Mental health professionals can use many different therapeutic approaches to support their clients’ psychological well-being. Holistic therapy takes a broader approach by considering how mental, emotional, physical, and sometimes spiritual factors may interact and influence the concerns a client is experiencing.
Becoming a holistic therapist who provides psychotherapy requires candidates to qualify as licensed mental health professionals before developing additional knowledge of holistic treatment methods.
In the article below, we will explain what holistic therapists do and clarify how clinical holistic therapy differs from non-clinical wellness work. We will also outline the qualifications required for professional practice and show you how to become a holistic therapist through a comprehensive step-by-step guide.
Understanding Holistic Therapists and Their Professional Role
Holistic therapists are licensed mental health professionals who provide psychotherapy through a whole-body approach. These professionals view the presenting symptoms as just one aspect of the client’s overall situation rather than treating it in isolation.
Like all other mental health professionals, holistic therapists assess their clients’ mental health concerns, develop treatment plans, conduct therapy sessions, and monitor their progress. However, they also explore how factors such as physical well-being, relationships, lifestyle, personal values, spirituality, and living environment may be influencing the client’s psychological state.
To address the connections they identify, holistic therapists combine established counseling methods with appropriate integrative techniques. Depending on their training and the client’s needs, they may incorporate mindfulness exercises, guided imagery, breathing and relaxation practices, grounding strategies, body-awareness techniques, or reflective journaling into treatment.
Holistic therapy can be used to support clients experiencing anxiety, depression, chronic stress, grief, trauma-related difficulties, relationship problems, life transitions, and other emotional or behavioral concerns. Through treatment, therapists aim to reduce distress, strengthen self-awareness, and help clients make changes that support their mental health and overall well-being.
Having said that, we’d like to point out that a holistic therapist is not a clinical title, and completing a holistic wellness program alone does not qualify someone to provide psychotherapy. Aspiring holistic therapists must first become licensed mental health professionals before pursuing additional training and experience in holistic or integrative treatment methods.
Clinical Holistic Therapy vs Non-Clinical Holistic Wellness Work
Before getting too deep into explaining the qualification pathway, we need to clarify one important distinction regarding the term holistic therapist.
In wellness spaces, some people use “holistic therapist” to describe non-clinical holistic health practitioner roles such as wellness coaches, spiritual counselors, meditation teachers, bodyworkers, energy workers, or other alternative wellness providers.
Some of these roles may not require a college degree or a therapist license, depending on the type of service being offered and the laws in the state where the person works.
However, non-clinical holistic wellness work is not the same as psychotherapy or holistic health counseling. Professionals who do not hold the proper mental health license cannot diagnose mental health conditions, provide clinical treatment, or practice therapy as licensed mental health professionals.
In this article, when we say holistic health counselors or therapists, we’ll be referring to the licensed mental health professionals who incorporate whole-person and integrative approaches into clinical therapy. In other words, the route we will be explaining is the clinical route, which requires a degree, supervised experience, licensing exams, and authorization from a state board.
Therapist Career Tracks That Can Lead to Holistic Therapy Specialization
Having clarified the distinction regarding the use of the term holistic therapist, we can now move on to identifying and explaining the professional pathways that can lead to holistic therapy specialization.
Considering that the clinical route we will be discussing requires obtaining professional licensure, there are several career tracks that aspiring therapists can take to qualify for practice in the holistic health field, including:
- The Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensure track
- The Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensure track
- The Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensure track
- The Licensed Psychologist (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) licensure track
- The Licensed Psychiatrist (MD or DO) licensure track
And while all of these professions can incorporate holistic therapy into clinical practice, in the guide below, we will only focus on explaining the pathway through the three master’s degree therapist career tracks, the LPC, LCSW, and LMFT professions.
These three professions follow similar qualification requirements and licensure processes, so they can easily be bundled in a single guide. On the other hand, the more advanced clinical roles that require doctoral or medical education will not be discussed.
Professional Work Settings Where Holistic Therapists May Practice
Considering that holistic therapy can be applied across different client populations and clinical needs, the expertise of licensed holistic therapists can find its place in a variety of professional work settings and treatment environments, including:
- Private practice settings, where holistic therapists may provide individual, couples, family, or group therapy to clients seeking outpatient mental health support
- Mental health clinics, where they may use holistic or integrative methods as part of broader counseling services for clients with emotional or behavioral concerns
- Integrative health centers, where therapists may work alongside other health and wellness professionals to address the client’s health issues in a holistic manner
- Trauma treatment programs, where they may use mind-body awareness, grounding strategies, or other appropriate integrative methods to support clients affected by trauma
- Community mental health centers, where therapists may provide accessible counseling services to individuals and families who need ongoing support
- Teletherapy practices, where they may provide holistic or integrative counseling through secure online sessions when remote care is clinically appropriate and legally allowed
While the professional environments and their day-to-day responsibilities may vary, holistic therapists must always provide care within the legal and professional limits of their license and adapt their approach to the needs of the clients they serve.
