In Your Hands: Herbal Self-Care for Emotional Bodies

Quai Nystrom, LCSW
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Mental Health

Psychotherapist and herbalist Quai offers herbal remedies, practical self-care tools, and honest context. The show takes self-care out of commodified spaces back where it belongs: In Your Hands. Quai explores both the practical and the systemic, holding the complexity of what makes this work challenging and powerful. Whether strengthening practices, navigating harm reduction or recovery, working with intergenerational patterns, or curious about plants, listeners find thoughtful frameworks for crafting wellness that works for their particular bodies, histories, and needs.

Episodes

  1. The False Start: Why Starting Self-Care Is Harder Than It Looks

    May 24

    The False Start: Why Starting Self-Care Is Harder Than It Looks

    Wanna tell me something about the show? Send a text! Most of us have had the experience of really wanting to take better care of ourselves, and then watching it not quite take flight. We can think of this as a False Start. But what if the problem is about the set-up and what can be overlooked? Come explore why starting is harder than it looks. Through two client stories and an honest look at what getting started actually requires, you'll come away with a different understanding of what a False Start is telling you. Plus: a free guide to help you build the foundation before you begin. What you'll learn: Why false starts are not a sign of failure, and what they're actually telling youThe internal forces that make starting harder than it looksHow understanding the complexity of starting can change everything about how you begin 📚 Resources Mentioned: The No False Starts Guide and In Your Hands Newsletter — sign-up here. 🔗 Full episode transcript Connect with me: 📧 Newsletter 🎙️ Send a voice message 🌿 Herbalism consultations 👥 Therapy practice 💬 Email: quai[@]discoverspace.me

    16 min
  2. From Profound to Forgotten: Integration After Therapy, Journeys & Shifts Pt. 2

    Jan 27

    From Profound to Forgotten: Integration After Therapy, Journeys & Shifts Pt. 2

    Wanna tell me something about the show? Send a text! Come explore plants as integration partners! This episode has some music woven in as you discover how plants can anchor you—grounding you and bringing you back to what’s emerging when life pulls you in a hundred directions. (If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, start there to understand why integration matters.) In Part 2, you’ll learn when herbs fit: for digesting what’s confusing or overwhelming, working with intergenerational patterns, creating pauses and shifts around coping, and more. 🌱 Herbs/Essential Oils Mentioned Rosemary (essential oil), Rosmarinus officinalisRosemary (tea), Rosmarinus officinalisPassion flower, Passiflora incarnataMilky oat tops, Avena sativaNettles, Urtica dioicaBergamot (essential oil/aromatherapy), Citrus bergamiaChamomile, Matricaria chamomilla or Chamaemelum nobileDandelion, Taraxacum officinaleLemon balm, Melissa officinalisFennel, Foeniculum vulgareGinger, Zingiber officinaleCleavers, Galium aparineBurdock, Arctium lappaAshwagandha, Withania somniferaLinden, Tilia spp.Lavender, Lavandula angustifoliaMullein, Verbascum thapsusEucalyptus (aromatherapy), Eucalyptus globulusPine (aromatherapy), Pinus spp.Cinnamon, Cinnamomum verumWhite hibiscus (essence), Hibiscus arnottianusVetiver (essential oil), Vetiveria zizanioidesCatnip, Nepeta catariaEucalyptus (fresh for shower) – Eucalyptus globulus 🔗 Full episode transcript 📚 Resources Mentioned Therapeutic Strength Tea Connect with me: 📧 Newsletter 🎙️ Send a voice message 🌿 Herbalism consultations 👥 Therapy practice 💬 Email: quai[@]discoverspace.me

    24 min
  3. From Profound to Forgotten: Integration After Therapy, Journeys & Shifts Pt. 1

    Jan 27

    From Profound to Forgotten: Integration After Therapy, Journeys & Shifts Pt. 1

    Wanna tell me something about the show? Send a text! This episode is designed to help you integrate as you listen. Thoughtful pacing, intentional music, and space to reflect on what you personally need - not just information, but an experience that invites you to tend what's emerging. Most integration teaching focuses on what to do after something profound happens. This episode goes deeper: when integration actually starts, how to approach it based on your specific patterns, and why the timing matters more than you think. You're standing at a fork in the road every time something shifts. Come on in to discover what’s at stake when you choose. Connect with me: 📧 Newsletter 🎙️ Send a voice message 🌿 Herbalism consultations 👥 Therapy practice 💬 Email: quai[@]discoverspace.me

