Chinese medicine offers a steady and balanced way to regain mental and physical equilibrium. The disease, which is a disharmony to the body/mind, took years to form. The treatment will also take time, and requires careful tending and adjusting. The tools of Chinese medicine: acupuncture, herbal medicine and diet therapy, are effective and useful.

A large portion of my patients suffer from depression, anxiety or bi-polar mood disorder in various degrees. There is a direct correlation between these conditions and various patterns that can be identified clearly and easily within Chinese medicine•s diagnostic capacities.

When treating emotional disorders, many of my patients at first expect that my treatment and my herbs will have the same effects they have experienced in the past from antidepressants, mood stabilizers or other western medications they have been prescribed by psychiatrists. Many are already on these medications, and while they have some relief, they still do not find the mental focus and calm they seek. The medication's side effects may be causing them discomforts. While some have to remain on their medications, others would love to gradually wean off them. The variances are great. All can be helped and treated.

The main things they all have in common are the yearning for balance and equanimity. To feel good, positive. Happy and content. When we meet every few weeks, the patient checks in with me. We feel the pulses. We discuss how they are doing, and we make necessary adjustments to the herbal prescription. The changes are gradual and slow over time, and eventually the shifts happen. Sometimes changes have to happen on other levels too, diet, exercise, spiritual guidance in whatever path the person may be on. And we keep working together, in deep support and attention to the spirit. Each person is unique, and in treating emotional and mood disorders, making lasting changes over time is an important principle. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step.