Alternative Healthcare, Intuitive Counseling Education, Spirituality Studies

Our History

HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Since their ancient beginnings, the major religious and spiritual traditions have embraced the reality of spiritual healing. Arising out of a predominantly Judeo-Christian heritage, contemporary ‘New Thought’ religious philosophies emerged, such as Unity, Christian Science, Religious Science, and the Science of Mind, all of which place a major emphasis on healing and wholeness. The holistic triad of body/mind/spirit was a founding principle of both the American Holistic Medical Association in 1978 and the American Holistic Nurses Association in 1980. The guiding principles of HU offer a balanced approach of self-development, scholarly exploration and research, and service that substantiate and integrate all three aspects of the body/mind/spirit healing triad, placing particular emphasis on the spiritual.

In 1971, HU’s founding President, Dr. C. Norman Shealy established an innovative holistic medical clinic, incorporating the essential concept of spirituality as a guiding principle of healing. In 1978, Dr. Shealy became the founding President of the American Holistic Medical Association. Soon thereafter, the terms of Complementary, Integral, Quantum, Integrative, and Alternative Medicine became synonyms for holistic concepts of Health Care and well-being.

In 1989, Dr. Elmer Green substantiated the comprehensive and inclusive term ‘Energy Medicine’ by founding The International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine (ISSSEEM - http://www.issseem.org ). A few years later, the U.S. Congress mandated the National Institute of Health (NIH) Division of Alternative Medicine, subsequently converted to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).

During this four-decade evolution, Americans and Canadians have embraced the many therapeutic approaches offered by the proponents of these various movements. Now, each year almost half of Americans use some alternative therapy. Medical schools and hospitals are currently offering some courses and programs that tap the rich resources of humanistic, holistic, complementary, quantum, integrative, alternative, and spiritual approaches to healing.

In 2000, a graduate program in Energy Medicine, begun by Drs. Caroline M. Myss and C. Norman Shealy under the auspices of Greenwich University was reorganized by Dr. Shealy and Drs. Ann and Bob Nunley and moved to South Dakota. At this time, the University program was placed under the auspices of Holos Institutes of Health, Inc. The first graduation ceremony was held in South Dakota in March of 2001. As its program of study evolved, the theological, historical, and spiritual aspects of health and healing became the organizing focus. To more clearly support this focus, in June of 2001 the University became Holos University Graduate Seminary, was re-located to Missouri, and was placed under the auspices of the International Science of Mind Church for Spiritual Healing (ISMCSH). In July of 2006, Holos University Graduate Seminary was awarded full programmatic accreditation by the New Thought Accreditation Commission (www.newthoughtac.org).

In July of 2008, Dr. Shealy retired as President of HU.
In September, 2008, the Church contracted for the management of HU with the Center for Environmental Energy Medicine Studies (CEEMS), a Kansas 501c-3 whose focus is to sponsor research and education in the fields of environmental energy medicine.
Following this management reorganization, in the Spring of 2009 HU became a named division of the All Faiths Church of Spirituality and Health – a non-profit church registered in the State of Missouri. CEEMS continues to provide administrative management for HU.

To provide a cohesive and practical campus experience for students, contractual arrangements were made with Unity Church to hold HU’s graduation and ordination ceremonies and most of its residencies on the Unity Campus at Unity Village, Missouri. These sessions are held each semester during HU’s Campus Week in October and April.

HU represents an inclusive, integrated, holistic, ecological view of the universe as well as of life and healing. The All Faiths Church of Spirituality and Health is an ecumenical ministry of healing. Our graduates and students are engaged in teaching, consulting, scientific research, and many other activities that define and emphasize the spiritual components and holistic aspects of spirituality and health.