Last Updated on August 28, 2023
First Component:
Students are introduced to the historical origins and the theoretical and methodological foundations of the integrative holistic approach to health and wellness. Special regard is given to the basic holistic assumptions that:
a) The human being is a complex system comprised of several interrelated mental and physical sub-systems (cognitive, emotional, neural, endocrine, immune, etc.). At the same time, humans are encompassed in social and natural supra-systems (family, society, ecosystem, etc.), which influence the functioning of the sub-systems and are subsequently influenced by them, and
b) Physical, mental and social well-being are not separate factors but, on the contrary, are interdependent ones.
Second Component:
Students explore a wide variety of Eastern and Western medical and psychological concepts, theories, and tools. In this part of the program, some of the approaches we examine are:
- Mind-Body Medicine
- Chinese Traditional Medicine
- Ayurvedic Medicine
- Acupuncture
- Homeopathy
- Integrative Psychotherapy
- Mindfulness-based Methodologies
- Yoga Postures
- Pranayama Breathing Techniques
- and many others.
Study emphasizes the need to gain knowledge in various modalities, to integrate diverse perspectives on how the body functions, and to develop a holistic medical model in order to achieve health and wellness. The program also provides explanations, experiences, and practices of many diagnostic and healing techniques focused on treating the whole person, thus enabling students to design and apply personalized models of health, wellness, and (eventually) healing.
Third Component:
In the third part of the program, students learn why and how the integrative health and healing approach is spreading across our community due to both its effectiveness (in many cases much higher than that of the conventional approach) and its way of managing the relationship with patients (taking a much more human and empathetic approach instead of the conventional impersonal approach). Regarding effectiveness, students will learn that by treating the health of the whole patient – physical, mental, interpersonal, and transpersonal/spiritual and not just the immediate symptoms of a specific organ or dimension — the efficacy of integrated, holistic treatments are more long-lasting and with a lower regression rate. Regarding the relations between health professionals and patients, students will learn that the official biomedical model – considering body, mind, spirit, society, and environment as separated factors – entrusts the care of the body to doctors, the care of the mind and the emotions to counselors and psychologists, and the care of the spirit to ministers and priests. This results in no one taking care of the whole person and, on the contrary, considers the patient as a soul-less machine. Today more and more people are tired of being considered as bodies separate from minds separate from the spirit and are speaking up about having their most elementary rights denied to them as soon as they enter a hospital. They instead want to be considered as whole human beings and treated as such. In this vein, students will learn practical psycho-social tools for managing communication and relationships with clients/patients.
It’s important to note that many holistic and naturopathic treatments which have been traditionally considered un-reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses are now being offered within traditional medical establishments as a part of their overall care strategy. The integrative approach does not necessarily imply a higher financial cost of giving or receiving care, but it does open up opportunities for practitioners and patients to explore any and all modalities which may benefit them.
The Master of Arts in Integrative Health and Healing is for:
- Anyone who is seeking a wider conception of health, wellness and healing, both for professional and personal purposes.
- Healthcare and wellness professionals (physicians, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, chiropractors, alternative practitioners, health and wellness coaches, etc.) who wish to expand the boundaries of their professional knowledge and skills.
- Life coaches, business leaders, organizational developers who wish to enhance their profession with powerful holistic, integrative theories and tools.
- Teachers and educators who have a holistic conception of education and would like to help students developing not only their knowledge but also their whole person, with special regard to health and wellness.
- By taking the Master of Arts in Integrative Health and Healing in combination with the Coaching with Spirit program, you can specialize in Health and Wellness Coaching.
Classes are currently held via Zoom. When classes are in-person, cohorts meet on-site one weekend per month (Friday from 5 to 9 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm and sometimes also Sunday). The degree is completed in 2 years. The certificate is completed in 6 months.
Integrative Health is conceived as the harmonious functioning of all the dimensions that constitute the human being – corporeal, energetic, emotional, mental, interpersonal, and spiritual. Its approach to healing incorporates not only biological, chemical, medical, and surgical tools but also psychological, sociological, cultural, spiritual, and environmental ones.
Such a holistic conception is being adopted by an increasing number of health professionals. It is even recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), which states in its Constitution:
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Nevertheless, the dominant trend in healthcare today is not one of integration. On the contrary, traditional modes of care are based on separation and sectorization due to the mechanistic reductionistic orientation of the official biomedical model. It is this outdated model that considers body, mind, spirit, society, and environment as separate factors and thus entrusts the care of each of them to different and not collaborating specialists. This leaves no one taking care of the whole person.
For this and other reasons, the integrative health approach is marginal or absent in most universities, while at The Graduate Institute, it has been a core area of study since the Institute’s foundation. This Whole Person approach has inspired several programs of study here at the Graduate Institute, the leader of which is the Master of Arts Degree in Integrative Health and Healing.
Integrative Health is conceived as the harmonious functioning of all the dimensions that constitute the human being – corporeal, energetic, emotional, mental, interpersonal, and spiritual. Its approach to healing incorporates not only biological, chemical, medical, and surgical tools but also psychological, sociological, cultural, spiritual, and environmental ones.
Such a holistic conception is being adopted by an increasing number of health professionals. It is even recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), which states in its Constitution:
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Nevertheless, the dominant trend in healthcare today is not one of integration. On the contrary, traditional modes of care are based on separation and sectorization due to the mechanistic reductionistic orientation of the official biomedical model. It is this outdated model that considers body, mind, spirit, society, and environment as separate factors and thus entrusts the care of each of them to different and not collaborating specialists. This leaves no one taking care of the whole person.
For this and other reasons, the integrative health approach is marginal or absent in most universities, while at The Graduate Institute, it has been a core area of study since the Institute’s foundation. This Whole Person approach has inspired several programs of study here at the Graduate Institute, the leader of which is the Master of Arts Degree in Integrative Health and Healing.
