Health Network News

Many couples who experience a bump in the road in their relationship turn to counseling for help. Some people do not realize the differences between holistic counseling and traditional counseling when they are trying to work out relationship issues.

Traditional counseling typically focuses primarily on the issues the couple brings to the session to discuss, whether they are subjects of frequent arguments, one partner’s hurt feelings, or intimacy issues. Working on these surface issues can be helpful, but this approach acts more as a band-aid to cover only visible wounds while ignoring the imbalance between the partners that could be causing the wounds.

A couple’s individual disagreements and communication issues are often symptoms of a much greater problem - one that all too often goes unaddressed by traditional counseling. In many cases, when two people are in need of counseling, both the individuals and the couple as a unit are out of balance with themselves and one another. A more holistic approach will assist them in healing individually and together.

Entirely focused on helping partners reclaim balance and wellness for themselves and for their lives together, Holistic Counseling aims for re-creating a balanced partnership - one founded upon feelings of love, trust, intimacy, and joy. All holistic approaches to therapy will focus on enhancing these aspects of the bond.

The holistic approach is best for two people who feel like their relationship is out of balance, particularly if they believe that their disagreements are a symptom of a larger issue. Relationships lacking in joy, intimacy, or positive communication can benefit from this method. Through holistic therapy, partners can explore these issues and learn new ways of thinking about their bond with one another.

Holistic therapy may be especially attractive to those who find a traditional therapist’s approach off-putting. Typical therapy sessions cause some participants to feel like they are being involved in a moderated debate; others even think their partner and the therapist are ganging up on them.

Another big plus of holistic counseling is that it is far less likely than traditional counseling to result in medication being given to one or both parties. Antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and sleeping pills are often prescribed by traditional counselors. Sometimes, these drugs serve only to increase relationship issues problems. They can cause sexual problems or even change an individual’s personality to some degree. This can cause yet another rift in an already fragile partnership. While drugs are not inappropriate for every case, many modern practitioners use medication as a first line of defense rather than a final resort. There is no doubt that swallowing a pill is easier than changing a couple’s worldview or the way that they work with one another.

Holistic therapy is generally not a quick fix for couples’ problems. However, it will reach down to the roots of the bond to improve the relationship as a whole as well as both individuals. It is a method created for partners who desire true balance in their lives, both together and separately.