ABSTRACT
Virtually all alternative therapies claim to be ‘holistic’, that is treating ‘the whole system rather than the parts’. ‘Holism’ is the great strength of the alternative health movement. A holistic approach to treatment tends to mean a quality of personal attention and care which is total anathema to orthodox medicine. The precise definition of what is a holistic approach to health seems to vary a great deal between practitioners. Some talked of holism as simply the ability of an individual to integrate different treatments for different needs, such as using herbal medicine for a specific ailment, Alexander technique for working on body and posture, and psychotherapy for emotional distress. The founders of the Holistic Consciousness Foundation included amongst the reasons for the growth of popularity of alternative approaches to health those who turned to it ‘seeking a re-assertion of individuality’.
