My Journey into Integrative Mental Health
A post about my journey into becoming a certified integrative mental health professional (CIMHP) and a holistic health provider.
I have always believed that people are more than their problem/ disorder/ diagnosis.
Mental health diagnoses make some sense but they’re also a bit arbitrary. When you study diagnoses and the DSM you will see that there’s a lot wrong with the allopathic western biomedical model for mental health.
In truth, diagnostic categories didn’t even gel with me in grad school.
Dimensions, clusters, checklists — meh. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
But it’s what we’re trained to do, it’s how clients get access to care, and it’s how we get reimbursed.
And it’s PART of how we provide quality care. We need to have a clear picture of where we are before we figure out where we are going — and what route we want to take to get there.
I suppose it makes logical left-brain sense. But it never quite felt like me.
For me — the mismatch was not only the models/ systems/ reimbursement philosophies but also a pharmaceutical approach.
Pharmaceuticals are a core intervention in (western biomedical) mental health treatment. It is a branch of research/ dialogue that I have been reading a lot over the last few years.
I’m not anti-pharma for mental health, but I’m not pro-pharma either. There are many reasons why, which I won’t go into here. (It’s worth reading up on if you are in this field. I know there are a lot of professional helpers on my list).
There’s a great book called “Saving Normal” by Allen Frances on the DSM if you’re interested in this topic.
And there’s also a podcast episode I‘ve pinned to my LinkedIn homepage called The Medical Model Doesn’t work for Mental Health.
In 2021 I took a step back from my clinical work due to the extreme burnout I mentioned in another post.
It was then that I started interviewing with some holistic mental health clinics.
Holistic Mental Health: A holistic approach means providing support that looks at the whole person, not just their mental health needs. The support should also consider their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.
Sometimes I use the term “whole person ethos” to encapsulate the term “holistic.”
I started working out of Aspen, CO with a holistic provider as an independent contractor.
In the fall of 2022, I closed that chapter and began supporting myself 100% as an entrepreneur.
The most recent part of this evolution has been getting certified as an Integrative Mental Health Professional.
Integrative Mental Health: Refers to the integration of conventional biomedical models with complementary/ alternative/ functional medicine.
I guess I have been leaning in this direction for a long time. But stepping into this world has been a HUGE eye-opener. I guess you just don’t know what you don’t know.
One of the most interesting parts of this exploration has been opening my eyes to what I didn’t know…. there’s this whole other world out there…. whoa…
Learning about an integrative approach has me feeling much more optimistic overall about mental health, and personal healing.
I believe there’s a place for all kinds of healing, all kinds of information, and all kinds of approaches.
I believe each client has to figure out their best path in partnership with their support system, and care team. One size does not fit all.
Integrative care feels supremely honoring of the individual, which lines up seamlessly with my overall philosophy of care.
Message me if you’d like more info on this type of approach.
Here’s an example of a potential integrative protocol for depression. To illustrate what I’m talking about. It includes foods, herbs, exercise, supplements, & somatic approaches.
Fan-freaking-tastic people! Paradigm shifting.
Follow me on LinkedIn, read more of my articles with BRAINZ Magazine, and visit my website for more info on Holistic Brain-Based Healing and luxury neuro experiences. 😁 Unlike anything else. Period.
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Have a great weekend! 😊
With love, Shannon 🦄