Holistic medicine prioritizes the health of the whole person, both body and mind. This is different from conventional Western medicine, which primarily targets disease or other critical conditions. Holistic healing thus involves much more than investigating a problem and prescribing drugs to fight the condition. The holistic practitioner investigates all aspects of the patient's health history and lifestyle, treating the patient, not just the disease. Within the area of holistic healing there are many schools of thought. For example, there is chiropractic, which has become a part of more conventional medicine, concentrating on the spine and musculature. There are also the traditional holistic healing schools such as Ayurvedic (from India) and Traditional Chinese medicine, with some more such as hypnosis, mesmerism and homeopathy from the western traditions. There are also more recent inventions such as aromatherapy and Reiki massage. Just as there are many different types there are also many different holistic healing schools. Some offer part time and distance education course, others full time and on campus. Whichever path you take your career is likely to be as a self-employed professional as that is where most practitioners work. It's likely to be a good choice for you as the demand for trained people is, like with nearly all medical specialties, growing as the population ages.