Not surprisingly, there has been a disturbing worldwide increase in mental health issues. You have probably seen it in your family members, friends, work colleagues, acquaintances, and patients. You are hit with it 24 hours a day on the news reports.

Yet, with the increase in mental health disorders globally, the literature to support the use of Chinese medicine to treat these emotional complaints has not kept up. No doubt you have been taught how to treat the traditional Seven Emotions (Qī Qíng/七情) but what do you do when a patient isn’t needing treatment for one of those seven?

Course description

David Hartmann has studied, and treated, mental health disorders for a long time. During this workshop, he will not only take you through the vast array of mental health disorders your patients are suffering from, but he will also explain what mental health is, from a Chinese medicine and philosophy perspective. By analyzing mental health disorders, along with their Yīn Yáng Organ/Five Element/Eight Extraordinary Vessel relationships and diagnosis, you will get an understanding of what it means to suffer from mental health disorders.

Acupuncture point combinations are included throughout, making the workshop clinically relevant immediately. David will not only explain to you the importance of good point combinations, and what point combinations have good results in certain mental disorders, but also how you can construct the best point combinations yourself for patients with emotional or mental problems.

David will begin our mental health journey by looking at the following mental health disorders:

Depression – including a discussion on suicidal tendencies; plus, a deeper look at identity issues (‘why am I here?’, ‘what is the point of my life?’, ‘who am I?’, ‘why does it look like everyone else has it all worked out but not me?’)

Anxiety

Stress, frustration, overwhelm

Shame

Procrastination

Phobias

Panic attacks

Timidity, shyness, withdrawal from society.

Further, David will discuss with you how Chinese medicine understands what it takes to be healthy – physically, mentally, and spiritually. He will illustrate this by looking at the following issues that patients also suffer from:

Self-esteem issues – including a discussion on ‘External Skin’, ‘Internal Skin’, and the Heart Shield (Xīn Bāo/心包)

Sympathy/empathy concerns

Problems living in the present moment – prefer to live in the past or future

Hypervigilance

A pessimistic approach to life

Addictions/cravings – including smoking, alcohol, and opiates

After this David will end his fascinating workshop by explaining what ‘full inner mental health’ really is. This knowledge will allow you to help your patients better understand who they are, how they react/are triggered by life’s adventures and challenges, and how to let go of their emotional trauma and move into joy, peace, contentment, and harmony.

This remarkably insightful workshop will give you lots of new tools you can apply in your clinic immediately. Your patients will thank you for it!

David Hartmann about the course

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Learning Objectives:

At the end of this workshop you will:

Be more proficient in identifying the wide range of different mental and emotional disorders seen in clinic.

Understand the various forms of diagnoses that can apply for the mental and emotional disorders discussed.

More confidently diagnose and treat patients with mental and emotional disorders.

Have a greater insight into the importance of acupuncture point combinations.

Feel like you now have the tools to construct your own acupuncture point combinations for mental and emotional disorders.

Have been taken through Chinese medicine concepts that are new to you; something you had forgotten you knew and are therefore reminded of again; or for consolidating knowledge already known.

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Knowledge Expectations:

Whilst not imperative, it would be advisable to be somewhat familiar with the following Chinese medicine concepts:

Be familiar with the locations and needling methods for the 100 points you will receive after registration for this workshop.

Have a basic understanding of the special point categories within Chinese medicine. Of particular importance are the categories called - Back Shù, Front Mù, Yuán Source, and Luò Connecting.

Know the basic organ partnerships in Chinese medicine, in particular for the Yīn Yáng partners (Five Elements), Yīn Yīn partners (Six Divisions), and the Yáng Yáng partners (Six Divisions).

Have at least a base level understanding of the Qí Jīng Bā Mài (Eight Extraordinary Vessels).

Have at least a base level understanding of the Wǔ Shén (Five Spirits).

Understand basic Chinese medicine terms such as the Zàng Fǔ (Yīn Yáng organs), Sān Jiāo (Triple Energizer), Five Elements/Phases (Wǔ Xíng), and Zàng Fǔ Patterns of Disharmony.

Be familiar with basic anatomical terms which relate to locating acupuncture points. Also understand other terms used to locate acupuncture points such as distal and proximal, lateral and medial, anterior and posterior, superior and inferior, palmar and dorsal, radial and ulnar, etcetera.

Have at least a base level understanding of the proportional measurements used to locate acupuncture points. For example, the distance between the elbow crease and the wrist crease is 12 cùn.

Since this workshop is partly theoretical, partly hands-on, be sure to be happy enough to do some needling on other people, as well as to be needled by others at various stages during the workshop.

Rest assured that there will be ample opportunity to ask questions should you not fully understand something. David will provide you with his email address so that you can contact him in the future should the need arise.

Even if you do not yet have all the basic knowledge mentioned above, you are welcome to the workshop, as long as you have some basic knowledge of Chinese medicine and needle techniques.

But of course it is true: the more basic knowledge you bring to this workshop, the more new and interesting skills and ideas you will be able to use in your future treatments!

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