Recently, more and more people are transitioning to living holistic lifestyles. The term “holistic” simply refers to the idea that all the small components of a larger entity are closely related and can only be evaluated with the overall entity in mind. In terms of medicine, this translates to evaluating multiple mental, physical, and social factors to determine that cause of medical conditions. Instead of simply treating the symptoms, holistic medicine aims to treat or eliminate the cause of the problem in the first place.
However, the holistic approach is not limited to only physical health conditions. In fact, there are certain mental health professionals that utilize a holistic approach to treating mental health conditions. They are known as holistic psychiatrists or integrative psychiatrists, and they focus on the overall health and well-being of an individual, rather than just treating symptoms. This means that instead of simply prescribing medication to alleviate your symptoms, a holistic psychiatrist will consider the cause of those symptoms in order to address those as well. While holistic psychiatrists may still recommend and prescribe medication, they will only advocate for medications that are beneficial to your overall health.
There are a few other key concepts that set holistic psychiatrists apart. Here are three things to know about seeing a holistic psychiatrist:
They Believe in Individualized Treatment Plans
With a holistic psychiatrist, there is no “one size fits all” solution. Instead, they will take the time to evaluate you as an individual to determine what type of treatment will work best for YOU. They will also ask you about your treatment preferences so that they can do their best to implement these in the treatment plan. While treatment plans will vary from person to person, a holistic psychiatrist may recommend medication and/or alternative strategies like massage, mindfulness, acupuncture, nutritional changes, or supplements. Ultimately, treatment carried out by a holistic psychiatrist is often a combination of medical science and alternative medicine.
Their Overall Goal is Optimal Mental Wellness
Many medical treatments are focused on eliminating symptoms and define wellness as the absence of disease. However, holistic psychiatrists believe that optimal mental wellness is much more than simply not experiencing symptoms from mental health conditions. Instead, their approach goes one step further and promotes the attainment of fulfillment and happiness. They also stress that prevention is more beneficial than treatment. Due to this, they promote a healthy mindset to prevent future symptoms and strengthen healthy coping behaviors when things get rough.
Relationships are Promoted
Holistic psychiatrists believe that relationships are extremely important for healing. This means that they value their professional relationships with their clients and that they are committed to developing a comfortable space for their clients. Holistic psychiatrists also stress the importance of maintaining, repairing, or initiating personal relationships with family and friends to heal and improve your overall mental well-being.
As you can see, holistic psychiatrists offer the same expertise as traditional psychiatrists, but they offer a slightly different approach. By evaluating how all the little pieces contribute to the larger function, holistic psychiatrists can help you improve your overall mental health, physical health, and well-being by developing a treatment plan that works for your individual needs and preferences.
Dr. Miller is trained in Adult, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is also trained in Anesthesia and Pain Management. Because of her broad experience, Dr. Miller is uniquely qualified to treat psychological trauma, depression and anxiety that can occur as a result of injury or disability. For more information, schedule a consultation at NJ Family Psychiatry & Therapy.
