Services:

Read here about the array of therapies we offer and how they work for various disorders.
Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Counseling

There are times when the presence of inner and social conflicts have an impact on health.

Life transformations, such as loss of a loved one, marital and relationship problems, problems with family members or children, job changes and difficulties all have the potential to be sources of stress and can force out into the open previously ignored  inner conflicts. Inner conflicts can be feelings we have inside that are at odds with the situation we find our life in, such as being frustrated from working in a career we are unsuited to, or they can be even deeper, mixed feelings within that are at loggerheads with each other. Perhaps part of us feels good; about something we are involved in, and another aspect of our being is uncomfortable or even averse  Sometimes, in our running of the rat race we simply don’t take the time out to face our feelings until the iceburg starts to poke out of the ice-water and endanger the shipping lanes.

Counseling is a method where by meeting and discussing internal and social conflicts with a  properly trained professional, one improves one’s skills in dealing with the challenges endemic to living in an open and rapidly changing society. A counseler often deals with marriage and family problems, but can also deal with internal conflicts and adjustment issues of personal and work related natures.

Psychotherapy is a method that generally involves going more deeply into one’ emotional life and facing the difficult  issues that affect one’s dealing with other persons and how one feels about oneself. There are numerous methods of psychotherapy, from behavior modification  to cognitive therapies to insight therapies or even Freudian psychoanalysis. Some focus closely on specific behavior change, while others focus more on adjustment of feelings or becoming comfortable with becoming yourself. In my opinion, the best approach is one that is flexible and appropriate to the individual, and that embraces the role of emotions and behaviours in the pursuit of happiness.

The Relationship between Emotional Conflict and Physical Illness

In the practice of Acupuncture and Herbal medicine it is not uncommon to see patients with illness or pain  that is  aggravated or even induced by emotional conflict. The most common are relationship and work-related problems. Being in an unrelentingly frustrating situation at home or work has a definite impact on the state of muscular and gastrointestinal tension. This is simply the fight or flight mechanism. And sometimes one is in a constant fight or flight response unknowingly, and there are no specific situational triggers to this state. In this scenario, it is sometimes the presence of inner conlict, or simply a learned pattern of being in the world, that is responsible for such a state.


Often these patients will have chronic neuromuscular pain, non-infectious inflammation, digestive disorders or headaches. And while all of these patients will benefit from learning how to relax in their bodies through acupuncture, herbal medicine, meditation, yoga and tai-qi, many of them will improve dramatically if there is a root “conflict” or “discomfort” that is resolved by psychological and emotional processing.  Sometimes we simply need extra help figuring out what exactly it is that is bothering us, or observing what it is that is making us chronically tense. And sometimes we simply need to ventilate our emotions in a safe environment with someone who is attentative and there completely for us. Many of us have never experienced what it feels like to be the center of attention and to be listened carefully to, that is taken seriously.

The root of disease in Chinese Medicine is the stagnation or blockage of the natural flow of Qi in the Channels of the body. This leads either to “flooding of Qi” (too much of something in the wrong place, with a consequent pathological accumulation of Qi, Blood, Yin, Yang, Heat, Cold, Dryness or Dampness) or emptiness of Qi (not enough of something where it needs to be, with a consequent lack of nourishment of Qi, Blood, Fluids, Yin or Yang energies).

In Chinese medical treatment of psychological diseases we see flooding of qi in mania, addictions, anger and frustration issues, bulimia, overeating, psychotic and schizophrenic disorders. We see emptiness of Qi in depression, anorexia, bulimia, shame, guilt, social phobia, overeating, and bipolar disorders especially. For more specifics on the treatment of psychological disorders in Chinese medicine, please see the newsletter section of this website.

While Acupuncture, Herbs, and Meditation  work on the MindBody through the Qi, and can, therefore, be very effective as primary or complementary medical treatment of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, addictions, schizophrenia and psychoses (remember the Chinese had a highly developed medical system for treating all illness of society long before the development of 20th century psychology and psychiatry), it is also said in Chinese medicine that “the mind leads the Qi.”             

When there is disorder in the mind--emotions--thought processes--psyche this will cause a disorder in the flow of qi in the body. When we simply are unhappy with ourselves, who we are, what we have achieved, how we respond to life, this will cause qi stagnation in the channels of the body. In Chinese medicine, different emotions will even affect very specific parts of the body’s qi, for example, grief, especially unexpressed or resolved grief, affects the lung qi,  while worry and frustration can affect the digestive qi, and anger affects the liver/gallbladder qi causing it to rise to the head as in headaches, hypertension, and eye problems.

While Chinese medicine can very effectively unblock qi flow and harmonize yin/yang of the organs, giving profound relief,  there are times when the root of the problem, disorder in thoughts and emotions, must be addressed through the tools of language, cognition and emotional expression. This was discovered around World War I by neurologists treating veterens with “shell shock” who responded very well to what was then called “the talking cure.”

Psychotherapy and Counseling treatment for “psychological disorders”  is compatible with and often empowered  and accelerated by concurrent Acupuncture and Herbal treatment. Acupuncture and Herbs can release the store of emotions locked in the physical body allowing them to rise to the surface, so they are more accessible for work in counseling or psychotherapy.  It is the role of the psychologist or counselor to provide a safe venue for the client  to explore her feelings, to be emotionally and mentally present with the client so that he experiences unconditional positive regard, or empathy, and to work out practical plans if need be, for dealing with unhelpful behaviors, or difficult life situations that are obstructing the clients full level of self-actualization and happiness.

To the Chinese Medicine professional, referral to a “mental health” professional comes when we see that cognitive or emotional disharmonies are contributing strongly to, or even at the root of chronic tension and inflammatory disorders, or simply that a patient has levels of sadness, grief, or emotional pain that may be impinging on his/her progress in treatment. Referral to a mental health professional should never be thought of in a negative light. It is a reflection of your willingness  to face yourself and embrace the deep levels of your own being. This is a reflection of strength and maturity.

If you have any further questions about the relationship between counseling, psychotherapy and Chinese or Ayurvedic medicine, or if you want to know if Chinese or Ayurvedic medicine can help you with your problem, please call Eyton Shalom @619.296.7591 or email eyton@bodymindwellnesscenter.com

If you have any further questions about counseling or psychotherapy, or to set up a consultation with Mel D. Karmen, Ph.d., therapist and marriage and family counseler, please call him directly at 619.296.9442
  home - about us - how we help - newsletter - contact
 3577 Louisiana St., San Diego CA 92104 - Phone 619.296.7591 - Email eyton@bodymindwellnesscenter.com