Holistic healers work to treat the mind, body, and spirit of those who are ill. Generally, alternative medicine practitioners provide natural treatment options for disease. To become a holistic healer, one can pursue alternative medicine training, herbal medicine courses, and activities that combine physical and spiritual elements, such as yoga or reiki. Some holistic healers may even have a traditional medical degree as a foundation.
Some holistic healers start out as medical doctors or nurses before becoming interested in holistic healing and alternative medicine later in their careers. Holistic healers who have both a medical license and holistic certifications tend to attract a larger clientele. Patients who have had unsuccessful treatments from traditional medicine doctors or who are having adverse reactions to medications frequently seek out healers and naturopathic physicians.
There are numerous schools offering certifications and degrees in bodywork and healing arts all over the world. It is generally best to be trained in as many areas of alternative therapy as possible in order to become a holistic healer. Some degree programs cover a broad range of topics, while others specialize in a specific field, such as massage or acupuncture.
Reiki, or energy healing, yoga, aromatherapy, and massage are all common courses included in holistic training. Herbal medicine, healing stones, and stress management techniques may be covered in other classes. Students learn how to evaluate a patient’s medical history, symptoms, lifestyle, and potential environmental contributors to illness during their training.
Learning the spiritual and psychological aspects of recovery is required to become a holistic healer. Holistic healers frequently offer nutritional advice, healing bodywork, and spiritual and psychological counseling to their patients. Those wishing to pursue a career as a holistic healer often benefit from a background in psychology or counseling.
Holistic healers can either open their own practice or work in an alternative treatment center. Those who are already practicing medicine and have a patient base may want to start incorporating holistic healing into their practice. Others may choose to teach certification programs or develop their own naturopathic healing techniques.
Holistic healers who specialize in a specific area of healing can open a practice that only provides these services. Someone who has received extensive training in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, for example, could open an acupuncture clinic and prescribe herbal remedies to patients. Others who have received extensive training in bodywork and massage may want to start their own therapeutic massage practice.