Like many massage therapists I started my journey as a therapist offering what are sometimes referred to as more ‘holistic’ treatments. I use the word holistic somewhat reluctantly since in the world of therapy it has to be one of the most overused and misunderstood concepts.
The problem with treating holistically is that it requires you to ‘treat the whole’ person, something that is admirable to aim for but difficult in practice. To my thinking it is a misuse of the word ‘holistic’ to say a massage is holistic because it’s full body.
Treating the ‘whole’ means understanding the client fully and treating them on all levels – something most of us aren’t qualified to do. If a client’s muscular pain stems from emotional trauma then a holistic treatment will need at some point to redress this through a ‘talking’ therapy. If someone’s energy is low due to the peaks and troughs of a high sugar diet the holistic approach isn’t just use ‘uplifting oils’ – it has to at some point include nutritional advice.
So can we treat holistically? The answer is absolutely yes! We should always treat holistically accepting that what we offer may not be the answer and being prepared to refer onto other health and well being professionals as appropriate. There are no holistic treatments (I’ve probably upset someone now as there are lots of qualifications out there with the word ‘holistic’ attached to them) but rather it is an approach or an ideal that we should all strive for even when doing clinical massage.
For a ‘holistic’ approach to massage either clinical or relaxing in Brighton and Hove.. get in touch 🙂
I’m a massage therapist working at Natural Balance Therapies in Brighton. Click here to book online or call us on Brighton 771441