A Theory for Alternative Health Practitioners

Abstract

All alternative health practitioners have in common the use of some aspect of energy in their practice. For example, the acupuncturist works with blockages of energy, the therapeutic touch therapist channels energy from the universe to the client, and the nurse assists clients with their energy exchanges with the environment.

The Helvie Energy Theory is useful for alternative health practitioners because it is organized around the concept of energy. Organizing the theory around the concept of energy facilitates learning and using in practice because all pieces of the theory relate back to energy and energy is a familiar concept to most alternative health practitioners.

With energy as a focus, the individual can be viewed as an energy field affecting and being affected by all other energy fields in the environment (physical, biological, chemical, psychosocial, and community subsystems) through exchanges. These energy exchanges and individual success or failure in adaptation determine placement (actual, potential) on an energy continuum and the need for assistance from the health practitioner. This theory is applied in practice through a process of assessing, planning, intervening, and evaluating.