Bharathy offers a unique blend of ancient wisdom from Buddhist counseling and the healing properties of Bach flower remedies to facilitate transformative change in her clients. This integrative approach aims to create a safe and trusting environment where individuals can embark on their journey of self-discovery and inner peace.
Drawing from the timeless teachings of Buddhism, Bharathy’s therapy sessions are infused with core values of kindness and compassion, fostering a judgment-free space for exploration and growth. Whether addressing mental or emotional challenges, clients are supported in confronting and overcoming obstacles that hinder their personal development.
By integrating Buddhist-inspired psychotherapy with Bach flower essence consultations, Bharathy provides a holistic approach to well-being. These therapies can be tailored to individual needs, offering a personalized path to healing and self-acceptance.
Together with Bharathy, clients work towards increasing self-awareness, developing healthy coping strategies, and finding relief from anxiety and depression. The ultimate goal is to unlock their inner potential, allowing them to experience more joy and meaning in life.
Through Bharathy’s guidance, clients are empowered to walk their “middle path” towards health and happiness, blooming into happier and more peaceful versions of themselves.
Read more about Bharathy in the latest MysticMag interview.
Can you provide an overview of your services in Bach Flower Consultations, Buddhist Counseling, and Therapeutic Breathwork, and how you incorporate these modalities into your practice?
The modalities offered are the ones that I feel are most useful in providing profound healing. Ultimately, be it Bach flower, Buddhist contemplative counseling, or Breathwork, they offer an opportunity to reconnect with the lost parts of the inner self, which enables one to relate to one’s suffering with a whole new awareness.
Bach flowers are gentle flower elixirs that shift negative emotional states that might remain stuck up in the psych of an individual, for example, Star of Bethlehem is a beautiful remedy that can be used to shift negative emotional states resulting from trauma, be it recent or in the distant past. There is no need to go into the details of the trauma, unlike other forms of therapy that re-visit the trauma to process it.
Buddhist contemplative counseling is rooted in the Buddhist philosophy of human suffering and how one relates to it. Awareness plays a huge role in this modality. Identifying the ever-present awareness within oneself, connecting to it, and allowing oneself to be led by it while traversing the complex labyrinth of life and all it holds is a key takeaway. Interestingly, the Buddhist understanding of human psychology and healing encompasses many modern psychotherapeutic concepts like somatic, body, and sensation-based, cognitive, psychodynamic, person-centered, and course mindfulness-based techniques.
Each modality represents a distinct approach to healing. How do you integrate Bach Flower Consultations, Buddhist Counseling, and Therapeutic Breathwork to address the diverse needs of your clients?
The healing journey is decided by the client. I can offer what I feel helps, but the client is usually drawn to a particular modality, and then they get in touch. There is no need to integrate the three, and sometimes, clients are clear they only want Bach flower consultation or Buddhist Contemplative Counselling. In their healing journey, there may arise a need to explore other modalities. I may make a suggestion, and it would be up to the client to take it up at this point.
Bach Flower Consultations involve the use of flower essences. How do you assess clients’ needs and select appropriate flower remedies to support their emotional well-being?
Bach flower remedies are entirely selected based on what emotional state the client expresses through their words, their body language, and sometimes even through their presence, even before words are spoken or the body assumes a posture. There are 38 different flower remedies categorized into 7 emotional states – Fear, Loneliness, Uncertainty, Insufficient interest in present circumstances, over-sensitivity to influence, hopelessness and despair, and finally care for the welfare of others. When a client begins to share their story and what has brought them to the appointment, it is possible to pick up words and feelings that correspond to a category or a particular remedy. Upto 7 remedies can be mixed up offering plenty of permutations and combinations capable of addressing, with accuracy and nuance several unique emotional states. For example, if a client presents with sleeplessness, it is important to understand what is keeping them awake. If it is nightmares, it would indicate Rock Rose. If it were a concern for the wellbeing of near and dear ones, it would be Red Chestnut. If it were fear of dark, it would be Mimulus, generalized fear would be Aspen, incessant thoughts would be White chestnut. A mix of these can be made to address a combination of these emotional states.
Buddhist Counseling incorporates principles from Buddhist philosophy. How do you apply these teachings to guide clients through their challenges and promote personal growth and self-awareness?
The Buddhist understanding of human suffering is based on how one relates to suffering and brings to light through contemplation and examination the cyclical nature of suffering. The goal of no therapy is to exterminate suffering, and the goal of any therapy is to come to terms with the reality of suffering and how one chooses to interact with it. The Buddhist philosophy has offered profound insights into the nature of human experience and the evolution of patterns, tendencies, and habits. At the end of the day, when there is a lack of awareness, patterns and habits will repeat. The whole therapeutic process is about helping the client get in touch with their ever-present awareness, connect with it, and finally relate to life experiences in the presence of this awareness. Analogies, meditation techniques, mindful exercises to develop self-compassion, Buddhist concepts like dependant origination, and tools like the wheel of life are immensely useful in the therapeutic process. Needless to say, the role of compassion and kindness, firstly and most importantly toward self and then others is a profound healing tool – if you do not relate to yourself with kindness, you can’t relate with “genuine” kindness toward anyone else.
Therapeutic Breathwork focuses on the breath as a tool for healing. How do you incorporate breathwork techniques into your sessions, and what benefits have you observed in terms of stress reduction and emotional release?
Breathwork is an ancient yogic offering. The fundamental principle underpinning breath work is that as the breath wanders the mind wanders too. If they can regulate their breath, they can regulate their mind and emotions. There are 3 “R” s that capture the essence of the changes that regular breath work can bring about from a mental health point of view – the response rate – how frequently one “loses” it, response intensity – how severely one “loses” it, and response recovery – how soon one recovers to balance after “losing” it.
I offer it as a tool to incorporate into their daily lives. Certain types of breathing in certain ratios may be offered to address specific conditions, for example, someone with anxiety may need longer exhalations, and someone with depression may need more energetic breathing. Therapeutic breath as a supportive tool can aid in restoring well-being along with therapy or Bach remedies.
As a practitioner offering Bach Flower Consultations, Buddhist Counseling, and Therapeutic Breathwork, how do you create a safe and supportive space for clients to explore their emotions and experiences, and what role does client empowerment play in the therapeutic process?
The therapeutic environment I foster for my clients is mostly non-directive and rooted in a person-centered ethos. The Buddhist perspective on the therapeutic relationship is also based on the inner capacity for growth and change that every being has within themselves, the Buddha nature that dwells in all of us. Client empowerment is, therefore, paramount and naturally happens as the client begins to trust the therapeutic relationship and feels safe as a result of a nonjudgemental, compassionate environment that this kind of contemplative work fosters. Client confidentiality is also paramount to creating a safe space where the client has the trust to explore their inner environment.
