Healing Process Brings Clinicians
she to a place where they
introspectively encounter their fears, search
for and manifest their full self, and express
their full self through creativity, trust in life,
zeal, and love. No single aspect of healing
is any more important than any other. The
Exploring the Theory of Integral Nursing
28 International Journal for Human Caring
interplay between and among aspects of
healing brings greater understanding and
meaning about the complexity of illness,
wellness, and healing to interactions with
clients, families, colleagues, and others’
in one’s life. The concept of healing is
informed and transformed by the four
dimensions of reality that exist at any
moment, also known as quadrants: (a)
Individual interior (personal/intentional)—
the “I” space, (b) individual exterior
(physiological/behavioral)—the “It” space,
(c) collective interior (shared/cultural)—
the “We” space, and (d) collective exterior
(systems/structures)—the “Its” space
(Table 1). The dimensions of reality
examine values, beliefs, assumptions,
meaning, purpose, and judgments related to
how the individual structures action based
on the nature of the experience at hand
and the quadrants of reality that are most
influenced by a given situation. A personal
examination of each aspect of reality
enables the individuals to be more in touch
with their authentic self in many different
types of situations and/or environments.
A fundamental assumption of the theory
is that every human is born with healing
capabilities, so that it is not the clinician
who heals the individual but the individuals
themselves. By being open to opportunities
for healing, clients create a space for healing
to occur.
. One metaphor for integral health
may be the notion of a helix, which can
be transformed into more or less complex
forms depending on the situation and one’s
personal growth. Symbolically, a more
complex helix would represent greater
growth toward higher levels of
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