What is MindBody Therapy?
In 1998, Congress established the Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM), one of the institutes in the National Institute of Health. Mind-Body Medicine, one of the main health categories in the CAM Center, is also referred to as mindbody therapy. The basic premise of mindbody medicine and therapies, is that there is a dynamic relationship between the mind and body and the ways in which the mental, emotional, spiritual and social aspects interact and affect behavior and health. Thus, to maximize the opportunity for health and healing, all aspects, or the “whole” of the person, need to be recognized and engaged in the therapeutic process.
Mindbody therapies recognize the individual’s capacity for self-awareness, self-knowledge, and ultimately the innate capacity for igniting self-healing mechanisms. The approach to mindbody therapy is psycho-educational, meaning, the therapist combines “therapeutics” with “practices” in the delivery of treatment. The therapist either guides the individual through practices or directly teaches mindbody skills and techniques. The client actively participates in the therapy process and assumes a co-creative role in creating health and wellness.
Creating health, happiness and a well-balanced life begins with:
- the conscious desire to change
- the willingness to:
- be present
- be responsible
- be courageous
- be open
- be patient
- be accepting
- the patience and discipline to make positive change possible
- the belief that positive change happens
