Acupuncture is a method of healing developed in China at least 2,000 years ago. Today, acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation. Aromatherapy uses volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils and other scented compounds from plants to promote, health, well-being, and mood. It is a generic term that refers to any of the various traditions that make use of essential oils sometimes in combination with other alternative medical practices and spiritual beliefs.

Alexander Technique is a movement therapy that emphasizes efficient use of muscles to relieve pain, decrease skeletal strain, and improve posture.

Anthroposophic Medicine is a spiritually based system of medicine that incorporates herbs, homeopathic diet and a movement therapy called eurythmy.

Aromatherapy – to treat with aroma through inhalation. Aroma reaches and influences the deepest human instincts. It also encourages the topical application of essential oils.

Ayurvedic Medicine is a major East Indian traditional medicine system, utilizing pulse and tongue diagnosis; treatment includes diet, exercise, herbs, oil massage, and elimination regimens (utilizing emetics, diarrheals, etc.)

Bach Flower Remedies are dilute flower infusions used to treat emotional conditions.

Biofeedback is the use of of machinery that translates physiologic processes into audio or visual signals.

Body-Oriented Psychotherapy seeks to enhance the psychotherapeutic process (see also psychotherapy) by incorporating a range of massage, bodywork, and movement techniques. Acknowledging the mind-body link, practitioners may use light touch, soft or deep-tissue manipulation, breathing techniques, movement, exercise, or body awareness techniques to help address emotional issues.

Brain Lab is exercise and conditioning for the brain. Used under the supervision of a licensed neuropsychologist it is used to evaluate and customize a program for specific needs.

Brain Training can be compared to athletic training. You can learn how to do the perfect high jump (aka, learning test strategies), but if your body (aka, the brain) isn't strong and well-conditioned, you're probably not going to be very scccessful at it.

Chiropractic is a practice that focuses on the relationship between bodily structure (primarily that of the spine) and function, and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. Chiropractors use manipulative therapy as an integral treatment tool.

Cranial-Sacral Therapy is gentle manipulation of the cranium and spine.

Crystal Healing is a form of healing that uses crystals or gemstones to direct the flow of energy to the person in a particular part of the body and bring balance to a person’s energy. They are used to cleanse the person from bad or negative energy believed to cause an illness. Crystals are used for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual healing

Dance Therapy is a therapeutic method that uses movement to facilitate emotional expression and release.

EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a method of treatment to resolve symptoms related to a traumatic or distressing event, such as rape. Clinical trials have demonstrated EMDR’s efficacy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some clinicians use EMDR for various other problems, however, research supports it primarily as a method to treat disorders stemming from distressing life experiences in which events are inadequately processed. An an integrative therapy, it incorporates elements of many traditional psychological orientations, such as psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, experiential, physiological, and interpersonal therapies. EMDR’s most controversial aspect is an unusual component of dual attention stimulation, such as eye movements, bilateral sound, or bilateral tactile stimulation.

Facial/Waxing – A facial is a cosmetic treatment of the face, commonly involving a variety of skin treatments, including steam, exfoliation, extraction, creams, lotions, masks, peels, and massage. Normally performed in a beauty salon, it is also a common spa treatment. Facials may fall into different categories, such as European facial or mini-facial. Waxing is a method of semi-permanent hair removal which removes the hair from the root and keeps new hairs from growing back for two to eight weeks. Generally, waxing is accomplished by spreading a wax combination thinly over the skin. A cloth or paper strip is then pressed on the top and ripped off with a quick movement against the direction of hair growth, removing the wax along with the hair and dead skin cells. Another method uses a hot wax which then cools and hardens, thus allowing the easy removal by a therapist without the aid of cloths. This waxing method is very beneficial to people who have sensitive skin. After repeated waxing for areas like the eyebrows and lower legs, hair regrowth is less common and, in some cases, hair will never regrow.

Family Practice seeks to treat people of all ages in a general fashion. Practitioners are usually generalists, rather than specialists.

Herbal Therapy or Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medicinal botany, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, and phytotherapy. Sometimes the scope of herbal medicine is extended to include fungi and bee products, as well as minerals, shells and certain animal parts.

Feldenkrais Bodywork is a highly structured movement sequences that emphasize proper head positioning.

Guided Imagery involves the use of imagination to invoke specific images that are hoped to affect physiologic function.

Holistic Dentistry also known as environmental or biological dentistry, respects the fact that the mouth is an integrated part of the entire body, and that it should always be viewed and treated as such. The primary aim is to resolve a given patient’s dental problems while impacting the rest of the body as little as possible and avoiding negative impacts alleged to occur with conventional dentistry, such as the effects some believe are associated mercury-amalgam fillings.

