The Seven Levels of Healing

For the past 2500 years, Chinese medicine has recognized the importance that the mind and spirit has on the health of the body. Its premise defines health as a balance between the mind, body and spirit. At long last, Western medicine has begun to appreciate the value of looking at health from a more multi-dimensional framework and the huge impact emotions and beliefs have on the general health of individuals.

Jeremy Geffen, an oncologist in Boulder, Colorado who embraces a multi-dimensional approach to health has formulated seven levels of healing that his staff uses in caring for patients of his medical practice. I offer these steps here because of the simplicity and clarity that each of these steps provide as a means to finding optimal health and living a meaningful life especially when an individual’s health has become compromised.

The first three steps address the immediate needs of an individual facing a serious health issue. Educating the patient on their illness and all the possible modalities of care allow the patient to take an active role in healing. Connecting with others to provide support is the next step which modern medicine can now confirm the benefit of this support through a growing body of scientific evidence. Introducing complementary and alternative healing modalities is the third step to support the patient and their immune system.

The next two steps deal with “the mind”. The first is emotional healing by exploring feelings and emotions and learning to release negative emotions and replacing them with love, forgiveness and acceptance. The second step explores an individual’s belief system and how that influences personal meaning assigned to life experiences.

The last two steps delve into the spiritual element of life. The first looks at life assessment by exploring the aspirations, goals and purposes of patients’ lives. The second explores the nature of spirit that embraces the nonphysical aspect of life that exists outside of time and space and connects with the source of love, joy and peace.

I was profoundly touched to read Dr. Geffen’s guest editorial in “Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine” in which he expounded his seven steps to healing because the importance of mind and spirit played such a major role in healing, a belief the Chinese have held over the millennia.