SEF-EDG8014 - Certificate in Holistic and Integrative Health

Course Description

Course Outline

• Stress affects each of us every day and while some of us rise to the occasion, others experience myriad physiological, psychological, and spiritual effects. How we cope with stress can determine the current and future state of our health and well-being. Our bodies react to the signals sent to us by our brains during stressful episodes and these signals affect every system, especially the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems.

• Spirituality plays an important role in health and healing. This course will explore the forms and expressions of spirituality; discuss culture and its relationship to spirituality; examine the relationship between spirituality and aging; explain spiritual interests within the healthcare system; describe the role of spiritual care providers in administering spiritual care; and describe the relationship between spirituality and health conditions, therapeutic interventions, and healing environments.

• The old paradigms of health care are shifting as a growing number of researchers, physicians, nurses, and other health practitioners embrace a new view that includes energy healing. Traditional healers have practiced energy healing methods for centuries and viewed the body as a complex energy system.

• Although there are many ways to meditate and many different forms of meditation, they all share the characteristic of intentionally training a person's attention and concentration. Meditation practices are used by diverse cultures, are rooted in the traditions of the great religions, and have been practiced for thousands of years to promote healing.

• Every individual has the capacity to enhance their healing process (or the healing process of clients) through the creation of healing environments – spaces that support the individual's inner healer and utilize the environment to maximize its healing effects.

• Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the oldest continuously practiced professional medical systems in the world, with origins dating back more than 3,000 years. TCM emphasizes the holistic view of the human being and encompasses many different treatment modalities such as acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine, and Qigong.

• Ayurvedic medicine is a highly sophisticated religion, philosophy, and system of medicine that has been practiced in India for over 2,500 years. As with other forms of complementary and alternative medicine, it focuses on the whole individual and one's relationship to one's environment. Health, vitality, and longevity are achieved through a balance within the body and between the body and the external environment.

• How many times have you felt better after laughing? Humor and laughter make people feel alive and bring a unique perspective to life. They relieve stress and connect people to one another. Humor is a complex phenomenon and an essential part of human nature. Anthropologists have never found a culture or society that did not have humor as a part of it.

• In an age where people increasingly turn to holistic methods of healing, music therapy and sound healing have entered mainstream health care and can be used successfully with people of all ages and disabilities.

• What people eat profoundly impacts their health and well-being, yet many people eat when they are rushed; they don't know where our food originated; we eat toxic, irradiated, or genetically altered foods; and we eat more than we need. How can we revise our eating habits and become more conscious of what we eat, why we eat it, and how it is prepared?

• Health care is evolving and integrating the healing therapies of alternative and allopathic medicine. Therapeutic massage and bodywork healing methods are being integrated in many health care organizations. This course will describe somatic and musculoskeletal therapies (therapeutic massage, which includes Swedish massage, sports massage, Esalen massage, neuromuscular massage therapy, and Aston patterning); Eastern, meridian-based, and point therapies (acupressure, shiatsu, Jin Shin Jyutsu, and reflexology); energy-based therapies (Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, and Healing Touch); emotional bodywork (Rolfing and Hellerwork); and manipulative therapies (chiropractic and osteopathy).

• Physical activity and movement are essential elements of any program designed for obtaining or maintaining health and well-being. While most individuals associate physical activity with aerobics, many activities comprise a well-rounded and interesting physical fitness and movement program.

Learner Outcomes

Notes

This is an asynchronous online course offered through the third party vendor ed2go. This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook. The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online. There are no set meeting times and you may work on the material whenever it is convenient for you. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

Completion Requirements:
You must complete all lessons to receive your certificate. You must pass the final exam in all lessons with a score of 80% or higher AND complete the Evaluation Form in order to receive your Certificate of Completion. Finals are graded as Pass or No Pass. Receipt of your certificate indicates successful completion of the course and that you have passed all final exams with a score of 80% or greater. You may retake final exams as many times as necessary within the duration of the course at no additional charge.