Homeopathy or Homeopathic Medicine is a system of medicine based on the belief that “like cures like,” meaning that small, highly diluted quantities of medicinal substances are given to cure symptoms, when the same substances given at higher or more concentrated doses would actually cause those symptoms.

Hydropathy utilizes water at various temperatures, sometimes aerated or under pressure, sometimes with added salts or other substances.

Hypnosis or Hypnotherapy is therapy that is undertaken with a subject who has been hypnotized. The word “hypnosis” is an abbreviation of James Braid’s (1843) term “neuro-hypnotism,” meaning “sleep of the nervous system.” The method relies heavily on hyper-suggestibility associated with the hypnotic state. Hypnotherapy is often applied in order to modify a subject’s behavior, emotional content, and attitudes, as well as a wide range of conditions including dysfunctional habits, anxiety, stress-related illness, pain management, and personal development. Integral life coaching involves the principles and techniques of life coaching and combines them with other practices to produce what some have described as body/mind/spirit cross training.

Insurance, in Law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium. The insurer is a company selling the insurance. The insurance rate is a factor used to determine the amount, called the premium, to be charged for a certain amount of insurance coverage. Risk management, the practice of appraising and controlling risk, has evolved as adiscrete field of study. Any risk that can be qualified can potentially be insured.The list of the many different types of insurance is too numerous to list.

Integrative Medicine is one of a series of terms that can often be confused for each other because of an unclear distinction between the terms complementary medicine and alternative medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. An example of a complementary therapy is using aromatherapy to help a patient relax and/or reduce discomfort following surgery. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. An example is the use of a special diet and/or herbs or some extract to treat cancer. Integrative medicine combines mainstream medical therapies and complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.

Iridology involves the study of the iris to diagnose disease, and is based on the belief that every organ in the human body has a corresponding location within the iris. Thus one can determine whether an organ is healthy or diseased by examining the iris rather than the organ itself, which can often be highly invasive.

Jin Shin Jyutsu is a physio-philosophy. An ancient art of harmonizing the life energy in the body.

La Stone Therapy is the official name of a hot stone massage technique used for relaxation and rejuvenation of muscles and is also said to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. The stones provide heat to expand blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more easily. Chilled stones are also used to contract blood vessels. The temperature of the stones ranges from 32 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Heated stones include basalt and jade; chilled stones include marble and jade.

Listening Coach is a general term applied to a practitioner who employs any number of listening techniques and methods to help a client learn to listen. Statistics show that untrained listeners hear less than 20 percent of a conversation, and the majority of people fall within this category. Poor listening skills cause a breakdown in the communication process. Listening coaches can help in any number of areas including education, business, sports, even intra-family dialog.

Massage is the use of gliding and kneading strokes and friction to achieve muscle relaxation.

Meditation refers to a variety of techniques or practices intended to focus or control attention. Most of them are rooted in Eastern religious or spiritual traditions. These techniques have been used by many different cultures throughout the world for thousands of years. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and other components of NIH continue to sponsor studies to find out more about meditation’s effects, how it works, and for what diseases and conditions it may be most helpful.

Mentor or Mentoring is an individual, usually older, always more experienced, who helps and guides another individual’s development. This guidance is not done for personal gain. Can be a trusted counselor, guide, advisor, or coach.

Motivational Speaking is a form of public speaking intended to lift up and motivate audiences. A motivational speech generally takes place either at the beginning or close of an event and can be from from 30 minutes to two hours in length. In comparison, a motivational workshop or motivational seminar generally lasts three to seven hours, and in some cases several days. The motivational speaking profession requires no formal training or certification, but does require skills in public speaking.

Movement Therapy refers to a broad range of Eastern and Western movement approaches used to promote physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Some forms of movement therapy that combine deep-tissue manipulation and postural correction with movement education are also known as bodywork therapies.

Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine technique involving the burning of mugwort, a small, spongy herb. Indirect moxibustion involves lighting a cigar-shaped moxa stick and holding it close to the treatment area. Indirect moxibustion uses both acupuncture needles and moxa. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (1998) found that up to 75 percent of women suffering from breech presentations had fetuses that rotated to the normal position after moxibustion. Other studies indicate moxibustion increases fetal movement in pregnant women, and may reduce menstrual cramps.

Music Therapy is singing, playing instruments, or listening to music.

