Holistic Psychology

Childbirth Through a Holistic Lens

"A woman's body knows instinctively how to give birth and will respond in settings in which she is encouraged to move in the ways that feel right and to make the sounds that she needs to make. Modern obstetrics, however, has changed from a natural process of "standing by" and allowing the woman's body to respond naturally into a domineering and often invasive practice. Women's cultural conditioning causes us to turn ourselves over to pregnancy experts, so most of us have lost touch with our innate pregnancy and birthing knowledge and power."       
                                                                                    -Christiane Northrup, M.D., Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom

Today birth has become a part of the western model of medicine that reduces human health to individual systems and parts. There is no aspect of health that can be truly healed with this mindset and birth certainly can't happen as effectively as it might with this view. All women will have different processes that allow birth to happen in the best way for them, but it is important or us to educate ourselves on all the options available today that aid in the birthing process. 

Journal Articles:
Bergeron, V. (2007). The ethics of cesarean section on maternal request: a feminist critique of the American college of obstetricians and gynecologists’ position on patient-choice surgery. Bioethics, 21(9), 478-487. 
Fenwick, J., Gamble, J., & Hauck, Y. (2006). Reframing birth: a consequence of cesarean section. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 56(2), 121-132.
Jukelevics, N. (2009). Putting mothers and babies at risk: promoting the elusive “cesarean delivery on maternal request”. Birth, 36(3), 254-257.
MacDorman, M., Declercq, E., & Zhang, J. (2010). Obstetrical intervention and the singleton preterm birth rate in the United States from 1991-2006. American Journal of Public Health, 100(11), 2241-2246.
Menacker, F. & Hamilton, B. (2010). Recent trends in cesarean delivery in the United States. NCHS Data Brief, 35, 1-6.
Monari, F., Mario, S., Facchinetti, F., & Basevi, V. (2008). Obstetricians’ and midwives attitudes toward cesarean section. Birth, 35(2), 129-134.

Robson, S., Tan, W., & Dear, K. (2009). Estimating the rate of cesarean section by maternal request: anonymous survey of obstetricians in Australia. Birth, 36(3), 208-211. 
Stoll, K., Fairbrother, N., Carty, E., Jordan, N., Miceli, C., Vostrcil, Y. & Willihnganz, L. (2009). “It’s all the rage these days”: university students’ attitudes toward vaginal and cesarean birth. Birth, 36(2), 133- 140.

Books:
Block, J. (2007). Pushed: the painful truth about childbirth and modern maternity care. Da Capo Press.
Northrup, C. (2010). Women’s bodies, women’s wisdom. New York: Bantam Books.
Sears, W. & Sears, M. (1994). The birth book. New York:Hachette Book Group. 


Websites:
Birth Psychology. Retrieved on April 25, 2011, from http://www.birthpsychology.com/primalhealth/primal15.html 
Primal Health Research Databank. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.primalhealthresearch.com/introduction.php 


Films:
Born In The U.S.A. Produced by Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider. ITVS. PatchWork Films. 


Raw Food & Macrobiotic Diets

"How often do we voluntarily but unwittingly banish ourselves from ourselves, abdicate our wholeness, and subjugate our consciousness, our sentience and our common sense, our very sovereignty and the possibilities of true healing, in the hope of achieving invulnerability, to protect ourselves from more hurt, to lessen our pain?" Jon Kabat-Zinn, Coming to Our Senses

With near-constant sensory overload and distractions coming from every direction, it is so easy to for our awareness to be pulled from our present-moment state of being and into the exclusive realm of mind, totally disconnected from our physical form and spiritual essence. Add to these distractions the relatively poor nutritional quality of food available in most stores, the overwhelmingly sedentary nature of our lifestyles, harsh social critiques on physical beauty, and the virtual denial of the body's natural wisdom in so many of our healthcare practices and it is truly no surprise that we have become so alienated from parts of our selves. Mind-body medicine, which falls under the umbrella of holistic care but may be used interchangeably, encompasses a wide variety of modalities and treatment methods that all seek to reunite the fragments of a patient - mind, body, and spirit - to achieve healing and optimal wellness. For information on practitioners of mind-body medicine in the Boston area, please see the "Community Resources" section.


