Alternative and Holistic Appoaches to Trauma

This informal CPD article, 'Alternative and Holistic Appoaches to Trauma', was provided by InnerCamp, who work within the holistic health sector offering expert-led solutions to help you rediscover your inner force and stand strong in your foundation on both personal and professional levels.

Trauma is defined as a very stressful or disturbing experience. Many people associate trauma with violence, abuse, or a catastrophic event; nevertheless, trauma can manifest itself in a variety of less obvious ways. The death of a loved one and abnormally high levels of stress can be painful. A split, divorce, or infidelity can all be terrible losses. 

Trauma can be defined as any experience that dramatically alters your response to the outside world, whether it damages your faith in people, leads you to feel numb to normal feelings, or causes you to feel despair or fury toward forces beyond your control.

How does a holistic approach to trauma work?

Holistic treatment focuses on the individual as a complex being. Holism holds a philosophy that views nature as a complex network of smaller components working together and creating the world we live in as a result. Each individual is also thought of as a complex being with several elements that come together to form a unique individual.

When someone adapts a holistic philosophy of treating others, they acknowledge that everyone has a mind, body, and spirit. These three components are closely linked with each other. When one is in a disturbed state, the other two components are automatically affected. Through the years, many practices and therapies have been developed to treat trauma in humans. Here are five of the most popular approaches now used:

Art Therapy

Drawing, painting, collage, colouring, and sculpting are more than just artistic techniques; they are also vehicles for self-expression and comprehension. A certified and credentialed art therapist can help an individual discover messages and symbolism in various art forms, going deeper into a person's innermost thoughts by investigating the psychological significance behind their creations. This mode of expression is an implemented treatment strategy for underlying problems, and it can assist clients in discovering various elements of their own personalities.

Art therapists are taught to comprehend how colour, texture, and diverse media can aid in the therapeutic process by disclosing a person's ideas, feelings, and overall disposition, according to the American Art Therapy Association. A typical art therapy session will include drawing, painting, sculpture and collage — or a combination of these media.

The purpose of an art therapist is to engage a person's mind and body in ways that go beyond verbal articulation alone. A person can explore kinesthetic, sensory, perceptual, and symbolic chances to express themselves by creating, giving voice to an experience and empowering an individual to modify their perception of whatever issues they're facing. In practice, art therapy can be used in conjunction with or as a substitute for talk therapy.

Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese form of energy healing. Dr. Mikao Usui developed the dominant style of reiki practiced today, also known as Usui reiki, in the early twentieth century. Reiki does not cure diseases or sicknesses directly. Instead, it is used to treat symptoms and promote overall well-being. During a Reiki session, the practitioner rests their hands directly on you or slightly above you to promote healing. The practitioner is thought to be able to stimulate your body's innate healing abilities. 

Reiki is considered to be non-invasive and safe. It has no known negative side effects. For individuals who have suffered trauma in the past, resting quietly in a dim room with someone close to you may be unpleasant. Reiki sessions may be utilized as a part of a depression therapy regimen. Researchers examined the effects of reiki on elderly people suffering from pain, despair, or anxiety in a 2010 study. Physical symptoms, mood, and overall well-being improved for the individuals. They also reported greater sensations of calmness, more curiosity, and improved self-care (Richeson et al., 2010).

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an alternative technique in which thin needles are placed into the skin along what are assumed to be energy lines. The treatment is based on ancient Chinese practice and is still commonly utilized today, notably in many NHS general practices as well as the majority of pain clinics and hospices across the UK.

Acupuncture stimulates sensory nerves beneath the skin and within muscles, causing the body to create natural compounds such as pain-relieving endorphins. As a result, acupuncture is frequently used to treat migraines and chronic tension-type headaches, anxiety, joint pain, dental pain, chronic pain, infertility, and post-operative pain. Acupuncture has been shown in multiple trials to reduce stress, anxiety, and physical symptoms associated with traumatic situations. 

