Anxiety
Anxiety can appear in many forms, such as heart palpitations, awakening in the middle of the night, a feeling of panic running through the body, uncontrollable sweating. In such instances, it is important to check for any deficiencies or excesses that might be exacerbating these symptoms, and treating them with herbal remedies. It is also a time to explore through dream work and active imagination those sides of the self that may be driving these feelings of anxiety. Acupuncture is also used to calm the spirit and transform the anxiety into energy that can be used for living a rich life.
Depression & Sadness
Sadness & depression often arise when our inner and outer worlds are out of alignment...we feel that our life should be one way; but instead it’s doing something else. The effect can be numbing, making it difficult to function and feel alive. As unlikely as it may seem, these times can have a silver lining because they are an indication that something inside of us is trying to awaken, and to come into the world. Acupuncture, dream work and herbal remedies aid our exploration of these important times of awakening.
Major Life Transitions
The major transitions that happen in life – whether it be the birth of a child, moving to a new home, a divorce or ending of a relationship, the loss of a job, or the death of a loved one – can be our most challenging times. When we encounter such a transition, our own identity goes into a state of flux. There may be a feeling that our whole life is up for grabs, that we no longer know who we are, or what we should do next, or what everything is about. Work with alchemical acupuncture can help to smooth out these transitions, so that it is possible to keep moving forward as life takes us to a new and different place.
Relationship with Food
Many people have a struggle with food. It can become an unpleasant focal point of one’s life – whether one is feeling overweight or slender, but obsessed about not gaining; or underweight with no appetite and constantly losing. No matter the scenario, there is an imbalance at work. My work with patients around food and weight loss, weight maintenance or weight gain is to help establish a habit of “healthy” eating. The goal is to feel good and nourished at all times; to enjoy food for the wonderful pleasure that it is; and if weight loss is sought – to lose weight slowly without deprivation or drama. It is also important to make sure there are no underlying deficiencies at work. Having deficient Spleen qi can make it difficult to take in nourishment from the foods we eat, so that cravings for more fatty or sweet foods is heightened.
Trauma
Recent or past traumas such as emotional, physical or sexual abuse often become trapped in the physical body so that no matter how much they are talked about, or ‘worked through,’ they still have a presence that can be debilitating. Alchemical/Five Elements Acupuncture is one method that can help to release them from the body so that life can continue with new momentum.