We have recently added two new psychotherapists to our teams and I want to talk about the importance of that internal referral for patients.
As a naturopath, it is my job to not only look at how the physical body is functioning but also how the mental and emotional well being affects the physical body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the organs of the body hold and represent certain emotions. I can see this in patient cases all the time, so the referral to psychotherapy is imperative as the body won’t heal from an ailment as well unless the emotional burden is lessened. Below are the relationships between the organs of the body and their emotions and how they can present.

The liver governs the emotions of anger and frustration. I see the connection between the liver and these emotions in patients with hormonal disturbances like PMS, PMDD and perimenopause, or when the liver is overburdened by alcohol, toxicity or an unhealthy lifestyle. Support through talk therapy, lifestyle modifications and liver herbs such as Milk Thistle are a well rounded way to improve liver function.

The lungs house the emotions of grief and sadness. I see this commonly with a lingering cough or throat clearing after someone has experienced a loss in their lives. Having these emotions processed by a therapist can be so beneficial to the functioning capacity of the lungs in addition to supplement support like NAC and Quercetin.

The kidneys hold the emotions of fear and apprehension. This can appear in the body as lower back pain or frequent urinary tract infections. If there is unprocessed fear, this is something that is beneficial to explore emotionally with a therapist as this cangreatly benefit the impact on the kidney meridians.

The heart represents joy and the ability to have too little or give too much of yourself to achieve higher levels. Healthy boundaries are important here as heart disease is one of the number one killers and is commonly seen in both men and women. Having a healthy life balance in addition to regular exercise, healthy diet and clear boundaries with others is a great way to support the heart.

It is important to treat the body from a holistic perspective and this involves the mental and emotional wellbeing. Seeing a psychotherapist in addition to naturopathic advice is a great idea to get to more of the root and to the emotions that could be impacting organs and in turn pathologies.

Wishing you all a beautiful summer!

Be well.