Tai Chi Psychotherapy: A Holistic Approach for Recovery from Mental Illness

This book will enhance the understanding of what Tai Chi is and how practicing Tai Chi, including the philosophical concepts as well as the physical component known as Tai Chi Chuan, can improve mental health. The intention is to help professional mental health care practitioners better understand a more holistic approach to psychotherapy which Tai Chi can provide. Research on the mental health benefits of practicing five different activities e.g., exercise, mindfulness, meditation, breathing, and stretching are included. Each practice has been shown to either reduce mental health symptoms and or improve resilience to prevent mental health disorders. The regular practice of Tai Chi Chuan, hereafter will be titled Tai Chi, incorporates all five activities during each session. When led by a trained mental health provider, Tai Chi can provide the opportunity for clients, as well as the provider, to improve their overall mind-body functioning. Also included in this book is an example of using Tai Chi Therapy as the main treatment method to provide professional level services from beginning to end of an episode of care as well as an outline for training to become a certified Tai Chi Therapy provider.