Philosophical Foundation for Integrative Medicine

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The philosophical foundation for the integrative medicine comes from a multitude of different medical, philosophical and  scientific traditions. For example, the idea that a person should be treated in his or her wholeness—mind, body and spirit—is a fundamental premise within integrative medicine that has been informed by the patient-centered care movement, biopyschosocial medicine, traditional Chinese medicine and the medicine of the ancient Greeks as well as modern humanistic and transpersonal psychology. Prevention and wellness, important aspects of integrative medicine, are grounded in medical science but they also draw from the fields of nutrition, stress management, physical fitness, and environmental health.  This "gathering" of human wisdom in an effort to care for individuals in the best way possible is a key factor in why integrative medicine is both effective and desirable.

Tracy Gaudet, MD, Director of the Duke Integrative Medicine, speaks for all integrative medicine practitioners when she says, "We are committed to doing whatever lies within our knowledge and power to care for, cure and facilitate healing in our patients. As new knowledge emerges in the investigation of healing approaches, we make the full scope of safe and effective healing resources available to those who seek our care."

Each person has a significant, innate capacity for healing that can be supported and enhanced, and the primary goal of integrative medicine is to maximize this capacity so that each individual experiences optimal vitality and wellness.

To learn more about the philosophy and science that informs integrative medicine,
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