Healing beyond the couch: There's no one way to heal | Loop Caribbean News - Loop News Caribbean

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Talk therapy has its place.

There is no question that therapy in its many forms - from virtual online sessions to text-based therapy via online messaging to traditional sessions of seeing a professional in-person or through group support - plays an important role in healing.

Talk therapy has saved more lives than we can capture through statistics. For, it provides a space for us to process difficult emotions, navigate life transitions, heal deep-rooted emotional wounds and develop coping strategies.

But as effective as it is, talk therapy or psychotherapy is not the only cure-all for persons who are struggling with their mental health.

Healing Alternatives

Tracey Wattley, owner of Island Therapy on the island of St Kitts has realised that there is not any one treatment that fits all and individuals can use a combination of treatments to get the help that is needed.

“Many persons who participate in therapy receive strength and recovery through individual or group services. However, psychotherapy is just one technique in treating mental health. There are other things like medication, case management, hospitalisation, support groups, self-help plan, peer support, that can complement the work of psychotherapy and are effective,” Tracey Wattley, Psychotherapist, Island Therapy.

Community Healing

We cannot ignore the role of community in our healing experience.

“On the practical level though in the Caribbean, we have always been a close-knitted society, and to some extent, our lives are enmeshed on a community level so being our brother’s keeper goes a long way in looking out for each other. Learning how to ‘hold space’ for each other by being observant of what’s happening and practising effective listening is powerful,” Tracey Wattley.

Our community might be our religious church group, or it may be our chosen friend circle or people in a community group who are passionate about the things that we care deeply about. Or, our community might look like reasoning with the elders around us from time to time.

Whatever form your community might take – lean into that.

For, it is in a community that we are given a space to get together, voice our concerns and develop personally or spiritually … and become psychologically strong.

“On an individual level practising mindfulness works. Mindfulness is tapping into our human ability to be fully present and aware of where we are and what we are doing daily. Knowing what’s affecting us, accessing our state of mind by acknowledging our thoughts and emotions and in general of well-being is a skill that can help us remain mental well.”

Outdoor Therapy

Tracey’s private practice, Island Therapy, utilises the persons-centered approach and she addresses, challenges like substance use, anxiety and depression, relationship difficulties, stress and anger management, gender identity/sexual orientation, grief, and complex trauma. What is unique about her practice is that it is not confined to a room, but her sessions involve being outdoors too.

Nature gives us a full mind-body recharge and reset. And, most times it is free.

Regardless of what island you find yourself on, going to the beach or spending time in nature is a sure way to boost your mood.

Whether it is the crisp breeze, the sound of the roaring ocean or the sand under our feet, or it is soaking in the sun or hearing the cocks crow and birds chirp, we don’t need a science-backed list of why nature generates a feel-good emotional response in us. We know this from experience. By simply stepping outside.

Our Culture is Our Medicine

Healing can also include cultural traditions, practices, and preferences that we hold close to our hearts.

Music, painting, and fetes make up the fabric of who we are and offer us a mental rest that can help us disconnect, and release stress and anxiety.

How? They produce those feel-good hormones – oxytocin, serotonin, endorphins, and dopamine that rush through our bodies. Feeling low mood? Consider stepping outside and focusing on the sounds and visuals in nature. Or take deep, belly full breaths for three minutes to calm the mind. Or turn on a DJ Puffy mix to wake your happy hormones.

Yoga and Breathwork

Dale Amory the owner of Imagine Yoga on St Kitts has witnessed firsthand the healing power of yoga and movement. She has seen how practices in yoga and breathwork have helped people to release trauma that may have taken root in their minds and body.

"'Yoga - living within is the only way out’. All life happens within you and once you understand that, you become the captain of your healing journey,” Dale Amory, Owner, Imagine Yoga.

Dale was instrumental in bringing one of the first yoga retreats to St Kitts and has hosted numerous weekend retreats. If you visit one of her sessions, it is clear that her passion is teaching, but her impact is healing.

On the connection of yoga and mental health, Dale shares that Yoga has many tools to help us remain in the present moment, and it helps us to become calm and relaxed in all situations. Our breath being our most valuable tool”.

In October 2018, Dale became a certified Hatha Yoga teacher. She has completed a Gong Mastery course at Hawkwood College and recently completed a second course in Sound Therapy for Groups with the Sound Healing Academy.

All of her experience and training is centered on healing from the inside out and it is an experience that many locals participate in as an alternative to talk therapy.

“Yoga is a way of life. It goes way beyond what happens on the mat. It Is the union of our entire being; our body, mind, energies, and emotions. Our goal is to teach everyone how to use our most powerful tool, our breath, which is always a part of us, at any time to help calm their body, mind, energies, and emotions. It is so important to understand that what happens in one aspect of our life, affects all aspects,” Dale Amory, Owner, Imagine Yoga.

The Mind-Gut Connection

As we contemplate healing, holistically, we have to pay attention to the direct link between what we eat and what we feel.

Whether it is a fresh bowl of greens with plantains, bush tea, or sweet drinks and burger and fries, what we eat may trigger emotional shifts in us – a dynamic that doctors call the mind-gut connection, and the reason scientists call the gut, our second brain.

But we don’t have to run off to try the latest diets pushed by wellness influencers, we can start cultivating a healthy gut by eating cruciferous vegetables and coloured vegetables that are plentiful in our markets and backyards.

Start Healing with What Resonates with You

“Accessing help practically means taking a look at different factors like what type of help is available and also considering if one can afford the help financially, the level of help that is required among other factors,” Tracey Wattley, Psychotherapist, Island Therapy.

We couldn’t agree more.

There are different ways to heal with professionals. Figuring out what to try starts with doing what you are drawn to and honouring your cultural roots. All the while being open to exploring other ways of healing.

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