Additionally, the humanistic view is phenomenological in nature (emphasizing the subjective experience), and consequently dysfunctional behavior could be understood as resulting from people\u2019s distorted interpretation of themselves and\/or their past experiences. The holistic <\/em>side of this view allowed for humans to be seen as complex beings with all of their aspects being interconnected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The holistic approaches that have developed over the last century emphasize the whole <\/em>person along with their context, taking into consideration how recovery may be affected by factors such as age, gender, relationships, culture and faith to name a few. Additionally, the treatment focus is on wellness rather than on illness, as those approaches tend to be non-diagnostic and led by the importance of people\u2019s subjective experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the birth of the humanistic view, the holistic approaches that initially gained prominence (and are still widely in use) were primarily talk-therapy modalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Existential therapy<\/strong>: the emphasis is on the client\u2019s capacity for self-awareness, free will and responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Person-centered therapy<\/strong>: the emphasis is on the client and their subjective experience, as well as their potential to achieve self-actualization; according to its pioneer Carl Rogers (one of the most influential figures in the field of counseling to this day) for therapeutic change to occur only three conditions are necessary and sufficient (i.e. no therapist interventions required): congruence, unconditional positive regard and accurate empathic understanding. A few modalities branched out of person-centered therapy: Emotion-focused therapy<\/strong> (emphasizing the importance of awareness and acceptance of emotions), Expressive Arts therapy<\/strong> (emphasizing each client\u2019s self-healing capacity through creativity), and Motivational interviewing <\/strong>(assuming clients\u2019 free will and desire for positive change).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Gestalt therapy<\/strong>: stipulates that \u201cthe whole is greater than the sum of its parts\u201d; in view of its holistic nature, the aim is to help clients expand their awareness of thoughts, feelings and actions, and to integrate those through experiments and experiences. You may read more about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A more recent development in the field of counseling is represented by the systems and postmodern modalities. Some of these talk-therapy approaches could also be considered holistic to some extent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4.<\/strong> Feminist therapy<\/strong>: it is holistic in that it takes into consideration the person along with the context; <\/em>specifically, it considers any possible oppression, and\/or the influence of social norms for clients of different gender identities and ethnic backgrounds in a given society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5.<\/strong> Family systems therapy:<\/strong> focuses on a more zoomed-in context within which the client is centered, namely how each person\u2019s experience is influenced by the role they have in the family unit as well as the expectations that come with it in a given culture, heritage, faith, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6.<\/strong> Internal family systems:<\/strong> assumes that all people have \u201cparts\u201d and an innate core Self. The aim of IFS therapy is to help clients become aware of the interconnectedness and roles of the internal parts in order to bring them into balance (find their non-extreme roles) and enhance the function of the \u201csystem\u201d (i.e. better serve the Self). You may read more about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Toward the end of the 20th century as mindfulness (which has its roots in Buddhism and Hinduism) gradually gained popularity in the \u201cWest\u201d, especially with the development of mindfulness-based stress reduction<\/a> by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the mind-body-spirit connection started getting more attention in the field of counseling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of the body-centered approaches, although one\u2019s awareness of the mental activities is still maintained, most of the understanding and especially the processing (or releasing) of unpleasant experiences happens through embodiment<\/a> \u2013 noticing and diving into one\u2019s physical sensations, and honoring if\/how\/when the body needs to move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Somatic therapy<\/strong><\/a> is the umbrella term for such embodiment approaches, which often are intertwined with one another, and so less differentiated compared to most of the talk-therapy approaches. If you find yourself explaining an experience, chances are that you are in a more traditional talk-therapy setting; on the other hand, if you are encouraged to notice your mental activities along with <\/em>the associated physical sensations, and you allow the body to enact (perform) its experience of what you\u2019re going through, then you move towards an enhanced mind-body connection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To facilitate the latter, therapists like myself who incorporate a somatic approach tend to utilize various practices including mindfulness, breathwork and dance to name a few. Grounding and visualization (guided imagery) exercises are common for soothing and resourcing, while more multifaceted modalities such as Somatic Experiencing\u00ae, Hakomi method, Change Triangle<\/a>\u00ae, Internal Alchemy Techniques (TAI) and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT-tapping) among others could be utilized for processing and releasing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Given that most if not all of the breath- and mindfulness-oriented modalities are based on Eastern philosophy principles that emphasize the mind-body-spirit connection, it is not uncommon for therapists drawn to such somatic approaches to also incorporate complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatment modalities such as nutritional therapy, aromatherapy<\/a>, restorative yoga<\/a>, tai chi, qigong, bodywork (Bowen therapy, massage therapy, reflexology, acupuncture), homeopathy, reiki or other energy practices.<\/p>\n\n\n Although therapists tend to specialize in specific modalities, when it comes to offering a holistic approach, it tends to be integrative in essence, meaning it often incorporates aspects of both \u201ctraditional\u201d (engaging the person\u2019s mind) and \u201cnon-traditional\u201d somatic modalities (getting the client to experience <\/em>their experiences through the body). For example, if you work with a holistic therapist who specializes in IFS or CBT therapy, you may expect to still have to focus on the body after having (mentally) explored your thought patterns or activated internal parts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Note that the more \u201ctraditional\u201d modalities tend to be more evidence-based than the somatic ones; this doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that the latter are ineffective (quite to the contrary in many cases), however due to the holistic view\u2019s emphasis on the interconnectedness between many factors and the client\u2019s subjective experience, it is harder to determine a cause-effect link which is at the heart of what is considered science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Traditional Talk-Therapy Approaches<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Dancers](\"https:\/\/complicated.life\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/pexels-pavel-danilyuk-6926637-1024x684.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBody-Centered Approaches<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/complicated.life\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/alternative-therapies.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nConclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n