Integrative Health and Healing

My goodness! I can’t believe it’s been since January that I made an entry. What’s more unbelievable is that it’s been just over a year since the last time I mentioned my masters program. On May 12, 2010 and June 6, 2010, I talked about what I was learning in “Experiential Health and Healing.” The program has since been renamed “Integrative Health and Healing,” and that’s exactly what it is. It’s an experiential program where we learn about complementary and alternative (CAM) healing modalities such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Homeopathy, Naturopathic Medicine, Energy Medicine, Art & Music Therapies, Bodywork, Kinesthetics, Nutrition, Sound Therapy, Aromatherapy, and more, and also how these healing modalities can be integrated with allopathic medicine. It’s been fantastic fun!

In my May 12, 2010 entry I wrote:

“I see myself right now as divided into three parts: writer, healer, teacher. By the end of this program, I hope and believe that I will be able to call myself just one thing. I don’t know what the word for that one thing will be, so for now I will call it writer-healer-teacher.”

Well, I have a name now. It’s Life Coach. In addition to that, though, I’m also a hypnotist. I’ve completed my formal hypnosis training and am currently working on my clinical hours for certification (all while working on the culminating project for my masters degree requirements—Yikes! Very busy these days!) I’m in the process now of setting up a hypnosis/life coaching practice and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve finally found “that thing” that makes me want to jump out of bed early in the morning and keep working until late into the night. That thing that keeps a smile on my face (in addition to my most supportive Sweety, of course). That thing that makes me even more me.

I get to help people one-on-one and in groups, on the phone and in person. I get to write about my favorite topics. I get to listen to people talk about their hopes and dreams and goals. And, best of all, I get to be a part of their process of discovery and growth just as so many people have been a part of my process of discovery and growth.

What does coaching and hypnosis have to do with integrative health? That’s a question I’ve been exploring. When I began this program, I expected that I would end up doing something more directly linked to the healthcare system. Yet, when considering my strengths, experiences, and interests, working with hypnosis and coaching makes the most sense. I’m learning that discontent and unhappiness can be a much bigger detriment to people’s long term health than we are usually ready to admit. I see my work as preventative. I also see it as supportive.

Will helping people reach their goals or overcome obstacles protect them from illness and disease? Perhaps not in an immediate and direct way. However, good health is far more than simply the absence of illness and disease. It’s a state of balance and harmony between the body, mind, and spirit. My role is to help people find and maintain that balance as they create the lives of their dreams. This is what I sought for myself, and I found it. Now I want to help others live their dreams. I can’t imagine enjoying anything else as much.