Integrative Medicine for Mental Health and Wellness
What Exactly IS Integrative Health Care?
Integrative health care, simply put, is an approach that recognizes the importance of not just conventional medicine, but also complementary and alternative medicine, mental health care, and mind-body approaches (such as meditation, yoga, hypnotherapy, Reiki, prayer, therapeutic massage, etc.). Integrative Health Care acknowledges that one’s health is influenced by many interrelated factors, such as life choices, environment, genetic makeup, intimate relationships and much more.
Thriveworks Blacksburg has on staff, a trained and certified Integrative Medicine for Mental Health professional. Call us at 540-376-3348 today to schedule an appointment!
How does Integrative Health Care relate to Mental Health and Wellness?
Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) is a rapidly emerging approach that combines therapies, including prescription medications, psychotherapy, and even nutritional therapies. This holistic approach holds a deep respect for an individual’s life journey and the events that make up their history. One’s life story can impact one’s illness or their wellness. Integrative Health Care supports all facets of life: creativity, cultural expression, the celebration of community. In IMMH, being “healthy” means that the whole person is in balance – physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. Therefore, there is no “health” without “mental health.” IMMH has gained mainstream acceptance and is recognized and embraced as an integral part of one’s overall well-being.
While Integrative Medicine supports this “whole body” approach to health care, utilizing multiple fields of medicine, nutritional sciences, etc., research shows that these therapies have the best results when used in conjunction with a mental health/wellness approach, specifically psychotherapy (i.e. meeting with a counselor/therapist, or “talk therapy”).
Thriveworks Blacksburg has on staff, a trained and certified Integrative Medicine for Mental Health professional. Call us at 540-376-3348 today to schedule an appointment!
How Does Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Care Work?
An Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (IMMH) professional is knowledgeable about Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and trained in the “art of collaboration” to give a patient their most successful outcome and progress. The IMMH professional will strive to understand as much as possible about the whole person and to be aware of what treatments are occurring simultaneously.
Furthermore, about half of those diagnosed with mood or anxiety disorders are using a combination of therapies including conventional and/or alternative or “natural” drugs to address their mental health or wellness concerns. Therefore, it is important that patients disclose all of their treatments to all of their health care professionals.
Integrative Mental Health care is an evolving, whole-systems approach to wellness of mind, body, and spirit. It considers that symptoms are associated with multiple causes and that multiple approaches to assessment and treatment may be necessary so that each individual may attain an optimal state of health and well-being.
Integrative Medicine for Mental Health focuses on the whole person in order to promote recovery as holistically as possible from a mental health diagnosis. It’s important to understand that integrative and alternative therapies are not necessarily a replacement for mental health medications. Rather, an integrative therapy approach can supplement and complement your current mental health treatment plan.
At Thriveworks Blacksburg, we have a trained and certified Integrative Medicine Mental Health professional on staff, and she is enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and supportive. Call us at 540-376-3348 today to schedule an appointment!
