Understanding Holistic Therapy: Treating the Whole Person

The Merriam-Webster definition of holistic is “relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts.” Holistic medicine seeks to find balance within systems.

According to WebMD, “Holistic medicine practitioners believe that the whole person is made up of parts that depend on one another, and if one part isn't working properly, all the other parts will be affected. So if you have imbalances (physical, emotional, or spiritual) in your life, it can harm your overall health.”

Similarly, holistic therapy takes all parts of the individual into consideration. The focus is on the relationship of the parts with one another. How they operate together and when they are in conflict with one another. Our holistic therapists aim to help you find balance within yourself by engaging with three primary elements. The mind, body, and soul.

Parts and Systems

Holistic psychotherapy is interested in all of the parts of all of the systems of an individual, couple, or family. As described in our holistic therapy services page, the multi-faceted nature of the human experience is compelling and vast. In holistic psychotherapy ALL facets are important. For this reason, holistic therapy is often described as peeling back layers of an onion. In the first layer, we may examine the most obvious parts of ourselves. As we grow and change in life, we uncover parts we may not have known were even there. At Rezak Therapy we have a client-centered approach to holistic psychotherapy. We work with each client to determine their goals. Then jointly determine what parts are calling to be explored in therapy.

Systems Theory

One part is rarely a whole. The combination of parts creates a complex system. The central concept of systems theory is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. One easy example of systems theory is baking. If we laid out the ingredients of a cake on the kitchen counter – flour, eggs, milk, sugar, and others --- they probably would not look like a cake to most of us. If we are frequent bakers, we might get closer to seeing the ingredients as parts of a cake. Combining the ingredients together and adding heat, we can make a cake. Systems theory explains this as the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

Holistic psychotherapy explores how all of our parts and systems interact and engage with one another to create personalities, perspectives, expectations, and behaviors. Holistic psychotherapy explores the impact and emergent behavior that is generated as our various parts interact and engage both inside of us and with the outside world.

At the micro-level, we are individuals, or systems which include the body, mind, and soul. At the macro level, we are the world. In other words, I identify as me – an individual self. As an individual, I am part of my immediate family, part of my extended family, part of my residential community, part of my country, part of my planet. At each level, my individuality is influenced by each group with which I identify. From the micro-level (self) to the macro-level (world) holistic therapy works the same way in couples and families as it does within individuals.

The Body

As individuals, we often identify ourselves as our bodies. For this reason, somatic psychotherapy approaches are an important part of holistic psychotherapy. As a physical body, there are many parts, including hands, fingers, knees, and toes. We are also nervous systems, endocrine systems, muscular systems, cardio-vascular systems, etc. A body can be divided into parts according to form and function, among other things.

Somatic psychotherapy considers the psychology of our bodies. For example, If I shattered my wrist playing basketball as a child, my wrist holds the trauma of that event long after the bones and muscles have repaired themselves. Just as the physical body heals around scar tissue, the psychological body does as well. Our holistic psychotherapists incorporate tools from Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Dance Movement Therapy. Brainspotting and EMDR are additional somatic approaches that we frequently utilize. With these tools, we work to release the psychological scar tissue from the cells of the body.

With the fast pace of our lives, we can easily get disconnected from our bodies. In somatic psychotherapy, we also practice embodiment. The more aware we become of the valuable information our bodies provide, the more balance we have with other systems within ourselves.

Additionally, continuous stress, anxiety, or depression can have an impact on our body and our physical health. Fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic fatigue syndrome are some examples of the potential impacts. Of course, heart disease, cancers, and addictions are also impacted by the hormones released in the body when we are chronically stressed. Somatic psychotherapy is an excellent approach to exploring the emotional factors contributing to cycles of these physical ailments.

The Mind

As human beings, we are obviously much more than just bodies. We are made up of memories, experiences, and relationships. We are our minds. According to Carl G. Jung, we are personalities --- introverts, extroverts, thinkers, feelers, sensors, and perceivers. These terms are used in the popular Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Developed based on Jung’s theory of personality. According to Internal Family Systems Therapy, developed by Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, we have parts that are protectors, exiled parts, and wounded parts. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy suggests we are thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Rezak Therapy’s holistic therapists draw from these and a variety of other frameworks to access and explore the various parts of our mind through talk therapy.

Additionally, part of who we are is our DNA. Our bodies inherit physical characteristics like height, medical conditions, and eye color. Our minds also carry a family history that is part of our DNA and our lived experience. Sometimes there is trauma in the family history. War, oppression, domestic violence, for example. We are the generational trauma carried down through our ancestors. We are narratives and stories about our societal place or function. In our DNA is the psychological lineage of medical conditions, addictions, poverty, and intergenerational family trauma.

Within our minds, we are also identities. This includes all of the groups with which we identify. In holistic therapy at Rezak Therapy, as we consider identity we are guided by the ADDRESSING influences identified by Pamela A. Hays. These include Age, Development/Disability, Religion, Ethnic/racial, Socioeconomic, Sexual orientation, Indigenous heritage, National origin, and Gender identity. Each individual also has their own unique identifiers outside of these standard influences such as political orientation, geographical identifiers, career-related groups, and the like.

The Soul

In addition to the body and the mind, each of us has a unique soul or psyche that is distinguishable from all others. The earliest psychodynamic therapists, beginning with Sigmund Freud, conceived of the psyche as the Ego, Id, and Superego. You may have learned about these components of the self in a Psychology 101 course. According to Carl Jung, the psyche consists of Ego, Shadow, and self. In the diagram to the right, the largest circle is the psyche. Psyche, or soul, is a whole system, similar to those of the body and and the mind.

