Holistic Medicine: Therapeutic Practices and Educational Pathways

Approach health and healing through a broader perspective. Many people find satisfaction in a career as a holistic doctor because it empowers them to make a meaningful, positive impact on peoples’ lives, be challenged and learn on a daily basis, achieve financial stability and security, and maintain a healthy work/life balance. Naturopathic medicine is a type of holistic healing practice that combines the rigors of modern science with the wisdom of nature. Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) go through an extensive training process in order to become primary care physicians with the ability to diagnose and treat patients suffering from acute and chronic conditions.

The Six Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

NDs address illness through body, mind, and spirit and follow The Six Principles of Naturopathic Medicine:

• First do no harm: This refers to the ND’s commitment to providing patients with gentle, non-invasive treatments that will not cause any type of harm.
• The Healing Power of Nature: NDs approach patient care by utilizing natural therapies that honor the wisdom of nature and the body’s own healing abilities.
• Identify and Treat the Cause: While an ND will help patients manage symptoms through treatment, they go deeper and search for the root cause of a given symptom.
• Doctor as Teacher: NDs believe that medical professionals have an obligation to teach as well as treat their patients; the word “doctor” comes from the Latin word docere, which means “to teach.”
• Treat the Whole Person: NDs look at the body as a whole and acknowledge its interconnectedness, examining the impact of lifestyle, diet, and environment on the person as a whole.
• Prevention: Naturopathic medicine takes a focus on preventing illness whenever possible through promoting a healthy lifestyle and nutrition plan tailored to each individual patient.

Core Holistic Health Care Therapies

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture is an ancient treatment, originating in China, where very thin needles are inserted into the body at specific points and manipulated by the practitioner in order to stimulate the body’s healing processes. Acupuncture is a common practice included in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). TCM also includes a variety of other healing practices, including cupping, gua sha, acupressure, tai chi, qigong, botanical medicine, and nutrition.

Nutrition and Herbal Medicine

Holistic health practitioners with a focus on nutrition help patients improve their health by evaluating their diet and suggesting nutrition plans tailored to the individual. What we eat can have a major impact on both physical and mental health. Furthermore, herbal medicine incorporates the medicinal properties of various herbs and botanicals to address myriad health concerns. Many holistic practitioners study the healing properties of herbs and will recommend the use of herbal teas, supplements or tinctures to help patients address particular issues.

Massage Therapy

Massage therapy can be extremely beneficial to health and is used to improve mental wellbeing, treat insomnia, reduce back pain, and more. There are a number of different types of massage, including deep tissue massage, aromatherapy massage, Thai and Ayurvedic massage. Different massage therapists may focus on particular types of massage or offer a few options as part of their approach.

Academic Programs and Institutions

The Holistic Health degree program at Vermont State University, one of the few of its kind in the country, will ground you in core scientific disciplines and train you to understand a wide variety of holistic health care therapies — including chiropractic, yoga, acupuncture, herbalism, and meditation/mindfulness. You’ll deepen your understanding of holistic health practices through classes focused on individual practices, research opportunities, and hands-on internships.

Northwestern Health Sciences University (NWHSU) offers a Master of Acupuncture (MAc) and Doctor of Acupuncture (DAcCHM) with a Chinese Herbal Medicine Specialization. The programs are designed to be completed full-time, but the university will work with you to design a part-time program to fit your needs. You’ll graduate confident from the College of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in your knowledge of Chinese medicine theory, and with a deep understanding of how to apply that knowledge in our current healthcare environment.

Accredited Holistic Medicine Schools in North America

• Bastyr University - San Diego and Seattle Campuses
• Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) - Boucher and Toronto Campuses
• National University of Health Sciences (NUHS)
• National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM)
• Sonoran University of Health Sciences
• Northwestern Health Sciences University (NWHSU)