Resources

What is EMDR Therapy?

Watch "What is EMDR Therapy" on YouTube

 

Let's Chat about Depression

In this video, Susie provides an easy to understand approach to identifying the signs that a loved one, friend or family member has depression. She goes on to explain approaches and resources to get them back on track and the help they need.

Watch "Let's Chat about Depression" on YouTube

 

Using Essential Oils to Reduce Anxiety Symptoms

Our body’s response to danger and fear has an organic and useful function that when working properly keeps us out of harm’s way and alerts us when we need to focus and take notice of our surroundings.  However, these autonomic responses become exaggerated producing an anxiety that is both inhibiting and unproductive.  It is this kind of anxiety that may trigger avoidance or isolation, substance use, reactive responses in the form of anger, physical aggression, sadness, emotional outbursts or perhaps even a frozen state in which we become unmovable or ineffective to the demands of daily life.

Watch "Using Essential Oils to Relieve Anxiety" on YouTube

Essential oils and aromatherapy provide a unique tool in addressing the anxiety response because the olfactory bulb is closely linked to the amygdala in cueing the body for a response.  In the case of post traumatic stress disorder, the body can be triggered into an anxious response by pairing a smell from the original traumatic event with a response in the body.    With essential oils it is possible to develop strategies that do just the opposite.  We can pair a pleasant aroma with relaxation breathing and other self soothing strategies that rewire the brain towards an easing of anxiety symptoms and increasing calm and relaxation.

 

Through breathing and smelling an oil we can treat an acute anxiety response that slows racing thoughts and redirects our focus to breathing and bringing safety and calm to the body.  With practice we can also reprogram the body to release fear based thinking and stress responses such as heart pounding and rapid breathing by partnering an oil with self soothing strategies.