At one point of my healing journey, I was really curious about sources for the “container of therapy.” I naturally wanted to just escape into the forest until my healing was complete but turns out that wasn’t totally achievable 😉 I didn’t find the exact thing I was looking for but I did find some useful tidbits from experienced friends, counselors, research, previous studies, and created my own magic as I went. This article shares that caring magic.

Let’s do a grounding breathing exercise together to ground us and start us off on the topic. 

FOUR-POINT BREATHING

1. Find a square or rectangular object. Mine is a forest tapestry on my wall.
2. Slowly follow the outline of the object with your eyes:

• Vertical up: Breathe in to relax yourself
• Horizontal: Pause
• Vertical down: Breathe out to ground yourself
• Horizontal: Pause
• Continue until you’re calm.

Depending on your current life circumstances, after a few sessions with your counselor, you may ideally have identified certain “themes” in your life and how they affect you. And then the work happens. I’d like to share with you some herbal support therapies that will be your allies through therapy. This depends on what you are specifically working on and the type of therapy but this article comes from the heart and is how I personally supported myself through EMDR therapy.  My personal connection to this article is deep and part of my Light Bringer’s Journey:

By embracing our personal responsibility for our health through food as medicine, relationships with healing plants, embracing holistic natural ways of living and bringing ourselves towards balance, we connect with a deep natural healing flow of energy that allows us to transcend our own supposed limitations and be positive forces of change in our families, communities, and society.

From the Bottom, From the Top

Associating my theme(s) in terms of how things were showing up for me was helpful and through various tracking methods with my therapist, I determined that I had more of a mind agitation and anxiety theme – from the top. (In comparison to a theme of mind weakness and depression – from the bottom). Another theme to consider was the type of therapy. EMDR therapy (or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a mental health intervention that allows the brain to resume its natural healing process (vs. focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue as other therapies do) and is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. Knowing this, my focus was additionally on loving support and Mother Goddess energy. Feel into what feels right for you.

Relax Constraint and Calm the Mind with Nervous Sedatives and Anxiolytics

Nervines are a class of herbs that help our nervous system deal with stress. This blog speaks to just a few divisions among the broad category of nervines (which otherwise help support our emotional bodies with depression, stress, PTSD, etc). The nervous system has two main parts: The central nervous system which is made up of the brain and spinal cord. Then the peripheral nervous system which is made up of nerves that branch off from the spinal cord and extend to all parts of the body. The origin of mind agitation include mental and emotional imbalance; acute physical, mental or emotional trauma; high fever; sudden physical exertion or exercise; heating foods and drinks; and limited or short -term use of substances. 

In Chinese Medicine, mind agitation is seen in the context of Qi constraint and heat rising. Qi constraint is a tense condition with its key symptoms being nervous tension, insomnia, anxiety, repetitive thinking, and in more chronic conditions, an agitated or restless type of depression. These stem often from overwork, chronic physical or emotional negative stress, chronic illness, or from a constitutional predisposition.

“​​Suck on the juice
Spit out the rind
Clear your mind”

Bring in our allies. Nervous sedatives are also general relaxants. The term sedative in terms of herbs has an effect that is relatively mild compared to that of drugs, but their cumulative effect when taken over time enhances deep relaxation and thereby relief from symptoms. Herbs of this kind include chamomile flower, lemon balm leaf, lavender flower, passionflower, marjoram, california poppy, kava root. 
*Caution should be used if nervous sedatives are taken with medication like sleeping pills, etc.* 

Broadly speaking, anxiolytic herbs reduce anxiety. I would love to work with you to address any questions in order for you to get specific remedies catered to your emotional needs. You can schedule here to start the conversation. Here is a picture of some possible allies for you: Albizia, ashwagandha, chamomile, gotu kola, hawthorn, kava, lemon balm, passionflower. 