The Mind-Body Connection

Borysenko, J. (2007). Minding the Body, Mending the Mind. Philadelphia: Da Capo Press.

Somatic-Based Healing Methods

Bois, D. (2009). The wild region of lived experience: Using somatic psycho-education. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.
Halprin, D. (2003).
The expressive body in life, art and therapy: Working with movement, metaphor and meaning. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Jahnke, R. (1999).
The healer within: Using traditional Chinese techniques to release your body’s own medicine. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Johnson, D. H. (Ed.). (1995).
Bone, breath and gesture: Practices of embodiment. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.Roberts, L. & Levy, R. (2008). Shamanic reiki: Expanded ways of working with universal life force energy. Hampshire, UK: O Books.


Medicinal Herbalism: Healing through  the Ages

Health Information About Medicinal Marijuana
*Please Note that some of these articles were documented to compare Marijuana, The Synthetic Prescription of Marijuana, and treatments for other illnesses that are positively benefited by Marijuana use.

Raby, W., Modica, P., Wolintz, R., Murtaugh, K. (2006).Dronabinol Reduces Signs and Symptoms of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case Report. Journal of Ocular Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 22. Retrieved from: http://lesley.ezproxy.blackboard.com/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=19877198&site=ehost-live.
Costain, W. (2008). The effects of cannabis abuse on the symptoms of schizophrenia: Patient perspectives.  International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 17. Retrieved from: --http://lesley.ezproxy.blackboard.com/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=33017386&site=ehost-live
Dreher, M., and Nugent, K. (1994). Prenatal marijuana exposure and neonatal outcomes in Jamaica: An ethnographic study. Pediatrics, 93. Retrieved From: --http://lesley.ezproxy.blackboard.com/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9610172402&site=ehost-live
Sullum, J. (2010). Medical Marijuana Muddle. Reason, 41. Retrieved from: --http://lesley.ezproxy.blackboard.com/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=47549436&site=ehost-live
Unknown. (2011). Acute Effects of Marijuana Smoking on Negative and Positive Affect.Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 25. Retrieved from: --http://lesley.ezproxy.blackboard.com/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=57803966&site=ehost-live
Hightower, J. (2004). High on Hemp. Humanist, 64. Retrieved From: --http://lesley.ezproxy.blackboard.com/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=14239875&site=ehost-live
National Drug Intelligence Center. (2006). Marijuana Fast Facts. Retrieved From: http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs3/3593/index.htm
Robson, P. (2001). Therapeutic aspects of cannabis and cannabinoids. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 178. Retrieved from: --http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/reprint/178/2/107.pdf
National Eye Institute. (2009). Glaucoma and Marijuana Use. Retrieved From: --http://www.nei.nih.gov/news/statements/marij.asp
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. (2011). NORML: Working to Reform Marijuana Laws. Retrieved From: --http://norml.org/
Legalize.Org. (2005). The Economic Benefits of a Legal, Regulated Marijuana Industry. Retrieved From: --http://www.legalize.org/the-economic-benefits-of-a-legal-regulated-marijuana-industry/
The Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana. (2010). Using Marijuana Medicinally. Retrieved From: --http://www.wamm.org/howtouse.php
Family Doctor. (2011). Marijuana's Adverse Effects. Retrieved From: --http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/addictions/drugs/485.html
*The National Institute of Health. (2007). Marinol (Dronabinol) Capsule. Retrieved From: --http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=5572
*Drugs.com. (2011). Marinol Side Effects. Retrieved From: --http://www.drugs.com/sfx/marinol-side-effects.html
*Glaucoma Research Foundation. (2011). Glaucoma Medications and Their Side Effects. Retrieved From: --http://www.glaucoma.org/treating/glaucoma_medica.php
*Cancer Research UK. (2011). Side effects of cancer drugs. Retrieved From: --http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/about-cancer/treatment/cancer-drugs/side-effects/
*Mayo Clinic. (2010). Ulcerative Colitis. Retrieved From: --http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ulcerative-colitis/DS00598/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs  

