Healing Mind & Body: Integrative Approaches for Mental Health

Improve your well-being with a personal plan of integrated complementary and traditional therapies

Most of us will face challenges with mental health at some point in our lives. There are many valid treatment options available today. Complementary therapies, traditional talk therapies and medications are all powerful tools in the treatment of anxiety and depression.

Creating an integrative plan of traditional talk therapy combined with complementary, or holistic, treatments will tap the mind-body connection, enhance emotional awareness, and improve resilience.

In addition, over time, adhering to simple changes in your daily routine can create shifts in how you feel, help you manage stress, and strenghthen your sense.

Below are five natural ways to improve your mental well-being that you can use immediately.

Natural Ways to Nurture Mental Health

Set Boundaries by Learning to Say "No"

Learning to say "no" is an important life skill that can be a difficult emotional-behavioral challenge for many.

How often do you struggle to say "no" because you don't want to let others down or disappoint them? Many of us struggle to be transparent about our boundaries.

However, saying "yes" to everything will soon leave you feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. And continuously agreeing to do things that don't feel right to you slowly builds resentment, frustration, anger, and anxiety.

But "no" is a small word with great power. Learning to say "no" is a great way to set boundaries that will allow you to focus on your needs and things that matter to you, create a healthy work-life balance, and give you a feeling of freedom. They build your self-esteem and help others understand what they can and cannot expect from you.  

Make Exercise Your Daily Habit

Yoga is a gentle way to incorporate movement into your lifestyle

It is no secret that physical activity benefits our health in many different ways. Research has shown that exercise increases the levels of the brain neurochemicals endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine—often called the "feel-good hormones"—which stimulate the growth of new cells and connections in the brain. This can help break the anxiety cycle by redirecting your thoughts, calming your mind, boosting energy, and improving focus.

The good news is that you don't have to exercise intensely to achieve this. Studies have shown that even a short daily walk can be highly beneficial.

Be Kind and Give Back

Volunteering and helping others is a practical way to stop the focus on your own anxiety and depression. It is a way to reach out of yourself. However, please be mindful of the stability of your own emotional state and check in with yourself that you have enough in your emotional and energetic cup before volunteering your time and energy.

Volunteering in your community or donating to a cause you believe in is a wonderful way to support others. It is a way to nurture your own mental health because it helps you connect with other people, develops a sense of purpose, and boosts your confidence and overall well being. Even simple gestures, like cooking a casserole or mowing the lawn for a friend or neighbor in need, or walking a dog at a shelter, can create meaningful emotional rewards.

Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation

Mindfulness is a powerful practice that can promote inner peace, self-compassion, and relief from stress and anxiety. Simple techniques like mindful breathing or body scan meditation help you connect with the present moment and become more aware of how your thoughts and emotions affect your body.

Even practicing mindfulness during everyday activities, like walking or eating, can bring clarity, calm, and a deeper sense of gratitude.

Express Emotions Creatively

Expressive art is an excellent tool for calming the mind and processing overwhelming emotions. Creative expression—whether through painting, writing, movement, or music—can be a healthy outlet when it's hard to understand or express your feelings.

For example, writing poetry or journaling can help release built-up emotions, while dancing to music offers both emotional release and a pleasurable energy boost. Even listening to uplifting songs or guided visualizations can shift your mood, quiet racing thoughts, and bring a sense of comfort and clarity.

Traditional Talk Therapy for Anxiety, Depression, and Trauma

Traditional talk therapy is self-care

If you often feel worried, have trouble adjusting to life changes, feel isolated and lonely, are in a low mood, or feel stuck, know that it's normal and you're not alone. Still, if you let these feelings linger for too long, they can disrupt your daily life and harm your mental health and well-being.

Even when you choose to support your mental health naturally, traditional talk therapy still plays a central role. There are evidence-based approaches that blend well with complementary practices.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) goal-oriented and evidence-based approach that focuses on changing negative or irrational thoughts that trigger negative emotions and behaviors. Once you become aware of your negative thinking patterns, you'll learn to replace them with more positive ones and develop new ways of coping.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavorial Therapy (DBT) was developed to support people who experience their emotions too intensely. It teaches concrete skills in four key areas: mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.

DBT is a structured therapy that helps you learn to regulate emotions, tolerate stress, and accept who you are. The goal is to help you feel more in control, connected, and capable of facing life's challenges.

A core DBT concept called "radical acceptance" encourages accepting life as it is, even if you don't feel comfortable with it, which can be incredibly freeing for people stuck in emotional pain or rumination. Radical acceptance is a large concept and incorporates the tension between acceptance of the self and the desire to change.

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

IFS has been successfully used in the treatment of trauma, anxiety, and depression. IFS views the mind as a complex system of interconnected parts, which is normal and natural. Each of these parts—like the Inner Critic, Wounded Child, or Perfectionist—is trying to protect you in their own way; there are no "bad" parts. The goal is to connect with your calm, compassionate "Self" and get to know these parts with curiosity rather than shame.

Somatic Experiencing®

Somatic Experiencing® (SE®) is a body-based trauma therapy. It focuses on the connection between the mind and body in healing trauma. After experiencing trauma, some people find it difficult to fully process what happened, feeling as though they are frozen in the aftermath of a traumatic event. SE® helps people gently tune into their bodily sensations to release trauma that has been stuck in the body.

Taking the First Step Toward Integrative, Natural Healing

Healing doesn't have to look like one thing. Creating a personalized toolbox of integrative therapies help you reconnect with your body, mind, and inner resources.

Interested in exploring holistic support?

It can be helpful for you to see a therapist, yourself, to work through what private issues you may have. Psychotherapy, in particular, can help you heal and build your self-esteem. Contact Kathy Morelli, LPC. Contact her through Psychology Today.