Becoming a Holistic Therapist: Summary of Qualifications
Becoming a holistic therapist through the clinical route requires candidates to first complete the standard therapist qualification process and then pursue additional training in holistic, integrative, or whole-body approaches.
Here’s a brief summary of the main qualifications required to become a holistic therapist:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- A master’s degree in a qualifying mental health discipline
- Completion of between 1,500 and 4,000 hours of supervised clinical experience, depending on the license type
- Passing scores on the national and state exams required by their profession
- A professional therapist license that authorizes them to practice independently
- Additional training in holistic, integrative, mind-body, mindfulness-based, spiritual, or whole-person therapy approaches
To put it in simple terms, aspiring holistic therapists need to complete the requirements required for obtaining a professional therapist license and then expand their scope of practice through additional holistic therapy training.
How to Become a Holistic Therapist: Step-by-Step Guide
Having outlined the main qualifications required for holistic therapy practice, we can now move into the practical part of the guide and explore the steps aspiring professionals need to complete to become holistic therapists.
Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in a Field Relevant to Mental Health
The first step toward becoming a holistic therapist is enrolling in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited college or university. At this stage of their education, aspiring therapists are not required to take any specific majors, because the main purpose of undergraduate study is to help students build preparation.
That said, choosing a relevant major such as psychology, social work, sociology, counseling, human services, behavioral science, health sciences, or another related discipline can help them build the knowledge they will later rely on during clinical training.
By enrolling in a mental health-related undergraduate program, students can get early exposure to basic psychological and behavioral concepts and start to understand how people think, develop, relate to others, respond to stress, and function within different personal and social environments.
For students pursuing a bachelor’s degree, there are several study options available, including on-campus, online, and hybrid formats. The typical timeline for completing undergraduate education is around four years, though the exact timeline can vary based on course load, transfer credits, and the student’s enrollment status.
Complete a Graduate Program in a Mental Health Discipline
After getting their bachelor’s degrees, aspiring holistic therapists need to continue their academic preparation at the graduate level. From this point onward, their education will become much more specific and professionally directed, as they have to enroll in a master’s degree program that corresponds to the therapist role they want to practice later in their careers:
- Future LPCs usually need to complete a CACREP-accredited counseling program, clinical mental health counseling, or another qualifying counseling field
- Future LCSWs need to earn a Master of Social Work from an accredited social work program
- Future LMFTs need to complete a graduate program in marriage and family therapy or a closely related field that satisfies state licensure requirements
What’s more, graduate education is much more focused on clinical practice than undergraduate study. While completing their master’s degree programs, therapist students take courses in advanced clinical subjects such as assessment, diagnosis, counseling theories, treatment planning, and other areas connected to professional therapy work.
Additionally, it is also important to point out that most qualifying graduate programs for therapists include a practical training component, such as a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship, as part of their curriculum.
Gain More Clinical Experience Working Under Supervision
Following their graduation, aspiring therapists can fully transition from theoretical learning to training in practice and start working directly with clients in professional settings, albeit under supervision.
At the same time, they can also start working toward their supervised experience licensure requirement, though the point at which they may begin counting hours depends on the state where they practice and the license type they are working toward.
Some states allow graduates to begin supervised practice immediately after graduation, while other states require them to register with the licensing board, obtain an associate or provisional credential, or pass an initial exam first.
Nonetheless, once they receive the required authorization, graduates can begin providing counseling services in professional mental health settings. During this period, graduates may conduct therapy sessions, assess client concerns, and participate in treatment planning, while their supervisor reviews their clinical work, provides feedback, and helps them improve their clinical approach.
The exact number of supervised hours they need to complete to qualify for licensure can also vary by state and license type. However, most therapist licensure routes require several thousand hours of supervised clinical experience, including direct client contact, completed over a period that often lasts at least two years.
Pass the Exams Required for Therapist Licensure
Once they complete the supervised experience requirement, aspiring therapists are ready to move on to the testing phase of the licensure process and take counseling exams administered by the national boards that regulate their profession:
- LPC candidates typically need to take the National Counselor Examination or, in some cases, the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination
- LCSW candidates need to take the ASWB Clinical Examination
- LMFT candidates need to take the National Marriage and Family Therapy Examination
These exams are specific to the license type and test the candidates’ professional knowledge of the theories, assessment methods, and ethical responsibilities in their chosen profession. To pass, candidates must achieve the score required by their licensing board.
It is worth pointing out that in some states, candidates also need to take state-specific jurisprudence or law and ethics exams, which test their knowledge of state regulations and professional obligations. In the states that require these additional examinations, passing them is equally important as passing the national licensure exam.
Secure a Professional Therapist License
Candidates who have met all the education and supervised experience requirements and have passed the required licensure exams can relish the fact that they’ve officially completed the qualification process and can finally apply for their professional therapist license.
To complete this step, they need to submit a formal application to the state licensing board that regulates their profession and provide documentation that can be used to verify their graduate degree, supervised experience, examination results, and any other required qualifications.
In addition to the supporting documentation, many states also require candidates to complete a background check, which allows the licensing board to identify any disqualifying offenses that could affect their eligibility for professional licensure.
