Healing The Family with Bach Flower Essences [Paperback]

Yeo Soo Hwa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2005

Since they were discovered nearly 70 years ago, Dr Bach's system of flower essences has been widely and successfully established in their use for treating personality traits, negative emotions and attitudes. The essences are unique in that they do not treat problems per se but instead seek to heal the personality at the center of the problems. They are simple to use, easily accessible and gentle in action, yet powerfully effective. Healing The Family aims at introducing the Bach Flower Essences as a form of self-help family therapy. Readers are exposed to an alternative way of perceiving family life and its many issues and challenges, and taught how to use the 38 flower essences to understand one's own strength and deficiency in the helper role. With clear illustrations and case histories drawn from her own healing practice, the author demonstrates the broad scope and versatility of the essences to resolve family issue and to relieve the stress, emotional conflicts and limitations in parenting. The book also discusses the important role of the essences in tackling the challenges specific to the different stages of childhood, from birth to young adulthood, and the ways to bring a higher level of awareness and consciousness into the parent-child relationship.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There are three things in this book I feel are particularly appreciated contributions to the field. First, that you so clearly and simply explain why flower essences are needed by the whole family when one family member is having the problem. Second, you go into a lot of thought-provoking detail about how the person selecting the essence is a part of the 'system', and can therefore either be part of the problem, or part of the solution - the power of the 'therapeutic relationship' being in my estimation entirely under-rated. And third, I was very much interested in your comments about the potential for using flower essences with an Asian population." --Deborah Bier, PhD, Publisher & Co-Editor of Vibration Magazine, Author of The Encyclopedia of Vibrational Essences

The flower essence therapy system of the late British G.P. (later bacteriologist and pathologist) Edward Bach is not exactly unknown in the Bay Area, but this is the first American guide we've seen written with families in mind. Yeo, a Sunnyvale pharmacist and Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner, believes that "Dr Bach's essential message is that all ills of mankind are spiritual in nature" and that his essences "act gently yet powerfully "to rid body and mind of negative thoughts and emotions that make us ill. A blend of essay and manual, Healing The Family also explains the seven groups of essences (which treat loneliness, fear, oversensitivity and other stressors), and instructs parents how to choose the appropriate essence(s) and how to use them with both children and adults. (Morever, Yeo doesn't forget the possible ramifications of such treatment, noting "It is tempting to make use of the essences to 'correct' the people who are close to us.") It's an absorbing and thought-provoking little book. --Parents Press Magazine (Berkeley, CA), Sept 2006 issue,

If you currently have a family or are working through issues of your childhood family or if you just want to broaden your understanding of your role and impact on the 'bigger picture family' of humankind - Healing The Family with Bach Flower Essences is for you! A well written, user friendly guide that will help you accurately and with confidence select remedies to help shift, change and transmute lifelong emotional challenges and personality imbalances. --Nancy SantoPieto, Chakracologist, Feng Shui Expert and Best Selling Author of Feng Shui & Health: The Anatomy of A Home

About the Author

Soo Hwa, M.Sc.(Pharmacy), is a trained pharmacist with a research background in pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacology. In USA, she pursued her interest in the healing arts to become a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner and Assessor, Teacher and Mentor with the Bach International Education Program. She is also a Certified Quantum-Touch Practitioner and founded The SomEsse Method, an approach unique to her practice. Like Dr Bach, the foundation of her healing philosophy is that true health is only possible when individuals are empowered to live from their essence. SomEsse, which teaches the pathway from body to essence, applies a single understanding and explanation to multiple modalities to effect rapid and profound healing and growth in self-wisdom that makes healing complete. Soo Hwa currently teaches and practices in California and Asia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Yeo, Soo Hwa; 1st edition (December 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097477426X
• ISBN-13: 978-0974774268
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #585,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gentle, Compassionate Teaching, January 8, 2008

By 

Kellie Sharpe (Central GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Healing The Family with Bach Flower Essences (Paperback)

I have read countless excellent books and writings "explaining and teaching" the use of Bachflower Remedies to anyone willing to learn them. However, Yeo Soo Hwa's book surpasses these by teaching practical application and use of the Remedies by any community of individuals connected to each other on a more than "friend" level. Her explanations of the use of the Remedies within the family are insightful and empathetic; her ability to define situations in which a particular Remedy would be helpful or called for is outstanding.

