Program Mission

When the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine (now the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) was established in the early 1990s, practitioners and educators were challenged to integrate alternative therapies into traditional health care. Few accredited educational institutions provide formal education in complementary and integrative medicine, or wellness. The Oakland University program furthers this knowledge while providing a needed balance to disease-oriented models of health care. The program facilitates a constructive shift in the health service paradigm, and improves patient/client care by integrating complementary methods with standard care.

The Curriculum

The certificate is awarded upon completing the specified 16 credit hours of study and is approximately equivalent to one-half of a full masters degree. Courses include mind-body medicine, health promoting lifestyles, counseling for wellness, pain management and professional seminar. The program is offered full-time or part-time to accommodate the needs of working professionals.

Program Philosophy

The program’s conceptual framework is based on:

1. psychoneuroimmunology (PNI);
2. stress management and the relaxation response;
3. the health benefits of belief, and
4. consumer empowerment when utilizing health care services and making health decisions.

PNI is the science of the “mind-body connection.” The hormonal and nervous system effects of the relaxation response are the physiologic opposite of fight-or-flight. The relaxation response is the basis of hypnosis and stress management methods that are used clinically. Counseling and education regarding health care options empower patients/clients by helping them incorporate into their lifestyle PNI mechanisms, stress management and prevention strategies that are consistent with their beliefs. Providers become partners in health. New ways of viewing health and disease facilitate healthy lifestyle changes—for both patients/clients and providers.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of university-based programs in complementary and integrative medicine have been selected for positions in communities, businesses and medical systems that are opening holistic care centers, initiating patient-oriented practices and adding complementary methods to augment traditional care, while broadening their marketing appeal. Graduates indicate that the program equips them with the scientific evidence and vocabulary necessary for justifying new integrative services when negotiating with administrators, physicians and other health professionals.