10 Fascinating Types of Alternative Therapies
Conventional medicine is not the solution for some illnesses, especially those that are related to emotional, mental, and cognitive aspects. Alternative and complementary healing therapies are abound. While claims of healing are not scientifically conclusive, these alternative therapies and interventions are as fascinating as they are intriguing.
Let us find out more about 10 fascinating types of alternative therapies to promote health and wellness:
#1 – Music Therapy
Music therapy is an expressive healing intervention through the process of playing music instruments. Music therapist guides the clients to play various musical instruments such as drums, ukulele, tambourine, and triangle so as to draw forth the process of natural bodily healing. Music, by virtue of its vibration and resonance, has the power to heal through activating tissues at the molecular levels to promote healing.
#2 – Art Therapy
Art therapy is also an expressive healing modality in which an Art Therapist facilitates healing through art making. By using various art media, clients are guided to get their creative juice flowing to create artworks that enable them to explore their feelings, foster self-awareness of their addictions and behaviors, and reconcile emotional conflicts. All these are helpful in reducing stress and anxiety as well as increasing personal insight and personal insight.
#3 – Play Therapy
Play therapy is a form of counseling or psychotherapy that uses play to communicate with and help people, especially children aged 3 to 11, to prevent or resolve psychosocial challenges. Children communicate through play to understand oneself and others. This therapy enables children to express their experiences and feelings through a natural, self-guided, self-healing process which will help them towards better social integration, growth and development, emotional modulation, and trauma resolution.
#4 – Flower Therapy
Dr Edward Bach is the creator of the Flower Therapy remedy system. He believed that illness was the result of a conflict between the soul’s purpose and the actions/outlooks of an individual. This internal war leads to negative moods that results in energy blocking and disharmony, which lead to physical illnesses.
Through his intuitive and psychic connections with plants, he discovers the distinctive healing remedies of different types of plants for various types of emotional disorders.
#5 – Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the practice of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant for to promote psychological healing and physical well-being. Inhaling aroma from the “essential” oils, or applying the oil directly, is widely believed to stimulate brain function.
#6 – Journal Therapy
Journal Therapy, or Writing Therapy, is a therapy that involves the intentional use of journaling exercises and prompts to bring about awareness and improve mental physical, emotional, and spiritual health and wellness.
#7 – Crystal Therapy
Crystal Therapy is a method that uses stones and crystals for healing purposes. A practitioner places crystals on different parts of the body, often corresponding to chakras, to enhance the energy for healing purposes.
#8 – Pet Therapy
Pet therapy, also known as animal-assisted therapy, is a type of intervention that involves animals or pets as a form of treatment. Animals such as dogs or dolphines are engaged to help people recover from trauma or better cope with health problems, such as heart disease, cancer and mental health disorders. Another close equivalent is Zootherapy that is a growing profession in Quebec.
#9 – Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, is a type of naturopathy that involves the use of water for pain relief and treatment. This therapy takes advantage of the physical properties of water, such as temperature and pressure, to stimulate blood circulation and treat the symptoms of certain diseases. Methods of hydrotherapy include whirlpool bath, hot Roman bath, hot tub, Jacuzzi, mineral bath (Iodine-Grine therapy) etc.
#10 – Diet Therapy
Diet therapy is a therapy through food and nutrition as a preventative or corrective treatment of disease. Treatments involve including foods that improve specific health conditions, while avoiding foods that may make the condition worse. For example, drinking alkaline water and eating food that are alkaline in nature (eg. Spirulina and Wheatgrass) are known to promote detoxification of the body.