ABSTRACT
An emphasis on self-healing gives rise to several distinctive features of complementary treatment which have been summarized by S. Fulder and which will consider in turn for their implications for the therapeutic relationship. The complementary practitioner aspires to treat the person rather than the disease. The person’s difficulties are considered to be only understandable in the context of his constitutional background, life history and current circumstances. Treatment seeks to restore the person to his developmental potential through realigning and restoring imbalances, defects and destructive patterns. In complementary therapy, the patient is treated as a whole person, with no barriers between mind, body and spirit. This approach gives him the opportunity to make links between his psychological and physical symptoms, his lifestyle and the issues and events which have been important to him. An emphasis on the positive aspects of health involves taking seriously, and treating, patients’ poor vitality and low resistance.