    25 min
  4. How to Make Leftovers You Actually Want to Eat

    Jan 27

    How to Make Leftovers You Actually Want to Eat

    Wanna tell me something about the show? Send a text! Leftovers sitting in the danger zone between 'I should eat that' and 'I really don't want to'? This episode covers how to make leftovers genuinely satisfying—from planning ahead, adding flavor and moisture back, reheating without drying things out, and smart storage. When leftovers are done well, they become a gift to your future self instead of a chore. 🔗 Full episode transcript 📚 Resources Mentioned Resource for Food Safety– Note: The article recommends freezer bags for storage. I prefer glass or stainless steel containers to avoid concerns about plastics, especially when freezing. I’m sharing it because it has helpful info for food storage times. https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/how-to-keep-leftovers-delicious-and-safe-a3694574528/ Connect with me: 📧 Newsletter 🎙️ Send a voice message 🌿 Herbalism consultations 👥 Therapy practice 💬 Email: quai[@]discoverspace.me

    21 min
  5. Contexts You’ve Been Leaving Out of Your Self-Care Journey

    Jan 27

    Contexts You’ve Been Leaving Out of Your Self-Care Journey

    Wanna tell me something about the show? Send a text! What if your personal growth is taking the time it needs because you're working against forces bigger than you and your system needs a layered approach? This episode explores intergenerational patterns, systemic conditions, and what it actually looks like to build well-being. Understanding this is clarifying and gives you a compass. Come explore the layers you haven’t had the chance to see yet. 🔗 Full episode transcript Connect with me: 📧 Newsletter 🎙️ Send a voice message 🌿 Herbalism consultations 👥 Therapy practice 💬 Email: quai[@]discoverspace.me

    30 min
  6. How Herbal Remedies Are Different From Medicines

    Jan 27

    How Herbal Remedies Are Different From Medicines

    Wanna tell me something about the show? Send a text! People think herbs are just natural medicines, but that misses everything unique about them. Come learn what makes herbs different, when to use each approach, and overlooked ways plants can support you. 📚 Resources Mentioned How Herbal Remedies Differ from Medications (visual material from episode material)⁠An online directory of practitioners with various specialties⁠How to Find an Herbal Practitioner (and where to find one) 🌱 Herbs mentioned Tulsi (Holy Basil), Ocimum tenuiflorum, Ocimum x africanum, Ocimum africanumChamomile, Matricaria chamomilla, Chamaemelum nobileRosemary, Rosmarinus officinalisLemon Balm, Melissa officinalisMarshmallow, Althaea officinalisYarrow, Achillea millefoliumVetiver, Vetiveria zizanioides 🔗 Full episode transcript Connect with me: 📧 Newsletter 🎙️ Send a voice message 🌿 Herbalism consultations 👥 Therapy practice 💬 Email: quai[@]discoverspace.me --- Healing with plants, Herbalism, Mind-body wellness, Plant Remedies, Self Care, Herbal medicine, Chronic health, Harm reduction, Recovery support, Essential oils, Flower essences, Personalized care, Holistic health, Trauma-informed care

    26 min
  7. Why Lavender Isn't for Everyone—And How to Know What's Right for You

    Jan 27

    Why Lavender Isn't for Everyone—And How to Know What's Right for You

    Wanna tell me something about the show? Send a text! Lavender: universally calming or widely misunderstood? This one's for people who love it and people who don't. Come explore lavender as a boundary healer—working physically and emotionally—plus other herbs for the variety of needs that get oversimplified as 'calming. 🌱 Herbs Mentioned: Lavender, Lavandula angustifoliaTulsi (Holy Basil), Ocimum tenuiflorum, Ocimum x africanum, Ocimum africanumMilky Oat, Avena sativaLinden, Tilia cordataSkullcap, Scutellaria laterifloraCatnip, Nepeta catariaChamomile, Matricaria chamomilla, Chamaemelum nobileLemon Balm, Melissa officinalisRosemary, Rosmarinus officinalisFennel, Foeniculum vulgareGinger, Zingiber officinale 📚 Resources Mentioned How to make a therapeutic strength teaHerbal Remedies: What Kinds There Are & When to Use Them 🔗 Full episode transcript Connect with me: 📧 Newsletter 🎙️ Send a voice message 🌿 Herbalism consultations 👥 Therapy practice 💬 Email: quai[@]discoverspace.me --- Healing with plants, Herbalism, Mind-body wellness, Plant Remedies, Self Care, Lavender, Nervines, Anxiety relief, Sleep support, Aromatherapy, Essential oils, Herbal teas, Nervous system regulation, Muscle tension, Trauma-informed care

