Mind-Body Medicine for Empaths: A Case Study of Hives

Nikita Patel

Empaths differ from empathetic individuals. People with empathy show compassion for those suffering without taking on that suffering themselves. Then there are empaths, who not only feel the pain of others but internalize it as their own. Empaths possess a heightened sense that picks up significant sensory information from their environment. When this sensory information is filled with peace, such as in nature, it can be extremely calming and centering. However, when it stems from chaos or disharmony—like conflicts in family, society, or friendships—it can become overwhelmingly draining, leading to feelings of depression, anxiety, and even a desire to self-harm. Empaths radiate love and seek to help others feel at ease. The challenge arises when they fail to understand that much of what they are feeling isn’t actually theirs.

When empaths don’t recognize this pattern, over time it can obscure their true selves. Ultimately, issues can only be resolved by those who created them, leaving empaths caught in a cycle, trying to solve others’ problems—mentally, emotionally, and physically—and overwhelming their own nervous systems and bodies and depleting their own energy and wellbeing. As a result, they are often labeled as extra sensitive or weak by their family, doctors, and peers.

Due to their sensitive nervous systems, empaths are more susceptible to experiencing overwhelming emotional and mental shocks, often leading them to suppress or store trauma in their bodies. Their bodies communicate where this disharmonious energy is stored, and much of their healing work involves listening to these signals to process and release past wounds while developing effective emotional management skills.^1-4 Most research regarding heightened sense is done studying highly sensitive people. The “highly sensitive person” significantly overlaps with a person who is an empath, the only difference being the spiritual and intuitive experience of an empath, which scientifically has yet to be studied.⁵

Feeling Too Much

Empaths constantly feel the emotions and energies of those around them and may neglect their own emotional wellbeing. An empath’s desire to harmonize what they are feeling—even when those feelings are not their own—can overpower. For empaths, learning to tune into their own emotions, thoughts, boundaries, and intuition is an essential part of their healing journey.

Due to their sensitive nervous systems, empaths are also more prone to experiencing mental, emotional, and spiritual shock and trauma from an early age.^5,6 If they lacked support processing these traumas or expressing their emotions in safe spaces, these wounds can become stored in their body, potentially manifesting as chronic physical and mental illnesses.^4,6

A Case Study

My virtual client, 32-year-old Claudia, had been seeing me for 4 years, during which I had assisted in healing her chronic constipation and tailbone pain. It wasn’t until a maintenance appointment on May 26, 2023, that I learned Claudia had been experiencing hives. They covered her legs and arms after eating, leaving her with intense itching day and night. Worsening, they now affected her entire body from the neck down. My first instinct as a naturopathic doctor was to focus on her gut health, considering differential diagnoses such as increased gastrointestinal permeability, food allergies, or sensitivities. Given Claudia’s healthy lifestyle and mindful approach to her wellbeing, however, I was perplexed by her condition.

Experiencing daily full-body hives requires urgent care. Claudia was already receiving naturopathic care from her local ND, who she consulted for physical medical evaluation, whereas she saw me virtually for the mind, emotions, and spirit healing as it related to her physical health conditions. Her other ND recommended natural anti-histamines, but the treatment wasn’t helping. Despite my inclination to dive into lab tests and additional herbal medicines, we first explored the mind, emotions, and spirit connections to her hives, asking, “What is the root cause of this?” Claudia agreed, and we began our healing journey.

Methods

My healing approach integrates heart-centered hypnotherapy training from The Wellness Institute, intuitive insights, Trauma-Sensitive HeartMath^® practitioner training, and shamanic healing practices rooted in Q’ero wisdom from the Andes of Peru. My passion for this work stems from my upbringing in Ayurvedic culture, as well as the spiritual healing traditions of my heritage in India.

Sessions

In our initial session, through hypnotic light trance and my intuitive guidance as a shamanic practitioner, we uncovered feelings of anger tied to weak boundaries. After limiting beliefs were identified, Claudia was guided to choose new, empowering beliefs: “I trust that I am always kind and compassionate to myself and others. I can speak my truth and set healthy boundaries. I am in touch with who I am and it is easy to express my needs. I acknowledge my emotions and take appropriate action. I am powerful and capable of being my authentic self.” At a follow-up in July 2023, there was little improvement in her hives. Claudia reported no adjustments in diet, herbs, nutrients, or lifestyle. We continued with our mind-body and shamanic healing processes, where Claudia acknowledged her emotions more deeply and replaced limiting beliefs while in a light trance. By our August 2023 session, she reported a remarkable 90% reduction in hives, accompanied by a sense of lightness and alignment in her work and personal relationships.

The Latest Insights

The latest insights into the mind-body connection and shamanic healing processes come from psychoneuroimmunology or psychosomatic medicine, which explores how the mind and emotions are linked to the immune system and illnesses in the physical body.^7,8 In Claudia’s case, I began her healing by setting the intention to address the root cause of her condition. I guided her to relax and use her imagination as part of somatic visualization to facilitate healing.^2,3,9

A typical mind-body healing process involves bringing awareness to the body, especially to areas of discomfort or dis-ease. Staying present with these sensations, to allow lodged emotions and beliefs to rise to the surface, provides valuable messages about what the body needs for healing and wellbeing.

