Science has confirmed that emotional fluctuations and emotional status directly influence
health. Mind/body medicine focuses on the connection between one’s opinion of
one’s health and the physical realities. Mind/body medicine is embodied by the field of
psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), which links emotions with chemical processes taking place
throughout the body.
Mind/body medicine takes a holistic view of the healing process, believing that because
each person is unique, it follows that treatment for an individual should also be unique.
Placing emphasis on the body’s ability to regulate and heal itself as well as on the
importance of the practitioner/patient relationship, mind/body medicine ensures the patient is
an active partner rather than a passive recipient in all stages of treatment. Given the
individual emphasis of mind/body medicine, treatments can encompass a wide range of
modalities, including imagery, biofeedback, yoga, and
hypnotherapy.