After receiving the application materials, the board will review the candidate’s qualifications and determine whether all requirements have been satisfied. If everything is in order, the board will issue a professional license that allows the candidate to practice therapy independently.
Start Practicing as a Licensed Mental Health Professional
Receiving a professional therapist license marks the endpoint of the formal qualification process for aspiring therapists and authorizes them to start providing professional therapy services without mandatory supervision.
As licensed mental health professionals, therapists can manage their own caseloads, conduct therapy sessions, assess client concerns, develop treatment plans, maintain clinical records, and make independent clinical decisions within the limits of their license.
And while obtaining a professional therapist license may be enough for building a fulfilling career in general clinical practice, those who wish to pursue this specialization have a few more steps to complete before they can move in that direction professionally.
Pursue Advanced Training in Holistic Therapy
The best way for therapists to expand their practice into holistic mental health counseling is to enroll in an advanced training program in holistic therapy approaches and treatments, designed specifically for clinical therapists who seek specialization.
Depending on the training provider and the chosen specialty, advanced training programs for specialists may be offered through continuing education courses, clinical workshops, professional seminars, university-based certificate programs, therapy institutes, or professional organizations.
Given that the field of holistic mental health counseling is very broad and diverse, before they choose a training route, it’d be a good idea for therapists to evaluate their interests and decide which therapeutic approaches they want to focus on.
Some of the available options include mindfulness-based therapy, somatic therapy, transpersonal therapy, integrative psychotherapy, and other whole-person approaches used in clinical practice.
Considering that they are typically designed for licensed professionals, advanced training programs can be much more intensive and focused than traditional degree programs, but shorter in duration.
Gain More Experience Applying Holistic Methods With Clients
After completing advanced training in holistic therapy, licensed therapists need to begin applying the methods they learned in real clinical work.
And like with every other part of therapist development, learning techniques in theory can only provide the foundation, and therapists need repeated exposure to clients whose concerns can be appropriately treated through holistic care.
The best way therapists can gain this experience is by looking for professional roles in settings where applying a holistic approach is a regular part of clinical care rather than an occasional addition to standard therapy. This may include integrative clinics, outpatient counseling centers, trauma-informed programs, community mental health centers, or wellness-oriented therapy practices.
By working in these environments, therapists can learn how to connect holistic interventions to clear treatment goals, adjust their approach to each client’s needs, and recognize when another clinical method, referral, or outside support would be more appropriate.
Consider Earning an Optional Certification in Holistic Therapy
As we already established earlier, holistic therapists are not required to hold one specific holistic therapy certification to practice clinically, and their professional therapist license is the credential that authorizes them to provide mental health treatment.
However, obtaining additional certifications can still help therapists formalize their training in a specific area of holistic practice and allow them to better demonstrate their specialist expertise.
Depending on their interests, licensed therapists may pursue certificates in mindfulness-based therapy, somatic therapy, integrative mental health, yoga-informed counseling, trauma-informed care, spiritual counseling, or other specialized areas.
By earning a formal certificate, therapists can give clearer proof of their additional training and make it easier for clients, employers, and referral partners to understand the type of holistic work they are qualified to provide.
Final Words
Therapy gives people the professional support they need to better understand their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and life challenges. Holistic therapy builds on this foundation by considering how mental health is influenced by the broader physical, emotional, social, and personal aspects of a client’s life.
Becoming a holistic therapist is a demanding process that requires earning a professional therapist license and then developing additional expertise in whole-body care. That said, for those who are committed to lifelong learning and compassionate care, it can result in a deeply meaningful and rewarding career.
FAQs
What is a holistic therapist?
A holistic therapist can mean different things depending on the context. In wellness settings, the term is sometimes used to describe wellness coaches, spiritual counselors, meditation teachers, bodyworkers, energy practitioners, and other professionals who use holistic approaches to guide their clients toward better health.
In the professional mental health field, however, a holistic therapist is a licensed mental health professional who has met all therapist licensure requirements and incorporates holistic or integrative methods into clinical therapy while practicing within the legal and ethical scope of their license.
What is the difference between a holistic therapist and a regular therapist?
A regular therapist and a holistic therapist may hold the same type of professional license, but they may differ in the way they approach treatment. A regular therapist may focus mainly on the client’s thoughts, emotions, behaviors, relationships, or diagnosis, depending on their clinical approach.
A holistic therapist also addresses those areas, but places more emphasis on how lifestyle, physical well-being, stress, personal beliefs, and broader life circumstances may affect the client’s mental health.
What is the difference between a holistic health counselor and practitioner?
The main difference between these two roles is that holistic health counselors can provide mental health treatment when they hold the proper license, while holistic practitioners cannot practice therapy unless they are also licensed to do so.
A holistic health counselor usually refers to a licensed mental health professional who provides clinical therapy while incorporating holistic or integrative methods into their work.
A holistic practitioner is a broader term that may refer to non-clinical wellness roles, such as wellness coaches, meditation teachers, bodyworkers, energy workers, spiritual counselors, massage therapy practitioners, or other alternative medicine providers.