Introducing Clients to Their Biological Rhythms
As humans, our well-being is entrained by the rhythms of the natural world, especially the light of the sun and the dark of the moon, called the circadian rhythm. It is scientifically well-established that the symptoms experienced in bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, insomnia, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are rooted in circadian rhythm imbalances. Because many other rhythms are driven by the circadian rhythm, the clinical term for this emerging field is chronotherapies. Our circadian rhythm—has a large impact on your physical and mental health. Teaching clients to understand their personal circadian rhythm is a good first step for recovery from depression, PTSD, and more.
An additional layer of rhythm was recognized first by yoginis and yogis, who discovered that we alternate brain hemispheric dominance every 90–120 minutes. Modern science calls this alternation ultradian rhythm. This alternate brain dominance also reflects contralaterally in nostril dominance. Clinically, this provides us with insight into how specific breathing exercises can be used to affect the function of our right and left brain hemispheres, leading to changes in mood, relaxation, and sleep. Cognitive function and focus are also rooted in brain hemispheric dominance and respond to simple methods that anyone can use.
Use this FREE intervention to help your clients identify which side of their brain is dominant at any given moment. They can also intentionally activate either side of their brain, giving them more control over consciousness, mood, and energy level.
Finally, hormonal rhythms also affect our physical and emotional function. Hormones flow in cycles; the most well-known are the 28-day menstrual cycle and the 24-hour cortisol cycle that links to our circadian rhythm. Even vitamin D, a hormone, has cycles in the extreme northern and southern hemispheres, where it is higher in the summer and lower in the winter. Hormonal excesses or deficits contribute to various imbalances, including endometriosis, PMS, fibroids, insomnia, and depression. Our thyroid hormones can contribute to anxiety (if too high) or fatigue and depression (if too low). The flow of oxytocin—the “love hormone”—appears to be reduced in people with complex trauma; the administration of oxytocin is a promising intervention. The natural shifts in sex hormones as we age (lower testosterone in andropause or lower estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in menopause) are treated integratively with diet, herbs, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
In short, most mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and seasonal affective disorder, are a major response to the disruption of these biological rhythms. Understanding, identifying, and reestablishing these rhythms are essential tools for our clients to restore their mental wellness.
For more handouts and worksheets like this, including exercises, recipes, client stories, and more, check out my new book, The Brainbow Blueprint: A Clinical Guide to Integrative Medicine and Nutrition for Mental Well-Being, available now!
Leslie Korn, PhD, MPH, LMHC, ACS, FNTP, BCTMB, is a renowned integrative medicine clinician and educator specializing in the use of nutritional, herbal and culinary medicine for the treatment of trauma and emotional and chronic physical illness. She is known for her dynamism and humor providing clients effective alternatives to psychotropics. She completed her graduate education in the department of psychiatry and public health at Harvard Medical School and her life training in the jungle of Mexico where she lived and worked alongside local healers for over 25 years. She directed a naturopathic medicine and training clinic facilitating health, culinary and fitness retreats. She is licensed and certified in nutritional therapy, mental health counseling, and bodywork (Polarity and Cranial Sacral and medical massage therapies) and is an approved clinical supervisor. She introduced somatic therapies for complex trauma patients in outpatient psychiatry at Harvard Medical school in 1985 and served Acupuncture and faculty at National College of Naturopathic Medicine.
She is the author of the seminal book on the body and complex trauma: Rhythms of Recovery: Integrative Medicine for PTSD and Complex Trauma, 2nd Edition (Routledge, 2012, 2023); The Brainbow Blueprint: A Clinical Guide to Integrative Medicine and Nutrition for Mental Well Being (PESI, 2023), Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health (W.W. Norton, 2016), Eat Right Feel Right: Over 80 Recipes and Tips to Improve Mood, Sleep, Attention & Focus (PESI, 2017); Multicultural Counseling Workbook: Exercises, Worksheets & Games to Build Rapport with Diverse Clients (PESI, 2015); The Good Mood Kitchen (W.W. Norton, 2017); and Natural Woman: Herbal Remedies for Radiant Health at Every Age and Stage of Life (Shambhala, 2019). She was a founder of the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, a Fullbright scholar in Herbal Medicine and an NIH-funded scientist, in mind/body medicine. She is an approved clinical supervisor and is the research director at the Center for World Indigenous Studies where she designs culinary and herbal medicine programs with tribal communities engaged in developing integrative medicine programs.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Leslie Korn maintains a private practice. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. Dr. Korn receives royalties as a published author. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Leslie Korn is a member of the Nutritional Therapy Association and Integrative Medicine for the Underserved.