    29 min
  8. Can't Figure Out When to Do Self-Care? Try This

    Jan 27

    Can't Figure Out When to Do Self-Care? Try This

    Wanna tell me something about the show? Send a text! You know you need self-care, but weeks pass without it. What if the answer isn't willpower, but building containers that make care feel natural and organically fit your days? Come explore how to create anchors you won't want to let go of and learn how to help your system know what's next. Essential Oils Mentioned: Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalisPeppermint, Mentha × piperitaLemon, Citrus limonPine, Pinus 🔗 ⁠Full episode transcript⁠ Connect with me: 📧 Newsletter 🎙️ Send a voice message 🌿 Herbalism consultations 👥 Therapy practice 💬 Email: quai[@]discoverspace.me --- Healing with plants, Herbalism, Mind-body wellness, Self Care, Aromatherapy, Essential oils, Mindfulness practices, Daily rituals, Nervous system regulation, Transitions, Somatic awareness, Trauma-informed care

    15 min
  9. Why We Forget to Take Our Remedies (And What Actually Works)

    Jan 27

    Why We Forget to Take Our Remedies (And What Actually Works)

    Wanna tell me something about the show? Send a text! You've got that remedy, and I know you have good intentions, yet somehow it sits unused. There's so much more to working with it than willpower and memory! Come on in for ideas that help you reach for your remedies when you need them. 🔗 Full show notes with transcript Connect with me: 📧 Newsletter 🎙️ Send a voice message 🌿 Herbalism consultations 👥 Therapy practice 💬 Email: quai[@]discoverspace.me --- Healing with plants, Herbalism, Mind-body wellness, Plant Remedies, Self Care, Trauma care

    14 min
  10. Your Onramps to Herbal Self-Care (Start Here!)

    Jan 27

    Your Onramps to Herbal Self-Care (Start Here!)

    Wanna tell me something about the show? Send a text! Welcome to the show. This episode introduces who I am, why I'm doing this, and who it's for. We'll talk about 'on-ramps' - the context and orientation that support self-care. I'll share how I approach systems and care, why herbal care is worth considering alongside other approaches, and how herbs ask ions different from the ones we're used to. Whether you're building care foundations, a practitioner looking for resources, or working toward collective change, this shows you what to expect from the podcast. 🔗 Full show notes and transcription available here Connect with me 📧 Newsletter 🎙️ Send a voice message 🌿 Herbalism consultations 👥 Therapy Practice 💬 Email: quai[@]discoverspace.me --- Healing with plants, Herbalism, Mind-body wellness, Plant Remedies, Self Care, Anti-oppressive, Intersectional, Trauma Care, Liberation, Somatic work

    21 min
  11. In Your Hands Trailer

    12/17/2025

    In Your Hands Trailer

    Wanna tell me something about the show? Send a text! Welcome to In Your Hands: Herbal Self-Care for Emotional Bodies. I'm Quai, psychotherapist, herbalist, and your guide through practical tools, plant remedies, and the real context we need to build sustainable self-care. New episodes launch in January 2026. Subscribe now so you don't miss it.

    2 min
  • 11 Episodes

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Psychotherapist and herbalist Quai offers herbal remedies, practical self-care tools, and honest context. The show takes self-care out of commodified spaces back where it belongs: In Your Hands. Quai explores both the practical and the systemic, holding the complexity of what makes this work challenging and powerful. Whether strengthening practices, navigating harm reduction or recovery, working with intergenerational patterns, or curious about plants, listeners find thoughtful frameworks for crafting wellness that works for their particular bodies, histories, and needs.

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