Alternative approaches to psychotherapy?

Has anyone here dealt with alternative practitioners who claim to do psychotherapy? Honestly, I’m a bit lost on how they even function—I mean, how does someone call themselves a therapist after just a few months of training instead of years of actual schooling? Or maybe I've got that wrong—who knows?
Does anyone have any insight on this?

What kind of (specifically) alternative psychotherapy are you even talking about here?

To be honest—I really don't get this stuff. I know someone who’s currently in school for it, and right now they're all about chakras and auras... who knows where that'll lead them?

i - what’s the actual issue here? (sorry for asking, but I guess I just don't quite follow your question)

What’s even the issue? It’s not really a big deal—I’m just curious about how things like chakras actually tie into stuff like depression... I don't quite get it.

Think of each chakra as a hub for a specific cluster of emotions, life scenarios, and physical traits... essentially, they govern distinct sectors of a person's existence. For instance, depression is often linked back to the first chakra...
The theory suggests that almost all psychological or physical ailments—and just general life struggles, really—stem from energy flowing through the body being either too sluggish or way too intense. The specific issue or sickness usually manifests in relation to whichever chakra is out of whack. So, you might see issues regarding intimacy, finances, or pleasure tied to the second chakra... then there's self-esteem tied to the third, and so on...
The idea is that you can actually resolve these problems by utilizing specific types of meditation or by directing bioenergy toward a particular chakra to clear the blockage...

I was wondering if anyone here has actually tried using specific types of massage to tackle mental health stuff? Honestly, it sounds a little wild to me... I get the whole idea that chakras are linked to physical functions—that makes sense enough for physical issues—but when it comes to the mind, it feels like such a stretch, doesn't it?
So, I’m curious—has anyone actually experienced this, or maybe even found it helpful enough to recommend?

I gave it a shot and honestly, it works wonders. 😁

Once you go through it, you finally start to grasp how you actually function...
(specifically when it comes to Reiki)

wiredsurfer16 said:what’s the issue? it’s not an issue... I just want to know how chakras relate to things like depression. I don't get it.

Chakras are basically energy centers. In the physical body, they show up through nerve plexuses and the endocrine system—which controls everything from bodily functions to the mind via hormones and neurotransmitters.
An imbalance in the endocrine glands means an imbalance physically and mentally. If certain hormones are overproduced or underproduced, it hits the endocrine glands and the autonomic centers in the brain, which manage both the glands and the autonomic nervous system.
Depression usually stems from a mental cause (though it can be organic)—an imbalance in thoughts and emotions affects the endocrine and autonomic systems. That imbalance then flows into the energetic or prana system, where you can influence the chakras to find balance. As velvetpilot212 mentioned, you can use specific meditation techniques, but really, it’s just about deconditioning, facing reality, and raising awareness.

Mental imbalances—like depression, grief, intense anger, or anxiety—usually come from:

1) subconscious conflict
2) conditioning

Which prevents us from reacting naturally or harmoniously to what’s happening around us. Everyone deals with mental conflicts; there’s no other way to learn about ourselves or the world. But because of that conflict and conditioning—acting or thinking in ways that don't fit the situation, refusing to accept ourselves, or getting stuck on certain patterns and identifying too closely with negative thoughts—blocks form. Over time, these become energy system blockages, and eventually, physical ones.
Not identifying with those negative thoughts, practicing self-analysis, observing oneself neutrally, and practicing self-acceptance are how we balance our mental world.

Negative thoughts impact the autonomic and endocrine systems. Those systems produce hormones that loop back to affect the mind again. It feels like a cycle that's impossible to break. The only entry point is our thoughts and how we handle them.

Energy or prana imbalances aren't just limited to Chakras. That idea is a bit of an esoteric simplification. Deeper energetic imbalances happen at:

1) prana and pranic blocks, or an imbalance between vital prana and mental prana
2) chakra imbalances
3) imbalances in Ida and Pingala—the mental vs. active/physical energy, or the two sides of our personality

Using Reiki to balance chakras feels good, but on its own, it isn't enough since most blocks show up in other areas. When the physical and mental aspects are seriously disrupted, you have to take a holistic approach to address energy blocks.

Naturally, Yoga is the most complete system for balancing the physical, mental, and energetic levels. These concepts actually stem from the practice itself.

That was just a rough outline. I didn't want to dive too deep into the complex links between the endocrine/autonomic systems and the energetic/mental side (though I had to mention the mental-autonomic-endocrine link where depression starts). But that’s exactly where Yoga works. If anyone wants more, I'm happy to answer. 🙂

wiredsurfer16 said:I'm wondering if anyone here has actually tried using specific types of massage to tackle mental health issues. Honestly, it sounds a bit far-fetched to me... I get the concept that chakras are linked to physical bodily functions, so that makes sense... when dealing with physical ailments, I'm on board... but applying it to the psyche? Just doesn't seem to click for me.
So, has anyone actually experienced this, or maybe even recommend it?

Chakras operate on a deeper energetic level than just psychology; they have an energetic impact on the mind itself. If you look around, most people's consciousness is stuck hovering around the bottom three chakras—basic instincts, intimacy, and material stability. Those are their primary energized centers.

But regarding imbalances, other factors come into play too. Chakras aren't the sole deciding factor. They're vital, sure, but any physical or metabolic imbalance we notice is usually just a symptom of a complex set of blockages stemming from those personality aspects mentioned above... 🙂

You forgot to mention that you actually gave it a shot and that it works like a charm 😁

btw - 👏

velvetpilot212 said:you left out the part where you actually tried it, and that it works great 😁

btw - 👏

😁

what's that about? 😕

alternative psychotherapy, what else is out there 🙄 ( 😁 )

wasn't talking about that😉

just trying to pin down some concepts... the kind of stuff surface-level mystics love to twist and misuse😉

And here’s my take on that first question from the intro post.