Advising Office: Room 2125, College of Health and Human Services
Telephone: (269) 387-2656

Holistic Health and Contemplative Well-Being is based on the philosophy of working with the whole person and recognizing the contextual factors that influence health. It is a system of principles and multidisciplinary approaches that promote well-being by considering the inter-connectedness among a person’s physical, psychological, social, spiritual, environmental and physical levels of functioning.

The Holistic Health and Contemplative Well-Being program at Western Michigan University was established in 1982, and is one of the first academic programs of its kind in the United States.

The minor in Holistic Health and Contemplative Well-Being consists of an 18-credit hour course of study designed to meet the needs of students interested in learning about the theory and practice of Holistic Health and Contemplative Well-Being. Through a required sequence of courses students explore holistic concepts related to their individual health, including the interconnectedness of the body, mind and spirit. Concurrent with the study of how Holistic Health and Contemplative Well-Being practices impact the individual is the focus on how expression of these principles in our lives affect the broader community. 

The minor meets the needs of two groups of undergraduate students: 1) those majoring in a related health care or human service field who wish to incorporate the principles and practices of integrative holistic health and wellness into their practice so they might become effective professionals and 2) anyone who might be interested in applying holistic theory to their profession and/or their personal life.

18 hours are required for the Holistic Health and Contemplative Well-Being minor. To declare a minor in Holistic Health and Contemplative Well-Being please contact advising at (269) 387-2656.