Spiritual_Wellness_Holistic_Health_and_the_Practic

198 Philosophical Foundations of Health Education
Adoption of this philosophy would ensure that health education ’ s commitment would
be to human fulfillment, the focus would be positive, and the learner would be an
active self - learner liberated to govern and make choices congruent with his or her
own life. Within this philosophy people are free to make their own choices as long as
the decisions do not adversely affect others.
Choosing freeing/functioning philosophy means concentrating on self - development
with the focus on self - image, self - esteem, and self - worth. The premise of this philosophy
is that people who have a positive, holistic perception of self are more likely to
have and practice healthier lifestyles. Freeing/functioning philosophy focuses on
encouraging clients and students to participate fully in life celebration and to be grateful
for the opportunity to live and experience both life ’ s joys and sorrows (Greenberg,
1978). This philosophy would argue that people who are unfulfilled and feel unworthy
are more apt to practice negative lifestyle patterns. Teach people to love themselves
first, and good health habits will follow. Advantages to this philosophy include a holistic
approach to health education, honoring autonomy and democratic principles, and
moving away from a piecemeal approach to health.
ARTICLES
The articles in Part 5 introduce readers to the principles of the freeing/functioning philosophy
of health education. Greenberg (1978) introduces the notion of health education
as freeing. He challenges health education professionals to move away from
looking at only the behavioral minutiae of clients and instead trying to understand the
whole person and the reasons behind health decisions being made. Greenberg urges
health educators to stop overemphasizing the physical aspects of health to the detriment
and neglect of others. Anderson & Ronson (2005) introduce the importance of
following democratic principles in health promotion programs with special emphasis
on autonomy. In the example they reported on, they found that health promotion
should be a process in which people are encouraged to have control over their lives.
By empowering the students, they found that the students were more apt to comply
with health promotion principles when they felt listened to and respected. Hoyman
(1971) guides the profession through a splendid description of human ecology as a
route to personal fulfillment and a holistic means to health where examples within
health education are explored. And finally, Hawks (2004) encourages health
educators to take a holistic approach to the profession. He contends that with purpose,