What Does It Mean to Be a Holistic and Integrative Mental Health Therapist?

If you’ve ever searched for a therapist in Boise or beyond, you may have noticed terms like holistic therapy or integrative therapist. These words can sound abstract, but they represent a very real, very practical approach to mental health care. As a licensed counselor, I describe my work as holistic and integrative because I believe lasting healing happens when we treat the whole person—not just the symptoms.

In this post, I’ll explain what these terms mean, how I use them in my practice, and why they matter for your mental health journey.

Holistic Therapy: Seeing the Whole Person

Holistic therapy starts with a simple idea: you are more than a diagnosis. Stress, anxiety, grief, or trauma don’t exist in isolation; they can affect your mind, body, emotions, and even your energy.

For example:

• Anxiety might show up as racing thoughts and stomachaches.

• Grief may feel like emotional heaviness and physical fatigue.

• Trauma can live in the nervous system, surfacing as panic attacks, hypervigilance, or shutdown.

Because of this, I don’t just ask “What symptoms are you experiencing?” Instead, I ask:

• How is this impacting your relationships?

• How is it showing up in your body?

• What stories are you telling yourself about your experiences?

• What helps you feel safe and supported?

This whole-person perspective creates space for more compassionate, personalized care.

Integrative Therapy: Blending Evidence-Based Approaches

While holistic therapy focuses on the big picture, integrative therapy is about the tools we use along the way. Rather than relying on just one method, I integrate several approaches to meet your unique needs. Here are some of the core methods I use in my Boise counseling practice:

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MCBT)

MCBT combines the structure of CBT with mindfulness practices. Traditional CBT helps people recognize and reframe unhelpful thoughts. MCBT goes a step further by teaching you to notice your thoughts without judgment. This combination is especially powerful for anxiety and depression, where rumination often plays a role.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT is known for its practical, skills-based approach. It helps people manage intense emotions, build healthier relationships, and balance acceptance with change. Skills such as distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness are often life-changing for those who feel their emotions come on “too strong” or too fast.

Brainspotting

Brainspotting is a powerful, evidence-based therapy for trauma and nervous system dysregulation. It works by identifying eye positions linked to stored memories and emotions. This helps the brain and body process unresolved experiences, reducing symptoms like hyperarousal, intrusive thoughts, or emotional numbness. Clients often describe it as reaching a “deeper layer” of healing that talk therapy alone can’t access.

Polyvagal-Informed Interventions

Polyvagal Theory explains how the nervous system shifts between states of safety, fight/flight, and shutdown. By learning to recognize these states, you can develop tools to bring yourself back into balance. In session, I help clients build awareness of their autonomic states and practice regulation strategies that promote connection and calm.

Science-Based Breathwork and Meditation

Breathwork and meditation aren’t just “relaxation techniques” … they’re backed by science. Research shows these practices can lower stress hormones, regulate heart rate variability, and improve overall nervous system health. In therapy, I teach specific breath practices and meditations you can use at home to ground yourself and reduce anxiety and restore restful nervous system states.

The Mind-Body Connection

One of the most important aspects of holistic and integrative therapy is honoring the mind-body connection. Trauma, stress, and anxiety aren’t just mental experiences—they live in the nervous system and body as well.

That’s why therapy that focuses only on talking sometimes feels incomplete. When the body is still holding onto dysregulation, it can be hard to feel lasting relief. By weaving in Brainspotting, Polyvagal-informed care, and science-based breathwork, we can support both your mind and body in the healing process.

This integration helps you move from simply managing symptoms to truly restoring balance and resilience.

Why This Approach Matters

Being a holistic and integrative therapist means I’m committed to:

• Meeting you where you are, without judgment.

• Offering multiple evidence-based tools instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.

• Supporting not just mental health, but emotional, physical, and relational well-being.

• Helping you build a toolkit you can use long after therapy ends.

Healing isn’t about “fixing what’s wrong with you.” It’s about reconnecting with yourself, finding your strength, and feeling whole again.

Holistic and Integrative Therapy in Boise

If you’re searching for a therapist in Boise who combines traditional counseling with innovative, evidence-based practices, holistic and integrative therapy may be right for you. I specialize in working with women and adults who experience anxiety, panic, trauma, or nervous system dysregulation. My goal is to create a supportive, compassionate space where you can explore your story and learn tools to regulate your nervous system.

Whether through Mindfulness-Based CBT, DBT, Brainspotting, Polyvagal strategies, or science-based breathwork, therapy with me is designed to support your whole being—not just your symptoms.

Taking the Next Step

If you’re curious about how holistic and integrative therapy could support you, I invite you to reach out. Together, we can create a personalized plan that meets your needs and helps you move toward clarity, calm, and resilience.

👉 Contact me here to schedule a consultation or learn more about my services.