For some individuals, it is not enough to merely explain which Remedy does what. When a family group seeks emotional help, this group must be guided in a direction that leads them to the help they need to heal and to re-build; not simply left on their own to figure it out as best they can. Soo Hwa does this in a most gentle and compassionate manner. However, she never overlooks the fact that emotional healing takes commitment on the part of the individual - and she continually points out to the reader that even when the symptom seems under control, the main issue may not yet be resolved. She goes further to help the reader understand the whole and how to treat the whole and not just the symptom.

It is reassuring to know that this important book for healing and contentment, written in such a down-to-earth manner, is available to anyone at any time. The book makes a superb gift; it is a loving and tender way to reach out to a friend or family member in need of help and solutions.

~Kellie Sharpe - Hillsboro, GA - ESMT, CSF
GA Equine Sports Massage & Saddle Fitting

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A psychological study and understanding of family dynamics that provides one with a "global" view based on essence "types", December 9, 2008

By 

Jann Garitty (Nevada City, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Healing The Family with Bach Flower Essences (Paperback)

"The true causes of dis-ease are negative personality traits, attitudes and emotions... . By falsely identifying with them, we have forgotten and lost connection to our spiritual nature. The ways in which we lose ourselves are both highly individual and universal. Dr. Bach used a model of seven group types and 38 essences to describe the pathways in which we have turned away from our essential state. To understand the essences is to understand ourselves and to begin a process of self-discovery, of learning how to recover essence and empower true health in every way. ... Cultivating conscious intent and using the essences to release unwanted energetic forms of past habits in combination is therefore the true pathway to health. ... Because of the unique nature of treating the person, not the problem, one needs to re-orientate one's mind towards this concept before understanding the essences."

The above quotes from the book, Healing the Family with Bach Flower Essences, is a summary of the basic premise of the book, as well as the underlying philosophy of educating the reader in regard to using the original Bach essences in the context of self-help family therapy. It is, if you will, a psychological study and understanding of family dynamics that provides one with a "global" view based on essence "types."
The book is divided into three main sections:

1. "Dr. Bach and his system"--includes information on the basic concepts and describes the 38 essences;
2. "Understanding Therapy and Usage"--explains the unique meaning of therapy in this system and highlights its difference from other healing modalities; it reinforces the unique approach of treating the individual personality rather than the illness or problem; provides basic working knowledge of essences; choosing and preparation;
3. "Healing the Family"--describes specific uses of flower essences in the family context within four areas that include:
advice on helping and how different personality types give or respond to help,use of essences to resolve common challenges faced by families,
personality traits that generate stress, emotional limitations and conflicts in parents, a brief overview of different stages and challenges from birth to young adulthood and explains how the essences can heal imbalances and move toward full potential.

This third section of the book, "Healing the Family," warrants special attention as it deviates from many other books on the practical use of flower essences and puts forth the educational philosophy utilized by Soo Hwa as an author, that of teaching by personality or essence type. For example, in the section, "Resolving Family Issues," Soo Hwa describes the essence/personality type of one of the members of a family from their point of view and contrasts it with other family members' points of view, thereby illustrating the effects and misunderstandings that can occur. Topics with examples include communication, absenteeism, abuse, jealousy and rivalry, family feuds, transitions, and unforeseen circumstances.