The visualization of her sensations of hives and emotions helped Claudia connect with her discomfort and explore the source of her hives. Additionally, I encouraged her to connect with her inner healer, referred to in naturopathic medicine as the vis medicatrix naturae. In my experience, somatic visualization, inner healing work, and shamanic journeying are closely related; all these processes allow individuals to tap into their deeper, more subtle, and nonvisible aspects of self for deep healing work. This approach significantly aided Claudia in addressing the root cause of her hives, and the healing needed to positively influence her immune system, particularly her mast cells.

The healing that came for Claudia was a combination of energetic shifts, guidance for perspective shifts towards her daily activities, and lifestyle changes, including:

• Prioritizing rest and peace in her mind, allowing time and presence to extend this peace into the body
• Insights into clear decision making in the form of lavender essence, which to Claudia signified nourishment and protection
• Mindfully connecting with the grass and earth
• A new sense of security, safety, and acceptance of what was and what is
• A message she received and embraced—“What I am seeking is seeking me”—encouraged openness and acceptance, allowing her to feel calm and connected
• Feeling open and expansive—like a meadow with fresh, strong grass, a river, trees, sky, organisms; that it’s all necessary and connected, thereby releasing resistance and coming into inner peace.

These shifts eventually led Claudia to release frustration and default reactions. As a result, she reported improved communication and feeling more aligned with herself, while feeling happier about her direction in life. This realization was the trigger to the 90% reduction in her hives.

A Setback

However, a few months later and for no clear reason, Claudia experienced a slight regression, with her condition dropping from a 90% improvement to 70%. Around this time, based on her local ND’s recommendations, she began taking additional herbs and nutrients such as 5 grams of glutamine powder twice a day and quercetin. Despite the regression, she continued to feel emotionally resilient and less stressed, and her skin improved.

We maintained monthly virtual mind-body and shamanic healing sessions, and Claudia continued to see improvements in her skin. Occasionally, she needed reminders to heed the messages her body conveyed through the hives. By December 2023, she had completely stopped experiencing hives and discontinued her supplements, focusing on managing stress through open communication and boundary-setting in her personal and professional relationships.

Nearly 9 months later, by September 2024, Claudia had developed a stronger connection to her intuition, gaining clarity on her boundaries. She continued to mindfully adjust her thoughts and actions based on the inner guidance she received during her healing sessions. In the past 9 months, she experienced hives only in small spots 3 to 4 times, with each occurrence lasting just a few moments. These episodes served as reminders to mentally pause and acknowledge stressful thoughts and release those that no longer served her. Claudia continued to remain off of natural anti-histamines.

The Absorption

As an empath, Claudia had long absorbed the emotions of family members and colleagues. Once she recognized this pattern, she learned to differentiate her feelings from those of others. Through our healing sessions, she began to release others’ emotions, becoming more in touch with her authentic self. In her workplace, she effectively set boundaries regarding her workload, became more mindful about taking breaks between meetings, and communicated openly with her team.

By connecting with her body’s wisdom and intuition, and understanding her empathic nature, Claudia released unnecessary stress and healed her full body hives. Her periorbital dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis continue to improve. What I admire most about Claudia is her holistic approach to health: she not only works with me virtually but also sees a therapist and consults local naturopathic and conventional doctors when needed.

Take-Home Points

Over the years, I’ve noticed that empaths often gravitate toward energy medicine, homeopathy, natural remedies, mind-body medicine, and other subtle forms of healing. This attraction stems from their sensitivity to energy, allowing them to feel the gentle power of these approaches compared to more forceful options, such as pharmaceutical medications or even high dose nutrient supplements.

It should be noted that for empaths grappling with mental health challenges, such as major depression, bipolar disorder, or cognitive impairments, mind-body medicine can be more complex. Their struggles often hinder them from consistently following intuitive messages or taking the necessary steps to achieve their health goals. It’s crucial to approach these situations with compassion, understanding that facing the root causes of their distress may be particularly challenging.

Healing through mind-body practices requires patience; there’s no set timeline for recovery, nor does it look the same for everyone. The focus is typically on personal growth and the small shifts in perspective that lead to significant changes over time. Often, listening to the body and providing what it needs, be it lifestyle change, self acceptance, a release of limiting beliefs, a shift in perspective, or enhanced self-care, can be enough to facilitate complete healing.

What is your patient’s body trying to tell them?

---

---

References:

1. Orloff J. The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People. New York, NY: Sounds True; 2017.
2. Kabat-Zinn J. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. 1st ed. New York, NY: Delta; 1991.
3. Van der Kolk BA. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, Body in the Healing of Trauma. New York, NY: Penguin; 2014.
4. Zimberoff D. Breaking Free from the Victim Trap: Reclaiming Your Personal Power. 5th ed. Issaquah, WA: Wellness Press; 2011.
5. Aron E. The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You. New York, NY: Harmony Books; 1996.
6. Felitti VJ, Anda RF, Nordenberg D, et al. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: the adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study. Am J Prevent Med. 1998;14(4):245-258. doi:10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8
7. Money M. Shamanism as a healing paradigm for complementary therapy. Complement Ther Nurs Midwifery. 2001;7(3):126-131. doi:10.1054/ctnm.2001.0546
8. Kiecolt-Glaser JK, McGuire L, Robles TF, et al. Psychoneuroimmunology: psychological influences on immune function and health. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2002;70(3):537-547. doi:10.1037//0022-006x.70.3.5377.
9. Posadzki P, Lewandowski W, Terry R, et al. Guided imagery for non-musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2012;44(1):95-104. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2011.07.014