A holistic approach to therapy for women treats the mind, body, and spirit, which can be beneficial for women struggling with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. A holistic approach will help you conquer destructive behaviors and reach inner peace, self-love, and lasting happiness.
Today, we’re exploring how a holistic approach to therapy for women can help heal the mind, body, and spirit.
Therapy for Women: Mind, Body, and Spirit
Women are integrated creatures. When all is going to plan, our minds, body, and spirit are working in unison to create a reality that is wonderfully unique to each of us. This intricate process of womanhood is undeniably beautiful, but it can also be complicated. In order to get the most desired results out of our feminine process, it is important to pay heed to all aspects of our wellbeing and to keep them aligned in harmony.
Here’s how a holistic approach to therapy for women can help heal the mind, body, and spirit
Healing the Mind
The argument between nature and nurture has been waging on for decades, with laypeople increasingly joining a side in the psychological debate. Whichever theory a person ascribes to, it is general consensus that the female mind works differently than the male mind. If there is any doubt about this, do a quick internet search for relationship coaches. A good deal of relationship therapy has to do with helping the male and female clients meet together on the same page.
One of the differences that are commonly observed between males and females is the tendency toward compartmentalization. While the male mind seems geared toward being able to make clear distinctions between tasks involving business and personal life, females can tend to find it difficult to completely disregard one aspect of life in favor of focusing on another. Attempts to relate this female tendency to an actual structure in the brain have fallen short, but the phenomenon persists, nonetheless.
While it sounds handy to be able to any issues into its own box and continue on with other aspects of life, females tend to have a hard time doing so. It has been said that men are like a set of drawers, and women are like a wardrobe. When we look at our issues, we see them all at once. As an example, women who come into therapy often present their relationship issues as forefront during matters of distress and mental health disorder. The depression and anxiety that stems from these personal matters can overflow, making going to work, finishing school, or simply doing the laundry feel like overwhelming tasks. Likewise, finding mental peace in one area of our lives tends to positively affect all others.
Healing the Body
The effects of our mental health aren’t only intricately integrated within our minds, but they also extend to our bodies. While it is ill-advised to seek to blame physical problems on mental issues, it is a fact that physical ailments can be both created, and exacerbated by, the state of our heads. Experiences of stress, depression, and anxiety can result in our bodies giving us warning signs that something needs to change. Physical disorders such as headaches, intestinal issues, insomnia, and disruptions in the menstrual cycle are common for women to experience during times of mental unrest.
True to the reciprocity nature that exists within females, the reverse effect can also be observed. Taking care of our physical health can increase our mental focus, provide us with more energy for taking on our challenges, and provide us with a healthy boost of self-esteem. Integrating a healthy eating and exercise routine into an otherwise hectic or overwhelming week can reduce muscle tension, improve digestion, and encourage the body to recharge through getting a solid night of sleep.
Healing the Spirit
Mental health can be measured with screening tools, and physical health can be determined through the five senses. Spiritual health falls into a category of its own, with the importance and focus of spirituality consisting of subjective, inalienable, and individual, truth. Throughout history, women have been played an integral role as the keepers of the societal spirit.
When our spiritual life is alive and vibrant, we are able to rely on it for guidance and comfort through any manner of challenges. Taking the time to nurture our spiritual selves not only benefits us as an individual, but the recharging which takes place during engagement in prayers or meditations means that we have more energy available to support those we love. Indulging in our own spirituality is simultaneously both a selfish and a selfless, act. This dichotomy existing in unison is an excellent example of the intricate nature of the healthy female experience.
Holistic Wellness
While our ancient female ancestors may have enjoyed the intuitive knowledge of the necessity of tending to all aspects of ourselves, much of that awareness fell to the wayside during Western progression toward increasing productivity. The Protestant Ethic which has worked to craft the United States into a land of prosperity has also resulted in a deficit in our own views of self-care. As we tend to approach the world from a problem-solution mindset, the deeper levels of a life worth living can be overlooked.
Everything old becomes new, again. The need for a holistic approach to mental, physical, and spiritual care began to resurface during the 1970s, and it has gained traction, ever since. There is no group more fitted to gain the benefits of this revolution in mental health care than that of women. Our complex and integrated way of being is perfectly suited to an approach that encompasses all aspects of our multifaceted experience.
Holistic therapy can be summed up as being a continual work in progress, with the goal of creating a masterful work of art. The work of art that is created in your own life story and the components which are required involve your active engagement in all areas. Those who grasp the message contained within the holistic therapy approach will learn to embrace the world as it comes, will have the wisdom to initiate changes where necessary, and will have the energy to press onward toward greatness.
Just like with any great work of art, the artist begins with a few small steps and a few tricks of the trade under her belt. The beginning stages of holistic therapy will involve getting to know more about yourself, and learning how to listen to your own voice. As you gain the benefits of being in touch with your authentic, integrated, self, the rest of the story will begin to unfold.
If you find yourself reaching for alcohol or prescription drugs to self-medicate uncomfortable feelings, you may be interested in exploring co-occurring disorder treatment. Discover the benefits of holistic healing here at Villa Kali Ma and begin your journey to inner peace, self-love, and lasting happiness.
