Holistic Occupational Therapy: Historical Meaning and Contemporary Implications

Holism is an idea that occupational therapists use frequently to describe and characterize their practice. And yet, there seems to be some controversy about what it means and what it implies? This paper explores the historical and contemporary meaning of holism, and attempts to project implications for occupational therapy of adopting a strict definition of the holistic practitioner. Implications are explored according to four principles of holistic health care: that the individual is an integrated being, with the capacity to maintain equilibrium; that the goal of health care is the experience of health, not merely the absence of observable signs of illness; that evaluation of health should be a synthesis of understanding of the individual in his or her environment, not an analysis of the individual; and finally, that illness is a normal experience and an opportunity to achieve a higher level of self-awareness and integration with the environment. Each of these principles is explored relative to perceived current practices in the areas of service, research and education in occupational therapy. The paper concludes with a summary of the changes that would be required of the discipline of occupational therapy, if it were to adhere strictly to this definition.