Holistic health class at Kean offers new perspective of healing and medicine
By Sara Ridgway | Posted on April 7, 2016
With Fall 2016 class registration underway, students of all majors may be looking for free electives from different departments to fulfill their graduation requirements.
No one wants to take a boring and unamusing class, so students often look for options that spark their interests and provide insight about a new topic.
One of the most popular classes at Kean University is HED 3725 Death in Perspective. This class has two available sections for the Fall of 2016, but are already filled to capacity, as per KeanWISE.
But there are more unique classes offered at Kean that students may not know exist, with one of them being HED 3200 Holistic Health.
On KeanWISE the description of the Holistic Health class is as follows: “Analyzes the history, principles and practices of holistic approaches to health.”
As explained in Professor Kristi Capriglione’s Thursday night Holistic Health class held in Hennings Hall this spring, holistic can be defined as an alternative therapy to what can be done with medicine. The topics discussed in one of her classes ranged from Feng Shui, dry needling, acupuncture, essential oils, meditation, the use of colors and alternative medicine practices.
Sophomore Recreational Therapy student Shannon Brown takes Holistic Health with Professor Capriglione as a free elective. She confirmed that Capriglione begins her lectures by asking the class if any students have had any recent holistic health experiences.
Professor Capriglione closes her class with meditation. At this time, students are given the option to follow along with the meditation or proceed to color a mandala on their own.
Capriglione received both her B.A. in Communications and M.A. in Counseling from Kean University.
“Being a Communication major, I was always interested in the process of communication and how we as individuals are impacted each moment by the style and understanding of our own and others communication process,” Capriglione said.
Her interest in helping others and building relationships through communication lead her to a career in counseling.
“In addition to being an adjunct professor, I am also a healthcare specialist and focus my work on facilitating discussions in regards to end of life and advanced care planning conversations with those dealing with a chronic/terminal illness,” said Capriglione.
She also balances being a Licensed Associate Counselor providing individual, couples and family therapy while co-facilitating grief workshops.
A similar class to holistic health, which is only offered during the spring semesters on campus at Kean, is a course on Reiki. Capriglione defines Reiki as a holistic energy healing modality.
Students taking Holistic Health with Capriglione have majors in the fields of psychology, physical education and recreation, among others.
During the fall 2016 semester Kean offers three sections of HED 3200 Holistic Health. All majors are welcome. If interested, don’t hesitate to log onto KeanWISE and sign up before it’s too late.
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