l levels or parts that constitute the whole and to their interdependence and relatedness. The terms health and wholeness are often used when describing holism. In this context, an individual may not be separated from her or his external environment. The individualÆs internal environment is viewed within a holistic perspective as providing the regulators necessary to permit the individual to cope with both internal and external disturbances. Body, spirit, and mindùthe internal environment, and the external environment are all interdependent within the concept of holism (Zhang 5).
Healing in a holistic context means caring. When self-care is involved, the person must care about herself or himself and others enough to want to heal. When a practitioner is attempting to help someone heal, the practitioner must care about that person (Gucwa 1054).
Caring is, in large part, a process of communicating by the practitioner to the patient. Within this context, empathy, sympathy, love, and understanding may be viewed as components of caring. Within the context of caring, the underlying assumptions are that (a) care and love comprise the primal and universal psychic energy, and (b) care and love are requisite for our survival and the nourishment of humanity (Ward 82).
The above concept of caring to facilitate healing is a holistic conception of mind and body. Within the context of this context, caring activities include: (a) a humanistic-altruistic system of values, (b) faith and hope, (c) sensitivity to self and others, (d) helping and trusting in human care relationships, (e) expressing positive and negative feelings, (f) developing and applying a creative, problem-solving caring process, (g) transpersonal teaching and learning, (h) the development and maintenance of a supportive, protective, and/or corrective mental, physical, societal, and spiritual environment in which care is provided, (i) human needs assistance, and (j) ...