INTEGRATIVE HOLISTIC HEALTH, HEALING, AND TRANSFORMATION

Book excerpt: The goal of this book is to begin to present the fundamental body of knowledge which informs current approaches in complimentary and alternative medicine and to explore the role of the new professions of integrative holistic health practitioner, consultant and administrator. This book is designed to compliment, enhance, deepen and broaden the reader's existing expertise through an integrative approach which will improve his/her ability to consult, design programs and work in a variety of settings with various populations including those with medical and psychological conditions as well as those who wish to support their health and well-being. The book provides the necessary conceptual foundational frameworks for exploring how practitioners in a field of alternative medicine/holistic health know what they know in support of their work. These core ways of knowing gives them a foundation for evaluating their work, new advances in the field and affords them interrelated frames of knowledge for their continued research, expansion and integrative work in the field. Trained holistic health practitioners who may have applied one or more of these paradigms may now be able to expand their foundational and conceptual base thereby broadening their theory and techniques that are appropriate to their professional arenas. Section I is designed to explore general ways of knowing and meaning making in holistic health. Section II is designed to offer the reader/practitioner methodology regarding the creation and implementation of holistic health centers, programs and integrated consultation practices. Finally, Section III offers examples of integrative holistic health clinicians who combine and synthesize a variety of holistic health approaches and paradigms into their practices as practitioners, healers, therapists and consultants.