Myofascial Release involves a gentle mixture of stretches and massage techniques and other hands-on touch and maneuvers to the entire body. Healing is promoted and pain is relieved by focusing on tension in the fibrous bands of connecting tissue (fascia). The therapist seeks to free constrictions or blockages in the fascia, thereby alleviating problems with connective tissue scarring or injury. This therapy can help individuals with poor posture, physical injury, illness and emotional stress caused by disruptions of the fascial network, which when freed, relieves tension on bones, muscles, joints and nerves.

Natural Product is a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism found in nature that usually has a pharmacological or biological activity for use in pharmaceutical drug discovery and drug design. A product can be considered natural even when prepared by total synthesis. Not all natural products can be fully synthesized and there are many very complex structures that are too difficult and expensive to synthesize industrially, such as penicillin and morphine.

Naturopathy or Naturopathic Medicine is a medical system that proposes that there is a healing power in the body that establishes, maintains, and restores health. Practitioners work with the patient with a goal of supporting this power, through treatments such as nutrition and lifestyle counseling, dietary supplements, medicinal plants, exercise, homeopathy, and treatments from traditional Chinese medicine.

Networking is based on relationship building. It involves professional’s who are interested in developing referral sources, marketing resources, and new leads.

Neuromuscular Medicine is an emerging subspecialty focusing on the comprehensive medical management of individuals with neuromuscular disorders. This includes, but is not limited to, disorders of peripheral nerves, muscle and neuromuscular junctions, and encompasses issues related to both diagnosis and treatment, as well as relevant rehabilitation interventions to optimize the patient’s quality of life. A formal educational process that includes one year of fellowship training following completion of residency training in Neurology or Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation has been recently approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Neuromuscular Therapy involves a practitioner working with soft tissue to treat back pain caused by muscle strain. The practitioner uses his or her fingers, knuckles, or elbows to apply pressure in varying degrees to areas suffering muscle spasm. In Neuromuscular Integration and Structural Alignment, the practitioner promotes muscular elasticity by stretching the tissues that surround muscles and organs. The result is correct posture that relieves the patient of pain and restricted movement.

Neuropsychology is an applied science concerned with behavioral expression of brain dysfunction. It is the science of knowing how the brain processes information to give insight into specific ways people learn differently, and provide solutions to specific learning strategies.

Nutritional/Diet Counseling applies to a broad range of services and assessments related to recommendations for optimal health, weight loss, weight management, high blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, and other concerns and conditions related to dietary practices. Information is available through a variety of sources and certified professionals, usually expert in individual, family, group, or worksite programs.

Osteopathic Medicine is a form of conventional medicine that, in part, emphasizes diseases arising in the musculoskeletal system. There is an underlying belief that all of the body’s systems work together, and disturbances in one system may affect function elsewhere in the body. Some osteopathic physicians practice osteopathic manipulation, a full-body system of hands-on techniques to alleviate pain, restore function, and promote health and well-being.

Psychotherapy is an interpersonal, relational dialog between the practioner (a trained psychotherapist) and an individual client or group of clients with problems related to daily living. Psychotherapy occurs within a structured encounter in which the goal is to increase a sense of well-being and reduce the subjective discomforting experience. Psychotherapists employ a range of techniques designed to improve mental health of a client or patient, or to improve group relationships (such as in a family). Most forms use only spoken conversation, though some may use other forms of communication such as the written word, artwork, drama, narrative story, or therapeutic touch.

Qi (pronounced chee) is a fundamental concept of traditional Chinese culture. Qi is believed to be part of every living thing that exists, as a kind of “life force” or “spiritual energy.” Some refer to it simply as “energy flow,” or literally as “air” or “breath.”

Qi Gong (“chee-GUNG”) is a component of traditional Chinese medicine that combines movement, meditation, and regulation of breathing to enhance the flow of qi (an ancient term given to what is believed to be vital energy) in the body, improve blood circulation, and enhance immune function.

Reiki (“RAY-kee”) is a Japanese word representing Universal Life Energy. Reiki is based on the belief that when spiritual energy is channeled through a Reiki practitioner, the patient’s spirit is healed, which in turn heals the physical body.

Rolfing is a system of soft tissue manipulation similar in some ways to deep tissue massage. The objective of Rolfing is to realign the body structurally and harmonize its fundamental movement patterns in relation to gravity. The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration owns the service mark Rolfing®. The term also applies to a range of systems based on the teachings of Dr. Ida Pauline Rolf. Practitioners believe Rolfing enhances vitality and well-being, and claim that after sessions, many clients stand up straighter and gain in height.

