What is Intergrative Therapy?

What Is Integrative Mental Health?

When we think about mental health, we often focus on talk therapy, medications, or symptom management. But increasingly, research supports a broader, integrative approach, one that treats lifestyle, mainly exercise, nutrition, sleep,  as the foundation to emotional well-being. In this post, we’ll briefly explore how three areas of daily life intertwine with mental health.

Integrative mental health combines conventional treatments such as talk therapy and medication  with evidence-based lifestyle interventions. Rather than viewing the mind in isolation, this approach recognizes the mind–body connection, how our physical habits influence the brain, mood regulation, resilience, and emotional recovery.

What is really nice is that  clients who are motivated and wanting more control over their mental wellness can take steps to do so in-between therapy sessions. As a Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional, I offer actionable tools (nutrition change, exercise plans, sleep hygiene) that can deepen the process. 

The Evidence Base

For those of you who like research, here are some studies that provide a glimpse into how improvements in diet, exercise and sleep can be beneficial for mental health. 

• A meta-analysis of physical activity interventions showed that exercise was more effective than control groups in reducing depression symptoms, with moderate effect sizes. PMC+1
  
  

• One large population study found that people who exercised had over 40% fewer “poor mental health days” compared to those who didn’t. UCLA Health
  
  
• Nutritional psychiatry reviews report that diet quality (e.g., Mediterranean or whole-food diets) correlates with lower rates of depression and anxiety; intervention trials show modest but promising effects. PMC+1
  
  
• Regarding sleep: people with insomnia are ~10× more likely to have depression, and ~17× more likely to have anxiety, compared to the general population. Stanford Medicine
  
  
• Sleep is not just passive rest , it supports emotional regulation, memory consolidation, and neural housekeeping (e.g., glymphatic clearance) — all of which influence mental health. Psychiatry Online+2Stanford Medicine+2
  
  

These studies don’t mean lifestyle change is a magic cure, but they highlight that movement, nutrition, and sleep are foundational often making therapy or medications  even more effective.

Exercise & Physical Activity

We know it’s common sense at this point that physical exercise is good for our overall physical and mental health right? So why aren’t some people able to do these things?      These things are  “simple but not easy,”  the concept is simple but the execution is not easy.  For my clients I encourage small incremental improvements.  Couch to marathon is rarely a path that is sustainable, but couch to walk around the block?  More doable and we will generally see some  benefits right away.  I always say we never regret that long walk, bike ride or yoga session, even if it was super hard to peel yourself out of bed to do so. 

What the Research Shows

• Schuch et al. found that in individuals with depression, exercise reduced symptoms with large effect sizes compared to inactive controls. PMC
  
  
• A systematic review in 2024 showed that physical activity broadly supports mental health, with somewhat stronger effects in people already experiencing symptoms. BioMed Central
  
  
• UCLA’s analysis of 1.2 million adults found that those who exercised had ~40% fewer poor mental health days per month. UCLA Health
  
  
• Some studies suggest that 150 minutes/week of moderate activity (or 75 min of vigorous) plus strength training helps. Mayo Clinic+1
  
  

How to Get Started 

Start small, add on to what you are already doing if possible. If a 30 minute walk is too unfathomable, go for 5 minutes and add a little each time.  Bring a friend or dog on a walk, your dog will benefit too!  Make it fun, what do you like to do, or  think about what you enjoyed to do when you were younger? Bike rides, dancing, yoga, hiking all count- anything with movement. Make a playlist, download a podcast or audiobook if that helps get motivated. (side note: audiobooks really help get me through dishes and laundry!)

Always check with your doctor if you have limitations or health concerns, sometimes they can prescribe physical therapy if it is medically necessary and they can help guide and provide appropriate exercise. 

Make a plan and don’t wait to start. Set small goals for yourself and write them on the calendar, it’s easy when we get started to completely forget until we establish the habits.   