LEMON BALM SHOWCASE

Melissa officinalis (Latin) is one of my favorite herbal allies. Melissa is in the mint family and is like a refreshing hug that is always welcome. So welcomed that you’ll find her growing all over Portland. Melissa is calming to the mind and body and is mild so you can take as tea or tincture, during the day or at nighttime. Even rubbing lemon balm leaves and taking a few deep breaths in, embodying the aroma and imagining it flowing all throughout your body will bring you to a lovely state of calmness. Lemon balm is also a great herb for kids.

Flower Essences for Our Emotional Bodies

Flower essences are like a warm hug on your emotional body – yes, lots of hugs with this class of herbs 🙂 Developed in the 1930’s by Dr. Edward Bach, a physician and homeopath, they are homeopathic medicine taken similar to tinctures, but different in only taking a few drops on the tongue a few times per day. Flower essences can help bring balance in the mental or emotional systems which are connected to the underlying problems giving rise to problems in the physical system. Since each flower has its own vibration and energy, they have an influence on our own energetic subtle level of emotions and also on a cellular level. There are thousands of remedies to choose from. You can read more on flower essences on this blog post: Like a Solitary Flower: A guide to the medicine of Flower Essences.

Although I love nerding out and reading herb for herb what the emotional and metaphysical benefits are, I took the trustee Bach Questionnaire for my blend and connected with a local apothecary that carries the Bach Remedies. My blend for this time in my life included cerato, chestnut bud, elm, holly, and 3 others. See the linked blog above for more. 

YARROW FLOWER ESSENCE

Since Yarrow is a protective herb, the flower essence is excellent for those who are easily affected and depleted by their surroundings and the influence of others, and tend to be prone to environmental illnesses, allergies and psycho-somatic problems. It aids in shielding from outside influences and reducing leakage of energy and absorption of negative influences. Focusing on yourself while going through therapy is something to be proud of. This essence can aid in protecting your own energy so you can focus on Y O U.

HELP ON THE WAY

Human connection and support – community, family, friends, etc. – and a sense of belonging is one of the pillars of vital health. Journaling about what you are healing from and realizations is one way to process things. Another excellent way is talking about what you are healing from in therapy with others, and especially others with experience and who are supportive, loving, and open. Leaning into this, I’d like to share a few points around the container of therapy that have been graciously shared with me from a very dear friend that I am gratefully sharing with you:

• Be kind and gentle with yourself (and your inner child, or consider specifically what you are working on healing)
• Brainstorm what fills your cup or calms your soul to help you cope, especially right after a session. This can look like putting on something warm and fuzzy after your session, time in nature, setting time aside for yourself, minimizing stimulation. Also make time for incorporating self-care into your daily or weekly schedule.
• Be kind, open, and understanding with yourself if you need something different on a given day. Some days this looks like enjoying the sunshine. Other days this looks like buying a crystal associated with your emotional needs. Sometimes this looks like getting ice cream.
• Self-love immediately after the session is first, then using that self-love as motivation to thoughtfully keep going.

If you are seeing a counselor or going through a healing process of any kind, pat yourself on the back, kiss your own hand, smile at yourself in the mirror. You are doing the work. The points I’ve mentioned in this article – breathing techniques, herbal support, support of others, self- education, reflection – will help your whole self be held through the process. You’ve got this! And I’m here to help! If you are seeing a counselor, or are preparing to, I’d love to be on your support team to provide you with custom herbal formulas and options such as detox aid, a sleep hygiene plan and more, in order to assist your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual bodies as  you go through the process. Your formulas will personalized based off of your energetics, predisposition, and goals. You can schedule here.  

External Links/Resources:

• The Energetics of Western Herbs: A Materia Medica Integrating Western and Chinese Herbal Therapeutics, Volume 2 Revised, Enlarged Edition
• https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/
• https://www.bachremedies.com/en-us/
• McIntyre, Anne. Flower Power: Flower Remedies for Healing Body and Soul Through Herbalism, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy, and Flower Essences. New York, Gaia Books Limited, 1996