Self-Acceptance Healing is another broad area of counseling and training that can differ greatly depending on the individual practitioner. Most practices, however, are universally rooted in striving for unconditional self-acceptance and self-love. Fallibility is inherent to the human condition, therefore it makes no sense to link one’s emotional health, and resulting physical condition, to self-rating and unreasonable standards. Practitioners take an approach to counseling that encourages clients to love themselves and treat themselves in a loving and compassionate manner.

Senior Move Manager is a professional who specializes in assisting older adults and their families with the emotional and physical aspects of relocation and/or “aging in place.” They provide a multi-faceted approach to the move process: from space planning in the beginning to post move support and advocacy. Senior Move Managers minimize the chaos and stress and create and execute an action plan customized to the client’s wishes.

Shiatsu/Acupressure is a traditional Japanese massage therapy (see massage/bodytwork) in which the practitioner uses fingers (especially thumbs) and palms to locate areas of stiffness and stress. The practitioner rubs, squeezes, and applies pressure to areas needing attention.

Spirituality and Spiritual Direction in a narrow sense, are concerned with matters of the spirit and matters involving humankind’s ultimate nature, not merely as material biological organisms but as beings with a unique relationship to all that is beyond the material, the temporal and the worldly. A perceived sense of connection to a metaphysical reality greater than oneself forms a central defining characteristic of spirituality, which may include an emotional experience of religious awe and reverence, or such states as satori or nirvana. Equally important, spirituality relates to matters of sanity and of psychological health. Spirituality is the personal, subjective dimension of religion, particularly that which pertains to liberation or salvation . Many spiritual traditions share a common spiritual theme: the path, work, practice, or tradition of perceiving and internalizing one’s “true” nature and relationship to the rest of existence.

Supplements and Supplement Counseling involve the use of dietary supplements to promote health and well-being. Congress defined the term “dietary supplement” in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 as a product (other than tobacco) taken by mouth that contains a “dietary ingredient” intended to supplement the diet. Dietary ingredients may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, and metabolites. Dietary supplements come in many forms, including extracts, concentrates, tablets, capsules, gel caps, liquids, and powders. They have special requirements for labeling. Under DSHEA, dietary supplements are considered foods, not drugs.

Swedish Massage is considered the most common form of massage (see massage therapy/bodywork) and uses firm pressure to promote relaxation, relieve muscle aches, and improve circulation. The practitioner uses gliding strokes, tapping, kneading, and friction. Massage oil is often used.

Tai Chi Chuan is an internal Chinese martial art often practiced with the aim of promoting health and longevity. Training forms are well known as the slow motion routines that groups of people practice together every morning in parks around the world, particularly in China. Medical studies of tai chi support its effectiveness as an alternative exercise and a form “soft style” martial arts therapy, applied with internal power to distinguish its theory and application from that of the hard martial art styles. Most styles of Tai chi chuan today can trace their development to the system originally taught by the Chen family to the Yang family starting in 1820.

Therapeutic Exercise is a general term for movements or activities that correct or prevent injuries, as well as improve fitness, function, and wellbeing.

Therapeutic Touch is derived from an ancient technique called laying-on of hands. It is based on the premise that it is the healing force of the therapist that affects the patient’s recovery; healing is promoted when the body’s energies are in balance; and, by passing their hands over the patient, healers can identify energy imbalances.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the current name for an ancient system of health care from China. TCM is based on a concept of balanced qi (pronounced “chee”), or vital energy, that is believed to flow throughout the body. Qi is proposed to regulate a person’s spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance and to be influenced by the opposing forces of yin (negative energy) and yang (positive energy). Disease is proposed to result from the flow of qi being disrupted and yin and yang becoming imbalanced. Among the components of TCM are herbal and nutritional therapy, restorative physical exercises, meditation, acupuncture, and remedial massage.

Vitamins are nutrients that are organic compounds required in tiny amounts for essential metabolic reactions in a living organism. The term vitamin does not include other essential nutrients such as dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, or essential amino acids, nor does it encompass the large number of other nutrients that promote health but that are not essential for life.

Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces nerve interference to the nervous system and balances maternal pelvic muscles and ligaments. This in turn reduces torsion in the uterus, a cause of intra-uterine constraint on the baby and allows for optimal fetal positioning in preparation for birth.

Yoga is a group of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. As a general term in Hinduism it refers to technologies or disciplines of asceticism and meditation thought to lead to spiritual experience and profound understanding or insight into the nature of existence. Yoga is also intimately connected to the religious beliefs and practices of the other Indian religions. Outside India, yoga is mostly associated with the practice of asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga or as a form of exercise, although it has influenced the entire Indian religions family and other spiritual practices throughout the world.