American Indian holistic healing: Phenomenological inquiry sculpting the circle of life

The relevance and importance of Indigenous healing to global health is widely acknowledged with more studies needed that describe the qualities of Indigenous healing that make them effective (World Health Organization, 2001). As well, the field of professional counseling holds an ethical imperative that counseling services be congruent with client race, ethnicity, and culture (American Counseling Association, 2014; Commission on Rehabilitation Counseling Certification, 2009). Additionally, there exists a burgeoning interest in art-based healing methods (Coholic, Cote-Meeks, & Recollet, 2013) with compelling evidence that creative arts, culture, and healing are not only connected, but considered synonymous within many American Indian communities. The Circle of Life is an Indigenous symbol that combines creative, cultural, and healing properties within a universally accepted symbol representing holistic health and well-being; American Indian medicine values the Circle of Life and what it means to live in harmony and balance through the interrelatedness of mind, body, spirit, and emotion (Carlock, 2006). Although studies are beginning to suggest sculpting the Circle of Life within a Native American peer-group setting may provide healing (Coholic et al., 2013; Garner, Bruce, & Stellern, 2011), no exact studies exist. As such, this phenomenological (hermeneutic) inquiry examines the meaning-giving healing properties of sculpting the Circle of Life and seeks to understand how sculpting the Circle of Life and dialoging collectively on its image by interpreting its symbol is perceived as meaningful for American Indian people.