EH 501

This course introduces Colleagues to the major health and healing traditions, and explores their diverse philosophical and practical foundations. Colleagues examine the ancient healing arts, as well as the allopathic, complementary, and alternative practices that have evolved from them. Study emphasizes the need to gain knowledge in various modalities, to integrate diverse perspectives on how the body functions, and to develop a holistic medical model in order to achieve health and wellness.

Infused with mind, spirit, and energy, the body is so much more than the sum of its physiological parts. In this course, Colleagues explore psycho-neural immunology research that demonstrates how the mind-body relationship affects health and healing. Study provides a comprehensive understanding of wellness and preventative practices, such as meditation, relaxation, biofeedback, visualization, guided imagery, hypnosis, dream analysis, psychotherapies, and addiction rehabilitation.

Contemporary research demonstrates that our beliefs have a profound impact on our sense of well-being, including religious and cultural beliefs, and beliefs based upon personal experience. This course examines the effect of belief systems on health and healing, exploring the process by which perceptions are transformed into meaning. Colleagues learn to challenge specific thought patterns that have a negative impact on general health and the potential for healing.

Health and energy are dynamic states, subject to changing environmental and lifestyle conditions. In this course, healing techniques such as massage, therapeutic touch, chiropractic, energy work, and reflexology are examined in light of their physical, psychological, and bioenergetic effects. Colleagues gain in-depth understanding of selected energy work techniques through direct experience.

Practitioners are often viewed as holding the authoritative role in the treatment process, but the impact of this authority on a patient’s ability to heal is often overlooked. This course encourages Colleagues to develop a sensitivity to verbal and nonverbal cues among patient, healer, and institution. Colleagues explore the effect of expectation and intentionality on health and healing. Emphasis is placed on developing communication skills and body language that support the healing process.

Classical philosophies of Eastern medicine, such as Ayurveda, Qi-Gong, acupuncture, and acupressure, are analyzed in this course. Colleagues also examine the emergence ofEastern medicine in the West, and are encouraged to explore the complementarily of Eastern and Western modalities. Colleagues gain in-depth understanding of selected techniques through direct experience.

A central tenet of holism is that health evolves within a broader context of ecological and cultural practices, and it is impossible to separate individual health from the health of the whole system. In this course, Colleagues explore this “whole systems” metaphor, examining the impact of ecological and cultural practices on broad health-related issues. Specifically, diet and nutrition, water purity, and air quality are studied relative to their impact on health and wellness.

The interconnection between energy, consciousness, and health is an important factor to consider in the development of optimum wellness. This course explores bio-energetic theory and the nature of energy flow. Colleagues examine individual and collective energy systems and modalities such as chakra analysis, homeopathy, and electromagnetism. Consciousness studies are introduced, and Colleagues explore synergistic cognitive and affective energy systems that impact health and healing.

Allopathic medicine has long relied upon the use of drugs to treat disease. Allopathic pharmaceuticals, however, are not the only substances that have provided extraordinary healing and curative effects throughout history. In this course, allopathic pharmaceuticals are compared to herbal remedies, Chinese medicines, and neutraceuticals. Colleagues analyze the pharmacological effects of various substances by reviewing clinical research, case studies, and other indicators of efficacy. Substances are examined in terms of their healing, preventative, and vitalizing effects.

Research demonstrates that spirituality, on both the individual and communal levels, has a profound influence on individuals’ ability to experience health and healing. This course explores the historic traditions of healing that relied primarily on spirituality, religion, and shamanism. Diverse schools of thought are analyzed and compared with major Western and non-Western perspectives. Individual and organized communal prayer and ritualistic practices which function to promote health and healing are also examined relative to their impact on health and wellness.

The belief that technology is able to cure all human suffering has resulted in the near exclusion of alternative and complementary modalities in most allopathic medical centers. This course examines the vis medicatrix naturae (the healing power of nature), which is generally ignored in today’s medical model. Colleagues evaluate the Planetree approach, and examine the role of personal fulfillment, art, music, and humor as viable approaches that facilitate self-healing.

This course focuses on various techniques for measuring the efficacy of complementary and alternative practices. Both qualitative and quantitative assessments are examined relative to their appropriateness and efficacy. Colleagues examine statistical analyses, as well as epidemiological studies, personal testimony, in-depth case studies, and other qualitative methods. The objective of the course is to understand how to make informed choices about medical care by selecting treatments that improve health without unreasonable risk of side effect or extensive cost.

The medium for healing, whether allopathic, complementary, or alternative, substantiates the relationship between healer and patient. Colleagues are encouraged to cultivate self-awareness, understand patterns of interaction, and honor human connectivity when practicing the healing arts and sciences. In this course, Colleagues analyze social and psychological elements of the healer-patient relationships, and delineate best practices in order to maximize healing.

Colleagues are required to undertake two mentorship experiences. Each mentorship should fall within a self-selected area of interest and should demonstrate professional development and personal growth through disciplined inquiry. The mentorships are conducted with noted practitioners, and each requires a minimum of 40 hours of contact time. Comprehensive reporting is required, including documentation of the experiences, systematic journal keeping, assessment of learned concepts, and formal comprehensive written and oral reports.

The Internship (3 credits)

The internship placement often grows out of the mentorship experience, but differs from the mentorship in its intensity and specificity. The internship is an opportunity for colleagues to engage in supervised independent study, and success is measured against predetermined competencies exhibited onsite in “real” practice situations. Both the onsite professional practitioner and the assigned faculty assess the colleague’s internship experience. For colleagues who are ineligible for participation in certified or license-based internships due to a lack of appropriate training or licensure certification, several alternative internship placements are available:

Internship Options (Select A, B, C or D)
 

1. Mentorship: An additional mentorship may be undertaken. The mentorship must be equivalent in length to the internship and should be completed in a field different from the initial mentorship.
    
2. Research: A limited research project may be undertaken. The project must be directed by a professional practitioner and must be in some way connected to the practitioner's field of expertise. The project may not include research with human subjects. 
    
3. Special Skills Acquisition: A special skill may be acquired under the direction of a qualified practitioner. Workshops and skill-based classes outside the program offerings may be undertaken in order to acquire specific skills. These workshops need not produce special certification or licensure, nor must there be any proof of efficiency. However, a formal assessment of accomplishment, as well as a report of participation, must be provided. 
    
4. Written Report: An academic inquiry, including a literature search and analysis, may provide the basis for a research paper or a comparative research-based thesis (i.e., a paper of 30-40 pages). The paper must meet approval for substance and presentation as judged by an external reader.
    

Culminating Project (4 credits)

The Culminating Project requires each participant to design, implement, and report on a self-directed project. Each participant is required to conduct an in-depth research study. The research project, based on emerging developments in a unique area of Experiential Health and Healing, must demonstrate rigor in the pursuit of new insights, rigorously pursues new insights, knowledge, and perceptions. This culminating project is reported in a formalized paper and presented to the cohort, demonstrating the final accomplishment of the colleague within the program.

Additional information on the Mentorship and Culminating Project components of the program can be accessed in the “Program Framework” section of this catalog.