The Creation of a New Specialty
Integrative Holistic Medicine is an emerging medical specialty that incorporates (1) caring for the whole person — body, mind, and spirit — to treat and prevent disease; and, (2) empowering patients to create a condition of optimal health. Both outside and inside the medical profession, this concept of medicine of the whole person is gathering increasing support. The body-mind-spirit approach integrates many disciplines and modalities, including physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, exercise, environment, emotions, attitudes, beliefs, social relationships, manual medicine, herbs, homeopathy, energy medicine, prayer, acupuncture, meditation, spirituality, and biofeedback.
Holistic Medicine is based on the core belief that unconditional love is life's most powerful healer. At its essence, the practice of integrative holistic medicine embraces a spirit of interdisciplinary and physician-patient cooperation, balances the mitigation of causes with relief of symptoms, integrates conventional and complementary therapies, and facilitates the experience of being fully alive.
As these concepts are incorporated into American medical practice, medical education, health planning, and research, reasonable standards need to be established regarding the application of the body of knowledge which encompasses the field of Integrative Holistic Medicine. The ABIHM is not a membership organization. The ABIHM is not a member of The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), but we are a third party certification board that establishes the criteria and standards for Integrative Holistic Medicine across the United States, similar to other specialty boards.
