Working With Essences
Working in Layers
I often explain how I work with flower essences using a set of nesting dolls. I actually keep nesting dolls here because I use this example so often.
We begin with the outside doll, whatever we're choosing essences to work with right now.
As we spend time with a blend, we may begin to notice something underneath that first layer. And when we open that doll, there's another one inside.
What first appeared to be anger might have grief beneath it. A response we've struggled with for years might have developed as a way to protect ourselves. Sometimes an essence brings our attention to something we hadn't considered before.
And we're not throwing any of the dolls away.
Each layer belongs to us, including the parts that developed during difficult experiences. I believe flower essences can help us become more aware of those parts without treating them as something shameful or defective.
And not everything we discover underneath those layers is painful.
Sometimes we reconnect with something we love, a part of our personality we haven't expressed in years, or a strength we hadn't recognized. I find those discoveries just as meaningful as understanding the difficult things.
Some people work with a single flower essence blend for a while. Others choose to explore different essences over time as their interests and experiences change.
I don't believe there's a schedule for reaching that smallest doll in the middle. And I don't think we need to keep opening dolls just because they're there.
I prefer to give each blend time, pay attention to what someone actually experiences, and let that inform which essences we might work with next.
The Personal Side of Flower Essence Work
My own experiences have shaped the way I approach flower essences.
I've worked with them alongside years of personal therapy, and I've found them especially meaningful when exploring emotions and long-standing patterns in my own life.
Sometimes an essence has brought something into my awareness that I hadn't fully recognized before. Other times, the experience has been quieter, unfolding gradually as I've continued working with a blend.
I've also had experiences that were downright uncomfortable. That's why I take this work seriously and encourage people to have reliable emotional support in their lives.
I have a particular interest in flower essences that are traditionally associated with emotional experiences such as grief, fear, shame, anger, boundaries, and self-trust. I find it fascinating how individual plants can be understood through those different energetic qualities.
But my role is to create and guide you in working with flower essences. I'm not a trauma therapist, and I don't provide psychotherapy or treatment for mental health conditions.
I believe flower essences can be a meaningful complement to therapy and other forms of support. They've certainly been meaningful in my own life.
What I love most about this work is the relationship between the plants, their energetic qualities, and the individual person working with them.
There's always more to learn, and every experience is different.