Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter describes the major complementary and alternative medicine approaches which serve as either adjunct or alternative treatment to standard medicine practices. These approaches are often rooted in the philosophy that psychological or emotional experiences have a reciprocal relationship with physical experiences, with a growing body of research supporting this link. As such, complementary and alternative therapies, and the treatments described under the rubric of clinical health psychology, share many fundamental concepts and philosophies with regard to health prevention, promotion, and maintenance. This chapter provides an overview of complementary and alternative therapies within a psychological context. These include practices that have originated from western (e.g., Homeopathy, Osteopathy, Chiropractic) and eastern (e.g., Ayruveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine) cultures. Herbal remedies, lifestyle modifications, tactile therapies, movement therapies, and mind/body interventions are also included as important treatment components for promoting health across cultures.The specific objectives of this chapter are to (a) familiarize the reader with these complementary and alternative approaches to healing, their clinical applications, and a brief summary of supporting research, (b) discuss and integrate the common themes of complementary and alternative approaches within a psychological context, and (c) suggest how psychological treatments may facilitate the benefits of complementary and alternative treatments for promoting health.