At Wildflower Holistic Services, our model of care is not just a philosophy—it’s the lifeblood of everything we do. We go beyond traditional methods to nurture the whole person, build meaningful connections, and challenge societal views on mental health and disability. The "Wildflower Way" is about embracing the unique qualities of every individual, and creating space for people to flourish as their authentic selves. Why?!
Because each and every one of you is unique. The odds of your existence roaming the world exactly as you are at this given point in time are so rare that you are the only YOU that will ever be. And YOU deserve to be honoured for that. Everyone has their own way of interacting with the world, understanding the world and seeing the world and that is okay.
In a previous blog post, our co-founder, Alex, shared a quote from Mark Twain: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why.” For Alex and Bec, the "why" behind founding Wildflower was to create a safe space for people to be authentically themselves and to revolutionise how society views and treats mental health and disability.
It is important to ask yourselves, have you or a loved one ever felt let down by traditional healthcare systems—like you weren’t truly seen or heard? Like you were judged or dismissed? Like you were treated as a number instead of a person? That’s what we call "the old way" of healthcare. It’s a system that focuses on treating what’s “wrong” with you instead of recognising you as a whole person. Whilst the “old way” has its place in the world, at Wildflowers, we welcome “the new way,” or what we call the Wildflower Way.
The Old Ways: The Medical Model and Social Model of Disability
The medical model focuses on diagnosing and treating physical or mental conditions through a reductionist lens, where parts of the body are treated in isolation. For example, it might treat a heart condition by focusing solely on the heart, without considering the individual's lifestyle, environment, or emotional well-being. Therefore this model is primarily concerned with curing diseases and relieving symptoms through medical treatments such as drugs, surgery, or other interventions. It’s a valuable model for physical health issues like broken bones, but it often treats individuals as if they need fixing. For example, in the medical model, someone with autism might be pressured to stop stimming or make eye contact to "fit in," reinforcing a message that how they interact with the world are something to be “corrected.”
The social model explains that disability ‘exists’ because socially there is not adequate infrastructure and inclusive practices put in place. It focuses on the external barriers such as societal attitudes and environmental limitations. However, it is a step forward in highlighting that a person's disability is not inherently the problem - it's the lack of accommodations or accessibility. Therefore, people feel isolated, and society exacerbates the disability, for example, not having a ramp to allow wheelchair access within a school, or a building that only has stairs rather than ramps or a lift. While this approach has its strengths, it still falls short of acknowledging the whole person and their full spectrum of needs and strengths.
The Wildflower Way: A Holistic Approach
At Wildflower Holistic Services, we work within a new model—one that looks at the whole person, not just their symptoms or diagnosis, whilst fostering an inclusive and supportive community. The Wildflower Way embodies a holistic approach, where every aspect of a person’s life is considered, from physical and emotional health to social, intellectual, and even financial well-being.
Our approach means considering the interconnectedness of all these factors. For example, someone may come to us for anxiety, but through deeper conversations, we might uncover lifestyle factors - like excessive caffeine use or disrupted sleep patterns, that play a big role in their mental health. By looking at the whole picture, we help individuals find sustainable solutions to their challenges or at times accept the position they are in as opposed to just a band-aid fix or stating this is the way it's going to be.
One client beautifully summed it up:
"My quality of life has dramatically improved thanks to the incredible support from Wildflowers. Because of them, I’ve been able to move into my own home, enrol in university, participate in the community, and meet new people—things I never thought possible."
Through our holistic approach, this client was able to gain the skills to navigate what being autistic meant for them. This in turn gave them more mental stability, fewer meltdowns, and the ability to live a more productive, fulfilling life.
Our model centres on empowering individuals to embrace their strengths and live authentically. We nurture relationships, recognise the value of diversity, and create an inclusive space where no one feels reduced to a diagnosis. Our pillars of health—physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, and financial well-being—inform every aspect of our care, ensuring we meet the full range of needs for every person we serve. As a big part of the holistic approach is giving you the tools you need to take care of your mental health in order to thrive and to learn how to navigate the world with all your different levels of abilities.
At Wildflower, we believe in celebrating each person’s individuality, fostering connection, and supporting mental health and disability in ways that empower, rather than restrict. This is the Wildflower Way, and we’re here to walk alongside you on this journey of transformation and growth.
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