Integrative Counselling: The What, Why and Who It Is For

It’s Something Different

It is no secret our mind and body are intricately connected; each has the ability to influence and alter the functioning of the other, so when it comes to managing your mind and your mood, why not try an approach that addresses the whole picture?

Integrative counselling aims to promote healing and facilitate wholeness by ensuring all levels of a person’s being and functioning (mental, physical and emotional health) are cared for.

The Mind-Body Connection

Stress, sadness, and anxiety can occur for many reasons. Sometimes that reason is very clear; perhaps you are grieving the loss of a loved one, or a relationship. Perhaps there is turmoil in a current relationship or a problem at work. Perhaps you’ve experienced a trauma or injury. Or maybe you’re just feeling overwhelmed with responsibility.

When problems like this arise, they become an incredible source of emotional burden for us, and this emotional distress is a felt as much as it is experienced mentally. Your sense of wellbeing is not simply an idea; it’s a physical feeling too.

It’s important to understand that reversely, your physiological state, in particular, nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalance and thyroid dysfunction, can have a huge impact on your sense of wellbeing. Because these types of conditions can have such a profound effect on our psyche, it is imperative to address and correct any underlying physiological contributors when it comes to mental-emotional health.

There is an intricate relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and how your body experiences them, and integrative counselling works to explore that relationship, to facilitate wellness.

What to Expect With Integrative Counselling

During your initial visit, your naturopathic doctor will conduct a thorough health history and physical exam. Laboratory testing may be used to screen for underlying medical condition, nutrient deficiencies and hormonal imbalance.

Therapy aims to correct underlying physiological imbalance and optimize physical health through dietary, intravenous vitamin therapy, vitamin booster shots, botanical and nutrient supplementation.

Treatment sessions combine traditional counselling therapies with physical therapy such as acupuncture, spinal and joint manipulation, soft-tissue work, and integrative body-psychotherapy in order to alleviate symptoms and achieve long-term healing.

By Dr. Alaina