COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES

Complementary Therapies consist of mind/body models that are frequently used in combination with or in place of traditional medicine and therapies to heal physical and emotional problems.  Examples of complementary or alternative therapies include yoga, meditation, acupuncture, reiki, massage, biofeedback, and meridian tapping.  The premise of these therapeutic modalities is that emotional and physical symptoms are the result of blocked energy that needs to be redirected in order to be released.  Often physical and emotional problems occur together, and when one is resolved the other improves as well.  For example, it has been found that clients who have been experiencing emotional and mental problems for long periods of time can sometimes find rapid relief with a series of sessions spent tapping on critical meridian points along the body.  Similar results are found with other alternative models.  

When to Use Complementary Therapies

Complementary therapies should be used by practitioners that are skilled in working with clients that are experiencing emotional and interpersonal problems, or they should be used in conjunction with one of the traditional therapies (cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, etc.) that is provided by a therapist trained in that model.  Complementary models promote the health of the whole person and have few risks. Some problems such as phobias and obsessions or compulsions can be resolved in a brief period of time using one or more of these methods.