Assumptions of Traditional Allopathic and Holistic Models of Care

Traditional Allopathic Model Holistic Model
Treatment of symptoms Search for patterns, causes
Specialized Integrated; concerned with whole patient
Emphasis on efficiency Emphasis on human values
Professional should be emotionally neutral Professional's caring is a component of healing
Pain and disease are wholly negative Pain and misery may be valuable signals of internal conflicts
Primary intervention with drugs, surgery Minimal intervention with appropriate technology, complemented with a
range of noninvasive techniques (psycho techniques, diet, exercise)
Body seen as a machine in good or bad repair Body seen as a dynamic system, a complex energy field within fields
(family, workplace, environment, culture, life history)
Disease or disability seen as an entity Disease or disability seen as a process
Emphasis on eliminating symptoms and disease Emphasis on achieving maximum body-mind health
Patient is dependent Patient is autonomous
Professional is authority Professional is therapeutic partner
Body and mind are separate; psychosomatic illnesses seen as mental; may
refer (patient) to psychiatrist		 Body-mind perspective, psychosomatic illness is the province of all health
care professionals
Mind is secondary factor in organic illness Mind is primary or co-equal factor in all illness
Placebo effect is evidence of power of suggestion Placebo effect is evidence of mind's role in disease and healing
Primary reliance on quantitative information (charts, tests, and dates) Primary reliance on qualitative information, including patient reports and
professional's intuition; quantitative data an adjunct
"Prevention" seen as largely environmental; vitamins, rest, exercise,
immunization, not smoking		 "Prevention" synonymous with wholeness; in work, relationships, goals,
body-mind-spirit

"When I was finally ready to reclaim the part of me that was so hurting and broken down -- Healing began."