Conventional medical practice has made extraordinary advances in understanding the physiology of the human body. In comparison its understanding of our soul – despite the flourishing of the science of psychology – is not so well developed.
The anthroposophic understanding of the human being includes the soul and spirit and works on the basis that these three systems body, soul and spirit, are interconnected and inter-related to a significant degree. Simply put: mental stress leads to physical illness, physical illness can negatively impact upon soul well-being.
Out of this Anthroposophic understanding (also known as spiritual science) emerge therapeutic practices that support the body, soul and spirit through: anthroposohic medicine, talking therapies (eg counselling), physical therapies (eg massage), artistic therapies (eg movement, speech, painting).
In summary, Anthroposophic Medicine is an integrative form of medicine, derived from two sources – ‘material scientific medicine’ with its methods and results on the one hand, and ‘spiritual scientific medicine’, with its findings on the other. Neither is worked with in isolation.
Anthroposophic doctors qualify in conventional medicine, further complementing this with anthroposophic training, thereby increasing the therapeutic opportunities at their disposal. Not only do they offer the possibility of a cure when conventional treatment tends to only suppress symptoms, but through the range of therapies available to them, they may also reduce the need to use conventional drugs. These principles are used worldwide by many doctors and complementary practitioners.