Returning to the Whole Person
It has been a while since I have written here. The last time I shared a post, I wrote about whole-person wellness and its eight dimensions: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, occupational, financial, intellectual, and environmental. At the time, I saw those dimensions as a helpful way to check in with ourselves and notice where life might feel supported, strained, disconnected, or out of balance. I still believe that. But over the past year, the idea has grown into something much larger for me. As I have continued working with clients, studying therapeutic theory, and reflecting on how I naturally understand people, I have realized that I do not view these dimensions as separate parts of wellness. I see them as parts of an interconnected person. The body affects emotion. Relationships affect identity. Culture affects the stories we inherit and the choices we believe are available to us. Our environment affects the nervous system. Meaning affects how we carry pain. Work, finances, ...