Research on Holistic Therapies

Natural and alternative therapies often come under fire by scientific critics who claim that the results are not quantifiable and cannot be proven - yet they work.

A recent article by Jane Thurnell-Read entitled Double-Blind Trials and Complementary Therapies highlights some of the inherent difficulties in speaking about natural and holistic treatments. Although we as therapists have experienced the efficacy of energy treatments (such as energy psychology, energy medicine, meridian and chakra work, or aura clearing) and unconventional diets, personally and with clients, it can be a real challenge to convey the power of these techniques to skeptics. Because our culture places such great value on a scientific, rational approach over any other, we must confine ourselves to speaking in science-ese in order to persuade laypersons that we actually know what we're talking about.

Being able to converse in scientific language is not necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, it opens doors not only in how we express ourselves and in the results of the therapies we use, but also in better understanding ourselves and the work we do.

Science yields perspective which is not only persuasive, but often truly enlightening. Who knew that quantum physics would open the door to better comprehension of energy techniques? Or that organic chemistry could reveal so many nuances of ancient tools such as aromatherapy?

If knowledge is power, then understanding the scientific principals behind natural medicine can enhance both a patient and a practitioner's power in healing ourselves.