What is holistic counselling? It is a form of counselling that works with the whole person rather than a single problem. It treats mental, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing as connected, so a session might include conversation, breathwork, mindfulness or attention to what is happening in the body, depending on what the client needs. If you have come across the term and want to know how a session works and whether it could help you, this guide covers the basics.
What is holistic counselling?
At its simplest, holistic counselling is counselling that looks at the whole of a person’s experience. A conventional session tends to focus on the presenting problem and the thoughts around it. A holistic counsellor asks a wider set of questions. How is this showing up in your body? How are you sleeping? What do you believe about yourself, and where did that belief come from? What gives your life meaning?
The approach is integrative and client led. Rather than moving every client through the same protocol, the counsellor draws on a range of methods and works with where the person actually is. The underlying idea is that stress, emotion, physical health and a sense of purpose all influence each other, so lasting change usually needs more than one of them to shift.
Holistic counselling works with the whole person (mind, body, emotions and spirit) rather than one problem in isolation.
How is it different from traditional counselling?
Traditional counselling sits inside the mainstream mental health system and is usually built around an established therapeutic model, such as cognitive behavioural therapy. Holistic counselling still uses core counselling skills like active listening, building a trusting relationship and helping a client make sense of their experience. What it adds are complementary practices that work with the body and the nervous system as well as the mind.
Neither approach is better in every situation. They suit different people and different needs. If you are weighing up the two as a career, our guide to holistic counselling vs traditional counselling compares the training and the work in detail.
What happens in a holistic counselling session?
Every practitioner works a little differently, but most sessions combine conversation with one or more of the practices below.
Talking and being heard
The foundation is still a conversation. The counsellor listens closely, reflects back what they hear and helps the client find words for what they are carrying. For many people, being properly heard is the point where a difficulty starts to feel manageable.
Working with the body and nervous system
Stress is physical as well as mental. A holistic counsellor may guide breathing, grounding or relaxation practices to help settle the nervous system, and may invite the client to notice where a feeling sits in the body. This is often called somatic awareness.
Mindfulness and meditation
Short mindfulness or meditation practices help clients step back from racing thoughts and build skills they can use between sessions. That is why many holistic counselling programs, including the one at The Australian Holistic Academy, begin with meditation training.
Beliefs, patterns and the past
Holistic counselling often looks at the beliefs and habits that keep someone stuck, and at earlier experiences that still shape how they feel today. Approaches such as inner child work explore those patterns gently and at the client’s pace.
A plan that fits the person
Rather than a standard program, the counsellor and client agree on goals and practices that suit the client’s life, so the work carries on between sessions.
What can holistic counselling help with?
People see a holistic counsellor for many of the same reasons they would see any counsellor. Common reasons include:
- Stress, overwhelm and burnout
- Grief and loss, whether from a death, the end of a relationship or friendship, or losing a job
- Relationship and family difficulties
- Feeling stuck, unmotivated or disconnected from a sense of purpose
- Old patterns and beliefs that keep repeating
- Life transitions such as a career change or children leaving home
Holistic counselling is not a substitute for medical or psychological care. If you have a diagnosed mental health condition, keep working with your GP or psychologist. Holistic counselling can sit alongside that care, and a good practitioner will refer you on when something is outside their scope. If you are in crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 000 in an emergency.
Is holistic counselling regulated in Australia?
There is no government registration for holistic counsellors in Australia. Standards are set by professional bodies instead. The International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT) accredits training providers, and graduates of approved programs can become members and obtain practitioner insurance. Our article on whether holistic counselling is accredited in Australia explains how that works and what it means for clients and practitioners.
How to choose a holistic counsellor
Because anyone can use the title, it is worth asking a few questions before you book:
- What training have they completed, and did it include supervised practice with real clients?
- Are they a member of a professional body such as the IICT?
- Do they hold professional indemnity insurance?
- How do they work in a session, and does that approach suit you?
A good practitioner will be happy to answer all four.
Interested in becoming a holistic counsellor?
Many people who discover holistic counselling as clients go on to train in it. If that is you, our guide on how to become a holistic counsellor in Australia walks through the pathway, and the holistic counselling course page sets out all ten units, the supervised practical component and the study options.
