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Other therapies
Art therapy/art psychotherapy/analytical art psychotherapy
Description
Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy using the medium of art to enable patients to project their thoughts, feelings and subconscious concerns relating to their illness, to enhance self awareness. It is particularly relevant to people who have suffered sexual or physical abuse or those whose communication skills are impaired. Techniques may include working in papier mache, puppetry, computer-generated graphics and videotaping. Analytical art psychotherapy uses images and archetype in the Jungian manner to facilitate therapy (see also the Anthroposophical medicine section).
Bates’ method
Description
The Bates’ method is a system of eyesight training and re-education, developed by William Bates (1860–1931), which attributes defective vision to muscle strain and eschews the use of lenses or surgery as an intervention. Bates’ theory was that poor vision was due to tension and strain resulting in misuse of the eyes which, in turn, isolates the person from the environment. It is an educational method in which the student is shown how to relax the eyes, the body and then the eyes and the body together. Treatment involves several exercises to be practised daily, including: palming, cupping the hands over the eyes and inducing relaxation; shifting, looking at a distant object from a different angle and swinging, fixing the eye on a distant object and swinging the head from side-to-side, while keeping the eyes fixed on the target.
Callahan technique/thought field therapy
Description
This unique form of meridian therapy is a natural, non-invasive, drug-free and chemical-free system to rectify and dispel negative or troubled emotions and involves stimulation of meridian points used in applied kinesiology to address the underlying emotional problem. Using these principles, a diagnostic system was devised to identify problems, referred to as perturbations, within the thought field and the development of treatment sequences to address most psychological problems. Germane to this is the use of psychological reversal which is a state or condition, often referred to as psychological block, which inhibits the effectiveness of treatment interventions. This is addressed by reversing the polarity of the meridian being treated.
Chelation therapy
Description
Chelation therapy is a chemical process which aims to remove metal or mineral toxins from the body by binding them to an amino acid, ethylendiaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). It is an orthodox treatment for lead or cadmium poisoning and the removal of zinc, as well as the treatment of cardiovascular disease, but some complementary practitioners use it as a method of detoxification.
