Integrative therapy refers to a combination of Conventional medicine with Alternative medicine to achieve holistic healing.
Conventional medicine refers to allopathy or Western medicine i.e medications and doctors. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists follow a particular standard of care i.e specific treatment for a particular disease.
Alternative medicine refers to Eastern healing practices which involve practices such as mind-body therapies, manipulative and body-based biologically-based practices, energy healing, etc. You must have heard of art therapy, meditation, yoga, tai chi, reiki, dietary supplements, massage therapy, chiropractic practices, reflexology. Alternative medicine also includes ayurveda, homeopathy, naturopathy and acupuncture (traditional Chinese medicine).
Alternative medicine helps in pain relief and alleviating anxiety and muscle tension. It also helps in escalating one’s mood and helps in feeling relaxed and calm.
There is an extensive amount of research in support of the conventional practices of medicine. The alternative and complementary practices of healing are not supported by enough research. In India, people naturally trust alternative medicine practices as they have originated from the Asian countries. People majorly use alternative medicine for pain relief and relaxation (not as a cure for a disease).
As psychotherapy is a Western concept, nowadays many Indian Mental Health Professionals (MHPs) practice holistic healing by integrating conventional Western therapies with alternative Eastern practices. Many Indian clients respond positively to a combination of psychotherapy, medications and alternative medicine (yoga, acupuncture, reiki, dietary supplements, homeopathy). Even within psychotherapy, different schools of thoughts are being integrated to create a new approach which can suit different needs of different clients. There are many schools of thought – Humanistic, Psychodynamic, CBT, Transactional analysis, Somatic (body work), Gestalt, Internal Family Systems – which govern the field of psychology and the therapeutic space. MHPs are using integrative therapies to help in the client’s holistic healing.
Depression and addiction are some of the common psychological conditions in India.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), family therapy, group therapy, support groups, psychiatric medications paired with Yoga, art therapy, meditation helps in the treatment of addiction.
Depression can be treated and managed with the help of CBT, interpersonal therapy, medications. Exercising, yoga, meditation, reiki, massage therapy, acupuncture, reflexology helps in alleviating the feelings of sadness.
Veda is the best rehabilitation centre for the treatment of depression and addiction by using integrative therapies. Veda Wellness has 3 centers in India – Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. The highly professional teams at Veda consist of psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, yoga teachers, nutritionists, homeopathic doctors, ayurvedic doctors, reiki experts and art therapists. Veda believes in holistic healing and providing the most specialized treatment to every client.