing an informal
interview to make sure you're a good match.
Do some research and be sure of what it is that you want to explore, so
that you don't waste time and money. Clarify your goals and research
which modalities are most beneficial for your particular situation,
illness, condition or disease.
Where can I find a Holistic Health Practitioner
One of the best places to find a holistic health practitioner is
through the
American Holisitc Health
Association. They have a very large referral database broken down
by state. Each listing gives you the practitioners credentials
and areas of expertise.
You can also look in your local phone book, holistic health care is
becoming more popular and accepted and people are beginning to
advertise themselves as such.
Your local health food store usually has an area where holistic
professionals in the community can display their business cards.
This is a great resource. If they don't have such an area, you
can probably ask some of the people working in the store if they know
of someone. Most of the time they do.
Click here to learn more about
finding
a holistic doctor or here if you're interested in being a
holistic nurse.
