THE USE OF INTEGRATIVE THERAPIES AS A STRATEGY TO PROMOTE THE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

The emotional well-being of elementary school students has emerged as a major challenge in contemporary education, given the rise in issues related to anxiety, stress, and interpersonal difficulties, as well as the impact of these factors on the teaching-learning process. In this context, Integrative and Complementary Practices (ICPs) offer strategies that can contribute to promoting holistic health and socio-emotional development within the school environment. This article aims to analyze the contributions of integrative therapies as a strategy for fostering the emotional well-being of elementary school students, identifying their potential impact on quality of life, emotional balance, and the learning process. To this end, a qualitative, descriptive study was conducted using a literature review methodology, drawing on books, scientific articles, official documents, and publications indexed in databases such as SciELO, Redalyc, Google Scholar, the Virtual Health Library (VHL), and PubMed. The results indicate that practices such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga, music therapy, art therapy, and other recognized integrative and complementary practices have the potential to foster emotional self-regulation, reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress, strengthen socio-emotional skills, and improve attention, concentration, interpersonal relationships, and the school climate—all of which positively influence students' holistic development. The study concludes that incorporating these practices into the educational setting constitutes a valuable complementary strategy for promoting emotional well-being and fostering an education focused on holistic human development, provided they are implemented in a planned, ethical manner based on scientific evidence.