Jung identified the adult developmental process as individuation. Which in simple terms is a journey through the soul. For Jung, it was a path to self-knowledge and was the work of analysis. Jungian analyst June Singer describes individuation as a progression “whereby people [can] find their own direction and live according to their own sense of purpose.” At Rezak Therapy, this informs our overarching goal for our clients, alignment with your most authentic self.

On the path toward individuation, we find and explore within ourselves some of the major archetypal images shared by people across time and place. Persona, often referred to as a mask, is the part of us that we allow others in our society to see. We generally are somewhat conscious of this part of ourselves. Shadow is the part of us we bury in our personal unconscious so it is not seen, acknowledged, or shown to others. Depth psychotherapy, is another crucial component of holistic psychotherapy. It explores bringing more of what is unconscious into conscious awareness.

The personal unconscious refers to the parts of us we have repressed, forgotten, or minimized. Shadow is part of the personal unconscious. The collective unconscious refers to the part of us that contains the shadow of the various communities to which we belong including family, religion, race, culture, country, etc. To learn more about the personal unconscious and collective unconscious, check out our blog posts on depth psychotherapy.

Family of Origin

One of the first layers individual holistic psychotherapists explore is the family of origin or the family the person was raised in. Just as Carl Jung and depth psychotherapy incorporate the collective unconscious as a part of an individual, family systems approaches explore the individual (or couple, or family) as part of a larger system. For example, let’s imagine an Irish Catholic spouse marries a Vietnamese spouse. Imagine the former grew up in Chicago and the latter in Kansas. Each brings vastly different experiences, memories, and perspectives into their combined family system. Let’s imagine this couple has three children and that one of the children’s grandmothers lives with them. Within the three-generation household, the combined parts and systems provide a unique context for any individual member of this family.

Roles and Rules

Each person plays a role in their family based on hierarchies, talents, and needs of the family system as a whole. Often families need a clown, a scapegoat, or an achiever. The roles we play within the families we grew up in influence the way we interact in other systems later in our lives. These roles can be overtly acknowledged by the system (for example, “mother”) or unconsciously experienced (for example, “peacekeeper”).

Certain rules emerge within family systems. Just like roles, family rules can be both overt and subtle. For example, one rule might be children respect their parents. Another, parents make dinner and children clean up after. The more subtle rules often are assumed or emerge without clear delineation. For example, we don’t talk about our feelings. Anger is not allowed. We are not supposed to acknowledge Dad’s drinking or how it makes us feel. The roles and rules in our family of origin impact our worldview. Holistic psychotherapists are interested in your family system as a part of you. These parts are often explored through talk therapy. Another important element of holistic psychotherapy.

System Homeostasis

In addition to the pain from the break, a broken leg causes pain in other parts of the physical body through overwork. This happens because our bodies compensate for the disuse of the leg with the break and learn a new way to walk. Similarly, change in an individual family member affects the family system as a whole. Systems seek homeostasis. This means that once roles and rules develop within the family system, the system operates within those parameters. Closed systems receive no outside input. They function as if the way they operate is the only way to operate.

Now, imagine Dad goes to Alcoholics Anonymous and quits drinking. This change in Dad is going to change the system. Perhaps as an alcoholic Dad introduced rage and violence into the family system. Now that he’s sober, the system has to adjust. While Dad’s more stable and peaceful demeanor is a desirable outcome, the system is unstable due to change and will seek balance. Perhaps another family member then takes “responsibility” for adding these elements to the family. A child may start acting out behaviorally at school. A holistic psychotherapist would bring awareness to the imbalance in the system and help the family members find homeostasis based on their desires for their future, rather than on old roles and rules.  

Psychotherapy for the Whole Person

To summarize, whether you are seeking therapy for yourself, your relationship, or your family, holistic therapy is a complete approach. Rezak Therapy’s approach explores mind, body, and soul in order to help clients achieve a sense of wholeness. We engage the mind through talk therapy, family systems therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, emotionally-focused therapy, and other modalities. We explore the body through somatic therapy approaches. We examine the soul through depth psychotherapy, dreamwork, and art therapy. We are open and ready to collaborate with other members of your wellness team who focus on other parts of you.

Ready to Start Holistic Therapy in Pasadena, CA?

Embark on a transformative journey towards holistic wellness, where mind, body, and soul converge in harmony. Through tailored therapeutic practices at Rezak Therapy, discover the profound interconnectedness of your being and unlock the path to inner wholeness. Take the first step towards profound self-discovery and experience the transformative power of holistic therapy. If you’re ready to start the individuation process and your journey to align with your most authentic self, follow these three simple steps to get started:

1.  Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if Holistic therapy is right for you.

2. Begin meeting with a skilled holistic therapist.

3. Start aligning with your most authentic self!

Other Services Offered at Rezak Therapy in Pasadena, CA

At Rezak Therapy, we're here to help you align with your most authentic self. Holistic therapy approaches include talk therapy, somatic psychotherapy, and depth psychotherapy. We also offer services for those struggling with post-traumatic stress, individuals dealing with anxiety or depression, couples looking to increase intimacy in their relationships, and The Artists Way Group which is a 12-week adventure of artistic discovery and personal exploration. For more on holistic psychology and our other services check out our blog.