Vitalism is not a philosophy; it is a strategy

In my herbalism school almost 15 years ago, Vitalism was our approach. Vitalism holds at its heart that there is an intelligent, organizing life force that is vital and healing. It is embedded in our tissues, cells, organs, psyches, spirits, and all of life. It is not disembodied and just ‘out there’; it is within us all. We rely on this life force that is greater than us; we are not masters of it.

Vitalism is not a philosophy; it is a strategy.

The strategy is to support physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health by tending to our own Vitality through life-affirming food, nutrition, hydration, sleep, movement, sociality, nature time, and living in integrity with our hearts and souls. It is also about exploring what inhibits our life force/vitality. 

Maintaining true health is not about quelling symptoms through allopathic and suppressive medical, pharmaceutical, psychological, and even herbal approaches (Yes, even herbalism falls into a ‘take this for that’/allopathic mentality). It's about supporting what wants to happen from within… life and healing.

This week, I had the privilege of guiding and co-teaching (with herbalist and author Blake Burger) a beautiful group of aspiring herbalists in the James Peak Wilderness. I introduced them to Vitalism as a powerful approach to their own lives and future herbal work.

Though the class description was about botany, plant identification, and the uses of edible and medicinal plants (we did all these), it was our slow time spent in nature, our connections with each other and the plants from an I/Thou perspective, and the reflective ceremony that truly deepened our understanding of our Vital selves. 
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This approach reminds us to trust the nature of our bodies, and for some, may inspire a unique way of working in the world of herbalism.

​Yet I realized this is also part of my approach to ecotherapy…

Any therapy modality alone or even in conjunction with others will be limited unless we support the natural Vitalism within ourselves and our clients.

There is no true psychological remedy for depression and anxiety if life force is suppressed in our unfinished business or if metabolic dysfunction underlies it. 

Emotional and psychological impasses are not due to a deficiency of a drug. For example, depression is not a deficiency of Wellbutrin, and low energy is not a deficiency of Ginseng. They are deficiencies in Vitality, life force. We need to get to the root of this. 

If you are a clinician, how do you support your vital energy? What in your life inhibits your vital energy? These are great questions for our clients as well. 

Integrating Vitalism into therapy does not mean practicing out of the scope of your training.

We do not indicate that we are nutritionists or herbalists (unless you are one, of course). We can, though, plant seeds of holism by inquiring about nutrition, movement, hydration, and nature time with some specificity. Many therapists do peripherally assess these life ways once but rarely follow through beyond first sessions. 

Integrating Vitalism is also about not getting tunnel visioned into symptom reduction, a fixing mindset, or too quickly shuffling clients to psychiatry.

I am not anti-pharmaceutical, and I support their use after healthy nutrition, therapy, movement and nature have been prescribed. Yet 1 in 5 Americans are now prescribed mental health medication annually, and the statistics continue to increase. Many of these people are not even in therapy or are exploring lifestyle changes. This is mind-blowing to me. 

93% of Americans suffer from some degree of metabolic dysfunction. Metabolism is the process of converting food energy into the structure of our bodies and brains and into the energy that fuels our precious lives. Dysfunction in this process (processed food, sedentary lifestyle, 95% of our day spent indoors, etc.) absolutely affects our mental health, our moods, our brain fog or clarity, our ability to regulate, our perceptions of the world and relationships, and our nervous system. 

Since the therapy world is advancing through research in neuroscience and body/mind connection, it seems neglectful to tend to mood disorders, impulse control and attention deficits, and dysregulation patterns without addressing this metabolic epidemic. Vitalism is a strategy here. 

When I think of Vitalism, I imagine a mountain river flowing wild and free within its banks. When storms come, branches, logs, and rocks fall into the river and block the flow. This may result in flooding and drought throughout different stretches of river. Vitalism is about acknowledging what is impeding a natural, healthy flow within us and tending to those obstacles. A new river doesn’t need to be made, and we don’t need to push the river or drug the river. 

One of my supervisees recently asked how we bring Vitalism into therapy since most clients expect therapists to solely address mental health and to problem solve. I first suggested that we have a brief conversation with clients about what therapy is. Frequently, clients and therapists have different ideas and expectations of therapy so getting on the same page can be crucial to developing trust in the therapeutic relationship as well as greater effectiveness. 

When my clients know that the whole of their being and lives are important to me, and learn that we are ONE SYSTEM in which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, discussions and accountability for physical health become normal. When clients disclose their depressive symptoms, I immediately ask about their day-in-the-life lifestyle, diet, screen time, nature time, social time, hydration, how long has it been since they have had blood tests and bio-markers taken, and the quality of their relationships. Yes, we get to attachment disruptions, traumas, origin wounds, etc… but we do not neglect one for the other. What is at the root of their symptoms? Then additionally on a soul level, what is being asked of them at this time? 

To learn more about the links between mental and physical health and metabolic dysfunction, please visit these two brilliant women physicians dedicated to wholistic healing:

Dr. Georgia Ede: About Dr. Ede - Diagnosis Diet
Dr. Casey Means: Casey Means MD
To learn more about Vitalism, read master herbalist Matthew Woods book: 
Vitalism: The History of Herbalism, Homeopathy, and Flower Essences: Wood, Matthew: 9781556433405: Amazon.com: Books
May the river of your health flow vital and free.