Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1990 Jul; 60(3): 357-70.

Holistic medicine and mental health practice: toward a new synthesis.

Gordon JS.

Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.

Holistic medicine offers insights and techniques which can significantly enlarge and enrich mental health practice. This approach, which recognizes the uniqueness of each patient, the centrality of the therapeutic partnership, and the primacy of self-care, regards the spiritual dimension as a vital enlargement of the biopsychosocial model. After outlining the holistic approach and its congruence with psychological thinking, this paper explores the ways in which holism may shape the future of mental health practice.