Introduction

In the past ten years the focus on health care has shifted tremendously. There is a substantial swing away from orthodox to complementary medicine worldwide. The role of Integrative Medicine has important and far-reaching implications in this country. Out of this new integrative approach, Holistic Occupational Stress Therapy (HOST) was conceived.

It is an ideal time to implement HOST, which combines the knowledge base of modern medicine with an understanding of holistic healing - one where patients can enjoy the best of both worlds.

Previously the treatment of patients was an exclusive field belonging to the medical practitioner and information was rarely shared with the general population. Today, with the advent of better communication systems and higher levels of education, patients are beginning to take responsibility for their own healing. They are beginning to look further than the limited field of orthodox medicine and explore other areas of the healing process.

Research proves that it is beneficial to manage your health by taking preventative measures, which incorporate lifestyle changes such as exercise, nutrition and stress management. It makes good sense to incorporate natural, non-invasive therapies in order to maintain health and total well-being, following the philosophy that prevention is better than the cure.