Nutrition & Diet

Many of us are so used to the standard American diet that we may not realize the toll it is taking on our mental health. With so much conflicting information out there, it is easy to stay on the same path that we are on, or try different diets for short periods and give up because they are not sustainable for your lifestyle.  Some research below provides a small window into how nutrition and mental health are linked.

• A comprehensive review “Nutrition and mental health” describes the associations between diet quality and mental health outcomes, and notes that interventions are promising but need more robust trials. PMC
  
  
• Adan et al. (2019) concluded that diet plays a role in mental health, with intervention data supporting improved mood outcomes through dietary change. ScienceDirect
  
  
• Nutritional psychiatry is gaining traction as a discipline, attempting to translate this evidence into clinical application. Wikipedia+1
  
  
• Experts in the PsychNews Special Report emphasize common nutritional deficiencies in psychiatric populations (e.g. micronutrients, omega-3s) and the need for interdisciplinary partnerships (e.g. dietitians). American Psychiatric Association
  
  

    How to get started

Diet and nutrition can be tricky but research overwhelmingly agrees that whole foods and   minimally processed foods are the best foundation for our nutrition. I find that healthy changes work best by the “add in“ method.  Don’t change what you are doing but “add in” one vegetable and one fruit per day for example. “Add in” one glass of water in between sugary beverages to start cutting back. The “add in” method helps develop healthier habits over time because you won’t feel like you are limiting and depriving yourself. 

 If you have any medical complications or want to see faster progress, working with a nutritionist can be very helpful in developing a solid plan. (check with your insurance provider, many will cover nutritionist services. Please consult your doctor with any supplements and I always advise regular yearly physicals to help assess general health. 

Sleep 

Most people understand how important sleep is to our health, just remember the last time you got only a few hours and you’ll remember that it can make you grumpy and may even ruin your day. Below is some research that explains it further. 

• People with insomnia are 10× more likely to have depression, and 17× more likely to experience anxiety. Stanford Medicine
  
  
• Sleep deficits impair emotional control even in healthy individuals in short-term studies. Stanford Medicine
  
  
• The integrative medicine psychiatry report highlights sleep’s role in emotional regulation, cognition, and brain health. Psychiatry Online
  
  
• An integrative review bridging sleep and nutrition demonstrates how sleep influences appetite, metabolic regulation, and dietary behavior. PMC
  
  

What to do

 Establish a good night time routine.  Humans like routine, we may fight against it but when it comes to sleep having a set bed and wake up time is super helpful. Keep a dark cool room, and establish the last hour before bed as wind down time.  Read, take a hot shower, have a cup of tea or journal to get your sleep routine started.  I know this is a hard one but Stay off the phone! Seriously I could not find one study that links increased phone usage to better sleep and I bet you’ll be hard pressed to as well.  

If you believe that you have insomnia, talk therapy can help, specifically CBT-I (cognitive behavioral Therapy- Insomnia) can help improve sleep hygiene and develop better sleep habits while being guided by a professional.  

Sleep may arguably be the most important of the three I have explored today, although we can argue they are all linked.  It’s hard to exercise when we are exhausted, but we also know exercise helps with sleep so it's a challenging cycle to break at times. Again, start with the “add in” method. For example if you add a cup of chamomile tea and a good book the last hour of bed the phone has no place in that hour anymore. 

Conclusion 

Integrative mental health offers a powerful expansion to traditional therapy. While talk therapy  and medication can be super important, exercise, nutrition, and sleep are not optional extras but are foundational tools to support your mental health. 

 Here’s a simple suggested action plan:

1. Choose one  to start (sleep, movement, or nutrition).
   
   
2. Pick one small change you can commit to this week (10-minute walk, adding one vegetable, fixed bedtime).
   
   
3. Track/journal for a week and reflect on mood, energy, and challenges.
   
   
4. Once you have on habit established add another.

1. Seek professional help when needed whether it be a therapist, nutritionist, or doctor, you don’t have to do this alone! 

If you think I may be able to help you on your journey reach out for a free consultation today!