What is Whole Person Care?

Whole person care intentionally considers the interconnected dimensions of health — physical, mental, social, and spiritual — along with the broader conditions that influence them.

This approach is grounded in understanding people within their family, community, and cultural contexts. It values lived experience and community knowledge alongside clinical expertise, creating more responsive and effective care.

What Whole Person Care Looks Like in Practice

In the Morrison Family College of Health, we describe the core components of whole person care as person centered, prevention focused, culturally responsive, holistic, and integrated. When nurses, social workers, therapists, and other health professionals use a whole-person approach, they:

• Develop treatment plans that reflect individual health goals and priorities
• Integrate trauma-informed and strength-based approaches into individual interactions
• Work effectively across disciplines to provide coordinated, team-based care
• Demonstrate cultural humility and an ability to develop rapport and trust
• Recognize how social, environmental, and economic factors influence health behaviors and outcomes
• Are familiar with cultural traditions and healing modalities that can support health and well-being
• Use a prevention-focused lens to create conditions that promote health at the individual-, community-, and system-level.

How We Teach Whole Person Care at St. Thomas

Whole person care plays a central role in the Morrison Family College of Health curriculum.

Students across nursing, social work, counseling psychology, and health & exercise science learn to assess and address the full range of factors that influence health. They develop the skills to collaborate across disciplines, engage with communities, and advance health equity through culturally responsive care.

From the classroom to clinical and community settings, students are prepared to deliver care that reflects the complexity of real lives.