What sort of explanation could you present to this patient as a way to understanding her
symptoms and your approach to treating them which describes holism and its connection to
naturopathy nutrition or western herbal medicine?

Write a 1500 word essay on one of the two following topics:
1. The vitalist philosophy was the perspective which predominated in scientific thinking in the
19th century and was used to explain the difference between living and inert matter. With
the rise of the scientific revolution and the emergence of biomedicine the vitalist philosophy
lost popularity. What is vitalism and the vitalist philosophy? How is vitalist philosophy
relevant to CAM practitioners today? Discuss the significance of this philosophical approach
to living systems in relation to naturopathy western herbal medicine or nutrition.
2. Holism is a concept common to many modalities in CAM. Discuss the concept of holism in
relation to the case study below. What is a holistic approach to diagnosis and treatment and
why it is significant in exploring the causes of symptoms? How is it reflected in the way you
will explain the use of your chosen modality to treat this patient (naturopathy nutrition or
western herbal medicine)?
[The focus in this essay topic is to present an understanding of the philosophy of diagnosis
and treatment and to show how this is connected to treatment. Imagine you are explaining
your approach to diagnosis and treatment to the patient. A prescription of what is to be
given in terms of remedies is not required].
Case Study: You are treating a 35 year old married woman with 2 children (aged 2 and 5 years old)
who is complaining of tiredness. She works part-time 25 hours a week and has recently had 3 upper
respiratory infections in the last 6 months.
? What kinds of questions will you ask to get a holistic understanding of the patient and her
health?
? What sort of explanation could you present to this patient as a way to understanding her
symptoms and your approach to treating them which describes holism and its connection to
naturopathy nutrition or western herbal medicine?