What is holistic?

Dictionary.com describes holistic as:

a. emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts
b. concerned with wholes rather than analysis or separation into parts.

Many people think that it is “new age,” or mystical. This actually has less to do with the philosophy of “holistic” and more to do with the beliefs of your practitioner. Practitioners can come from all types of backgrounds, ranging from very practical to highly spiritual.

What is holistic health counseling?

Holistic health counseling seeks to support your health and life concerns by looking at you as a “whole” person. You are made up of many parts including the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical, etc. These are all interdependent upon each other.

Holistic health counselors tend towards the philosophy of looking at healing the cause rather than only the symptom. We look at many different reasons for why you may be experiencing a difficulty or illness. Rather than only taking a medication, let’s begin eating well, exercising, managing stress, and finding fulfilling relationships.

We all know that stress can be the death of us, not just the food we eat! This is a perfect example of taking care of something holistically.

How are you different from other holistic health counselors?

Clients generally enjoy working with me because I have a down to earth and practical approach. Individuals who seek counseling with me around food appreciate that I understand that many of our problems with food are not just about the food, but often other factors in our life are at play.

I don’t work exclusively with individuals who want to establish a healthy diet, but I also work with clients who are experiencing dissatisfaction with their dating life, social life, or in achieving goals in their career or in creative projects. In fact, my coaching is centered around helping individuals discover what inspires them and then figure out how they can achieve and incorporate these things into their life.

I strongly value authenticity and integrity. I value looking at the truth of a situation and not finding a fad or just another obsession to put a band-aid over a problem. We want quick fixes, but I’m not willing to support the idea that if you find the perfect diet all your problems will go away. Let’s accept that we are human, deal with our imperfections, and do the work to get to where we want to go.

I also value your own knowledge and intuition about yourself and your body. In our sessions you will gain tremendous insight and motivation to support your own desires and goals. Connections will be made in your life that you may not have seen before. You will be making progress, building your self-esteem, self-respect, and confidence.

I will support any of my clients in establishing a healthier diet if they desire, including individuals who are seeking coaching for other topics. Eating healthful foods is one of the simplest ways to treat ourselves well. When we eat well, we feel well, and this gives us the strength, confidence, and motivation to pursue the things we really want.

Holistic Health Counseling vs. Licensed Health Care Providers (doctors, psychotherapists, etc.)

Holistic health counseling is not intended to replace psychotherapy or medical advice. I do not diagnose, assess or treat mental health or medical conditions. Holistic health counselors are not health care providers.

Sessions with a holistic health counselor are a client driven process. The client is fully responsible for the final decisions they make for their health and well being. Holistic health counselors are here to provide support, encouragement, educational resources, objective feedback, and recommendations to support life and health enrichment.

Holistic health counselors are not trained to recognize mental or medical health conditions. If you think you have a condition that needs to be treated by a licensed professional, I encourage you to seek an evaluation from a health provider. I am happy to provide recommendations to you for professionals I trust.