Mental Health

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Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has always stressed the importance of balanced emotions in maintaining our health. In other words, the link between our shen, a complex term translated as mind, spirit, consciousness and affect, is intricately linked to our overall well-being.

 

Many advancements in the understanding of mental health have taken place over the past few decades. The link between body, mind and soul that has always been acknowledged by TCM is now a commonly- accepted treatment strategy used by conventional medicine. Practices like Somatic Experiencing (SE), Bioenergetics, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), to name a few, are now commonly prescribed as an addition to more “traditional” talk therapy and cognitive behavior therapy. These practices focus directly on the physical body and nervous system, effectively calming the person, and helping to resolve underlying traumas and chronic stress that often contribute to mental health challenges.

 

Around the U.S., integrative mental health facilities have been created to assist patients seeking a comprehensive level of care. I was lucky to work in two of these clinics, located in California and Minnesota. I worked side-by-side with psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, and EMDR providers. Beyond therapy, these integrative clinics provided acupuncture, massage, yoga, and meditation. One of the two clinics created an intensive outpatient program for people seeking a short-term treatment plan that included more than just talk therapy, and for people transitioning out of in-patient treatment facilities. At both clinics, we focused intensively on resolving past traumas, which is an ever-present factor for many patients.

 

Working at an integrative mental health clinic proved to me over and over the power of TCM. This ancient medicine effectively treats many mental health issues. Research has proven that TCM helps alleviate symptoms related to anxiety and depression as well as other related illnesses like substance use disorder.

 

I am here to partner with you in your mental health journey, offering TCM- focused options beyond talk therapy and pharmaceuticals (although both are often appropriate and helpful for many people). Common mental health challenges of patients seeking treatment with me include: anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, substance use disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, and eating disorders.

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Are you ready to make a change in your life?