Holistic Healing Schools in California

Holistic healing schools in California teach an all-around approach to health that includes mental, physical, spiritual, social and environmental approaches to wellness. Students learn about Western and Eastern practices that promote all around health and prevention of sickness and disease. Students learn about nutrition, anatomy, physiology, and stress management. Students also learn natural medicine methods such as naturopathy, homeopathy, and Ayurvedic medicine. Holistic post-secondary programs range in length from six months to two years, and award completers with a certificate or two-year associate’s degree. Holistic healing careers are expected to grow at the average rate of all occupations according to the latest employment data published.

Bellus Academy

Certificate
Holistic Health
Poway

Kaplan College

Diploma, Certificate
Diploma: Holistic Health Practitioner
Vista

Samra University of Oriental Medicine

Doctorate, Certificate
Doctor's Degree Program in Oriental Medicine
Los Angeles

Holistic Healing vs. Traditional Medicine

The debate of holistic healing vs. traditional healing is not a new one. For centuries people on both sides have been arguing about the benefits and purported dangers of each one, making a case for themselves. While the debate is far from settled, there are some points that can be clearly established for each one.

Historically

Long before the advent of modern drugs, people were already healing themselves with the use of herbs and other natural substances. Certain holistic practices, including acupuncture and Ayurveda, are thousands of years old. Some methods are so effective that they have recently been accepted into the realm of traditional medicine as complementary therapies, such as acupuncture.

What's more, many drugs including the common aspirin are made from natural substances, giving even more credibility to the idea that holistic medicine is a real medical option.

Treating a Patient

When it comes to treating a patient, the approach of holistic healing is a lot different to that of traditional medicine.

While medicine treats the symptoms, holistic healing focus on treating the whole person, looking not only at the medical issue, but also at the circumstances that may have led to it. This means that holistic medicine usually takes longer to produce an effect, as the products used treat the root of the problem without masking the symptoms.

Holistic treatment also looks at the environment surrounding the person to see if anything there may be causing the problem. For example, a naturopathic doctor may recommend a poultice or a combination of herbs, as well as looking into your relationship with your colleagues, to deal with insomnia. A traditional doctor on the other hand, may suggest a sleeping aid. While both remedies may end up being equally effective in the long run, the treatment itself is quite different.

Emergency Medical Issues

One of the biggest advantages of traditional medicine is the ability to treat emergency medical issues such as broken bones, a heart attack or a debilitating fever quickly and aggressively.

Holistic medicine may help a patient rehabilitate from these conditions, but when they first strike, traditional medicine has the upper hand in the treatment. The same is true in the case of diagnosing certain serious conditions through the use of digital machines or blood testing procedures, which are only available in traditional hospitals and clinics.

Both holistic and traditional medicine can be dangerous if not used properly. Certain herbs can interact with drugs, producing dangerous results. A clear example is ginko, which can increase bleeding, especially when taken along with aspirin. Other herbs, such as black cohosh, comfrey, and St. John's wort can all affect the strength of certain drugs, including HIV medication, anti-depressants, and high-blood pressure drugs. To avoid interactions, doctors recommend always being clear about what you are taking with both your holistic doctor and your traditional practitioner. While it's usually OK to combine both forms of therapy (traditional and holistic), this has to be done carefully and staying aware of the possible interactions.

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