Body Modification as a Means of Becoming Whole

In holistic psychology  there are several aspects of the self to resolve in order to feel whole: the body, the mind, the emotions, and the spirit/soul. There are a number of ways to find wholeness, and although many people may not think about it, altering our bodies to become more aesthetically pleasing or as a means of finding spiritual fulfillment is quite common. Tattooing, piercing, scarification or branding, suspension, any alteration to the body can be considered a path to wholeness. It could be as simple as getting a new haircut or getting new clothes- each person finds fulfillment in their own way.

Church of Body Modification Mission Statement | Church of Body Modification. (n.d.). Church of Body Modification. Retrieved May 10, 2011, from http://uscobm.com/mission-statement/

Diagnostic criteria from DSM-IV-TR . (2000). Washington, D.C.: The Association.

Foot Binding - BMEzine Encyclopedia. (n.d.).
Main Page - BMEzine Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 9, 2011, from http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Foot_Binding

Jacobson, G. (Director). (2005). Modify-Uncensored Edition [Documentary]. USA: Westlake.

Larratt, S. (n.d.). BME: Tattoo, Piercing and Body Modification News » Features » One Hand Jason: BIID Interview in BME/News [Publisher's Ring].
BME: Tattoo, Piercing and Body Modification News . Retrieved May 10, 2011, from http://news.bmezine.com/2008/02/19/one-hand-jason-biid-interview-in-bmenews-publishers-ring/

Larratt, S. (n.d.). BME: Tattoo, Piercing and Body Modification News » Features » Semi-Voluntary Amputations in BME/News [Publisher's Ring].
BME: Tattoo, Piercing and Body Modification News . Retrieved May 9, 2011, from http://news.bmezine.com/2008/03/10/semi-voluntary-amputations-in-bmenews-publishers-ring/

Microdermal - BMEzine Encyclopedia. (n.d.).
Main Page - BMEzine Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 9, 2011, from http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Microdermal

Neck Stretching - BMEzine Encyclopedia. (n.d.).
Main Page - BMEzine Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 9, 2011, from http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Neck_Stretching

Philips, S. (n.d.). BME: Tattoo, Piercing and Body Modification News » ModBlog » Interview with James Keen; a young, heavily modified, eunuch..
BME: Tattoo, Piercing and Body Modification News . Retrieved May 10, 2011, from http://news.bmezine.com/2010/03/24/interview-with-james-keen-a-young-heavily-modified-eunuch/

Pitts, V. (2002).
In the flesh: the cultural politics of body modification. New York: Palgrave.

Siebers, T., & Gilman, S. L. (2000). Imagined Ugliness: a History of the Psychiactric Response to Aesthetic Surgery.
The body aesthetic: from fine art to body modification (p. 212). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Surface Piercing - BMEzine Encyclopedia. (n.d.).
Main Page - BMEzine Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 9, 2011, from http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Surface_piercing#Popular_Surface_Piercings

Suspension - BMEzine Encyclopedia. (n.d.).
Main Page - BMEzine Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 9, 2011, from http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Suspension#History

Tattoo - BMEzine Encyclopedia. (n.d.).
Main Page - BMEzine Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 9, 2011, from http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Tattoo

Tongue Splitting - BMEzine Encyclopedia. (n.d.).
Main Page - BMEzine Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 9, 2011, from http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Tongue_Splitting

Williams, M. E., Gay, K., & Whittington, C. (2008). Body Modification is Often a Form of Self-Expression.
Self-mutilation (pp. 54- 62). Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

Williams, M. E., & Tressider, V. (2008). Some Web Sites Promoting Radical Body Modification Should Be Censored.
Self-mutilation (pp. 148-155). Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Corsetry. (n.d.).
http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Corsetry. Retrieved May 9, 2011, from wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Corsetry

Williams, M. E., & Jefkin-Elnekave, D. (2008). Body Modification is Often a Marker of Cultural Identity.
Self-mutilation (pp. 63-68). Detroit: Greenhaven Press.