Herbs As an Adjunctive Modality in Psychotherapy

Abstract

The prevalence and co-morbidity of mental disorders such as anxiety disorders, depression and neurosis are very common in modern society. These prevalent mental illnesses have brought many negative effects on people all over the world. As herbal-assisted psychotherapies are becoming more and more recognized, the drawbacks of exclusively Western medication are becoming apparent, including significant side effects and long medication cycles. In recent years, as the use of herbs in medicine has been explored, herbs have also been gradually utilized to alleviate or address the adverse effects of western medications. A large body of literature describes the use of herbal mechanisms as therapeutic tools for psychological disorders, including the tea-drinking method, where kava pepper extracts are made into an agent that regulates the level of neurotransmitters in the brain and reduces feelings of anxiety and nervousness. However, reviews on the use of herbs as adjuncts in psychotherapy are still lacking. This dissertation aims to further identify the adjunctive modalities of different herbs, thus providing useful information on the use of herbs.