Humanitarian Outreach
and Flower Essence Therapy;
Models for Practical Implementation

by Jann Garitty

The Flower Essence Society has been encouraging humanitarian outreach with flower essence therapy for many decades. We support a great variety of social service programs, such as the work with disabled children by Vania Grande, referenced above.

In this overview, we will focus on one of the most significant emerging needs for social service, that of disaster relief. Given the increasing occurrence of natural and man-made disasters, volunteer emergency relief aid work has become an important component in assisting those who are displaced or otherwise impacted by circumstances out of their control.

In the aftermath of disastrous situations, it is a natural response on the part of many to quickly mobilize and help others in any way that they possibly can. Practitioners of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) particularly are sensitive to the need for deep healing on the part of those impacted by devastating situations.

Near where FES is located in California, horrendous firestorms have occurred causing massive and widespread devastation, displacement and trauma. After the most recent fire which occurred at the end of 2018, several flower essence practitioners contacted FES and requested flower essence donations for relief aid work.

The linked reports below represent two models for providing healing service which can be accomplished by practitioners who incorporate flower essences with other modalities.

In addition to these models, practitioner Myra Nissen, whose report is below, suggests that communities possibly could organize in advance in conjunction with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program through FEMA. These are volunteers who are ready to assemble and give aid in the event of a disaster. In advance, they figure out escape routes, how to bring in resources, what connections in the community already exist and can be developed for help in an emergency, etc.

They would be the first response; for example, to quickly move throughout a community, knock on doors and make sure that anyone who needs any assistance can get it.

Pre-prepared kits for use at such times could include flower essences, homeopathics such as Arnica and Aconite, etc., and other necessities.

In some countries, there are well-organized social service groups of flower essence practitioners who are prepared to assist during natural disasters. Read about one of the group relief aid efforts in Brazil here .

We encourage you to begin to brainstorm, explore and network in your own communities with flower essence and other CAM practitioners to prepare to be of assistance when relief aid work is needed.

Also, please keep in mind that FES has created an Independent Study Option for Social Service Work, as part of the FES Certification Program. This is an independently designed program, with populations in need or with a particular therapeutic issue in a social context. More about the program can be read here .

The reports linked below are specific to volunteer relief aid work provided after the Camp Fire that started November 8, 2018 in Butte County, Northern California. Within hours, a firestorm ensued and subsequently destroyed the town of Paradise and other communities. This fire is reported to be the deadliest and most destructive fire ever in California and was not contained until November 25th. More details regarding this devastating event can be found here .

Many of the fire evacuees, particularly those without personal or other resources, were relocated to nearby Chico, CA. In addition to first responders, fire personnel and others, as is most often the case during disasters and emergencies, there was an immediate outpouring of support and assistance from the surrounding communities and towns.

CAM Practitioners at the Ready for Humanitarian Relief Aid Efforts

Community Herbalists Assist Evacuees of the Camp Fire in Paradise, CA