According to a 2019 study on survivors of a big earthquake in Italy, acupuncture alleviated mental and physical symptoms connected with the traumatic incident. The study discovered that 54% of patients had significant improvements in psychological symptoms (anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness), and 60% had dramatic improvements in pain symptoms (Moiraghi et al., 2019). 

Another 2019 study discovered that combining transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation with sertraline or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) improved the treatment of PTSD symptoms. PTSD symptoms improved significantly in the groups that employed electrical acupoint stimulation as part of their treatment plan compared to the groups that did not (Feng et al., 2019).

An earlier 2011 study of earthquake survivors in China found that combining acupuncture with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was more helpful than CBT alone in alleviating PTSD symptoms (Zhang et al., 2011).

Indigenous Traditional Healing

Indigenous Traditional Healing is a holistic method that tries to correct imbalances in the body, mind, emotions, and spirit all at the same time. These imbalances are regarded as the source of illness and the outcome of disobeying sacred, natural rules. Traditional healing procedures are unique and culturally particular to the individuals who use them. 

In Canada, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people consider health a balance of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual components. Individuals, families, communities, and the environment can all have an impact on these four factors. For the Inuit, for example, connection to the land is a crucial element of healing. Being away from one's neighbourhood and out on the land can offer tranquillity to the body and mind by removing outside influences, and promoting personal well-being.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy, often known as essential oil treatment, refers to a group of traditional, alternative, and complementary therapies that make use of essential oils and other aromatic plant chemicals. Aromatherapy is defined by the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) as "the therapeutic use or medical use of aromatic compounds (essential oils) for holistic healing."

Humans have utilized aromatherapy for thousands of years. Aromatic plant components were used in resins, balms, and oils by ancient cultures in China, India, Egypt, and elsewhere. These natural oils served medical and religious purposes. They were known to have physical as well as psychological benefits. 

René-Maurice Gattefossé, a French perfumer and chemist, created the word ‘aromatherapy’ in a book he wrote on the subject and published it in 1937. He had already found lavender's therapeutic power in the treatment of burns. The book goes through the usage of essential oils in treating medical ailments. Aromatherapy can dramatically improve someone's health by directly altering the brain's limbic system via the olfactory organs. As the fresh scents permeate the body, emotions can be calmed, which can benefit someone who has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

When a person is triggered by painful memories or seeks aid from a healthcare expert, aromatherapy uses soothing scents to ease them. Essential oils offer medicinal characteristics that can help with sleep, relaxation, emotional release, and fear reduction. By developing your own technique, you can administer essential oils via airborne diffusion, direct inhalation, and topical application.

We hope you found this article helpful. For more information from InnerCamp, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.

References

• Feng, B., Zhang, Y., Luo, L.-Y., Wu, J.-Y., Yang, S.-J., Zhang, N., Tan, Q.-R., Wang, H.-N., Ge, N., Ning, F., Zheng, Z.-L., Zhu, R.-M., Qian, M.-C., Chen, Z.-Y., & Zhang, Z.-J. (2019). Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for post-traumatic stress disorder: Assessor-blinded, randomized controlled study. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 73(4), 179–186. https://doi.org/10.1111/pcn.12810
• Moiraghi, C., Poli, P., & Piscitelli, A. (2019). An Observational Study on Acupuncture for Earthquake-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Experience of the Lombard Association of Medical Acupuncturists/Acupuncture in the World, in Amatrice, Central Italy. Medical Acupuncture, 31(2), 116–122. https://doi.org/10.1089/acu.2018.1329
• Richeson, N. E., Spross, J. A., Lutz, K., & Peng, C. (2010). Effects of Reiki on Anxiety, Depression, Pain, and Physiological Factors in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. 
• Research in Gerontological Nursing, 3(3), 187–199. https://doi.org/10.3928/19404921-20100601-01
• Zhang, Y., Bin, F. E. N. G., Xie, J. P., Xu, F. Z., & Jiong, C. H. E. N. (2011). Clinical study on treatment of the earthquake-caused post-traumatic stress disorder by cognitive-behavior therapy and acupoint stimulation. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 31(1), 60-63.