Further, the chapter "Growing Up as a Parent" is a characterization of parents as particular essence types describing their resulting impact and influence on children. Often times, there are misunderstandings relative to these types, especially if there is lack of communication in the family. The point is made that if parents address their own negative patterns and release them, they are better able to parent and support their children's growth. Therefore, parents take greater responsibility for their own contribution to their childen's behaviors. Essences that can be helpful for children, given their parents' types, are also discussed.

"Nurturing Your Child" brings forth some of the moral and ethical concerns in regard to parenting. Given the unique "essence" of each infant and child, the highest responsibility of a parent "is to protect that natural potential, nurture and grant it all the necessary conditions to grow and develop." Adversely, the pattern of imbalance, if acted out by parents, would "censor their individuality and force them to be like [their parent]."

Topics addressed in this section include infants and toddlers, "tackling change," learning difficulties, social interaction, teenage years, and young adults. Here again, Soo Hwa utilizes the overview by essence type, and this helps to eliminate implied judgment of the children's behaviors, gives understanding, and easily illuminates the exact remedy for the situation.

The listing presented is not a comprehensive "repertory" by any means and not every possible situation is addressed. However, presented as it is, the specific situation or overall context in which an individual with a particular personality type exists, provides an understanding into the overarching knowledge of the remedies required for balance.
The final chapter of the book, "Making Conscious Choices" is a philosophical discussion of the "importance of a higher level of self-awareness and conscious decision making in the family environment." It also offers suggestions for raising children in an empowering way with loving respect.

As implied in this review, one of the greatest strengths of this book is the repeated use and descriptions of essence or personality types--both those who are helping and those on the receiving end, whether in or out of balance--which reinforces the understanding of the essences and their practical uses. Studied and taken to heart, this is a tool that provides a thorough understanding of the essences rather than just providing a list of remedies and what they're used for; it truly educates the reader providing underlying foundational knowledge rather than just serving as a "reference book."

Important to note and pertinent to Soo Hwa as an Asian practitioner, is a very interesting observation made by her as mentioned in the book preface written by Ann Holmblad: "Of particular interest with this book is its focus on those cultures, such as Asian or Scandinavian, for whom the freedom of self-expression is inappropriate and often denied as social and family norms. Soo Hwa points out how the Bach flower essences are especially relevant in such cultures, helping to alleviate conflicting feelings with the family by allowing individual members to release and rebalance their emotional distress." Soo Hwa further discusses in the introduction her hope that the use of flower essence therapy will help to change in a healthy manner the "...generations of cultural habits and patterns that are no longer useful in this world we live in."

Healing the Family with Bach Flower Essences is a book that feels "fresh" even given the many books written on Bach flower essences over several decades. Written with straight forward heartfelt warmth and wisdom, it is easy to read and assimilate. It is clearly-presented and well-organized--even the choices of typography, titling, etc.--contribute to making it very accessible to the reader.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INVALUABLE, THIS IS A MUST READ, April 24, 2008

By 

I. V. Penney (Westport, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Healing The Family with Bach Flower Essences (Paperback)

This is a terrific book for so many reasons. Unlike other encyclopedia-style books which are referred to for descriptions of a specific remedy, HEALING THE FAMILY manages to immerse the reader in the entire Bach Remedy experience so that once you've read the 160-odd pages you have a complete understanding of the purpose and practice of Bach Flower Essences.

I first read this book when I was new to the concept and I learned an enormous amount from it. I referred to it often. Since then I have completed two of the three levels of education towards becoming a registered Bach practitioner and I've recently re-read this book from cover to cover. I was astonished at how much more it had to offer and how much more I gained. The author uses every-day situations to demostrate the best use of the essences and shares her intuitive understanding of their nuances. She also offers invaluable explanations that are hard to find elsewhere, such as "...taking eight drops does not double the effect of four drops. Instead, the return to balance depends on how often we take the effective dose."

Simply, beautifully and well written, this book is a must for anyone interested in healing with Bach flowers - no matter what level of knowledge you have.