Judy Tsafrir, M.D. Boston Area Holistic Psychiatrist

Judy Tsafrir, M.D. Boston Area Holistic Psychiatrist Subscribe to my Holistic Health blog: https://www.judytsafrirmd.com/blog/

I am a Harvard affiliated, board certified, conventionally trained adult and child psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, and a Certified GAPS Practitioner located in Newton, Massachusetts. I have a deep curiosity about development and healing, and have an open mind about trying diverse approaches to help my patients. I am familiar and skilled in working within a traditional medical/psychiatric model, but am now much more drawn to nutritional approaches to healing, as well as more unconventional energetic/holistic/ spiritual approaches. I love my work, which I see as helping my patients become most fully themselves, enjoying optimum health and vitality, and creating and living a life they love.

10/22/2025

Understanding unconscious guilt and the healing power of pine 🌲

Have you ever noticed how some people just can’t seem to let themselves be happy? They finally get what they want, and then something in them sabotages it. It’s as if they can’t tolerate success or joy and always need to spoil it somehow.

Self-sabotage is a symptom - much like fever - and it can have many causes. Today I want to focus on one that’s quite common: unconscious guilt.

Some people who carry unconscious guilt feel deep down they don’t deserve happiness, goodness, or pleasure. These beliefs often take root in childhood, especially in families marked by loss, neglect, abuse, illness, or unhappiness. Children usually imagine whatever is wrong must be their fault.

They grow up feeling responsible for everyone’s pain, believing their best is never good enough. As adults, they may even feel guilty for surviving or thriving when siblings have struggled.

Conventional psychotherapy can help, but another lesser-known modality that can be profoundly healing is flower essences. These subtle infusions of blossoms in water (and a little brandy) were created by Dr. Edward Bach in the 1930s. They carry the flower’s vibrational imprint and can restore emotional and spiritual balance.

My favorite essence for unconscious guilt is Pine. Pine helps those who irrationally blame themselves, apologize constantly, and feel unworthy of love - living with chronic remorse. This state often stems from early conditioning, feeling responsible for others’ distress or believing one’s best is never enough.

Unlike pharmaceuticals that broadly treat depression or anxiety, flower essences address very specific emotional and spiritual states. Up to seven remedies can be combined in one bottle. Usual dosage: two drops on the tongue or in water, four times daily.

Have you used flower essences? What’s been your experience?

Ready to explore more healing modalities? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) đź“š

10/22/2025

The “wince” - that sharp inward flinch that reveals your psychological goldmine

Have you ever remembered something you did long ago that makes you wince? That sharp inward flinch of shame or embarrassment that floods your body in an instant? Maybe it was an insensitive remark, an inappropriate joke, or a thoughtless action that hurt someone or revealed something about yourself you still find hard to face.

It’s natural to want to push these memories away - they’re uncomfortable. Yet they tend to circle back, as though they have unfinished business with us.

Psychoanalytically, the wince is a portal - a rich goldmine of psychological truth, a treasure trove of clues about the early conditioning of our family and culture, and the invisible rules about what was acceptable, lovable, or worthy of belonging.

When we revisit these memories with curiosity instead of judgment, guilt, or shame, they have tremendous teachings to offer. Rather than being haunted by past mistakes, we can harvest their meaning.

The work is to stay with the discomfort and ask:

What is this moment trying to show me about how I developed into who I am today?
What makes it so hard to let go?

Every time you turn a compassionate gaze toward a wince and seek to understand it rather than reject yourself, you reclaim a lost aspect of your wholeness and open the way to greater vitality and authenticity.

Do you resonate with the concept of the wince? What does this bring to mind for you?

Ready to explore more about healing shame? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) đź“š

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10/20/2025

Neptune’s final chapter in Pisces: The sacred ending before the great rebirth

Something extraordinary is happening in the heavens. We’re entering the final chapter of a 13-year Neptune in Pisces story.

On October 22nd (the day after the Libra New Moon), Neptune will retrograde back into Pisces and linger at 29° until January 27th, when it will move forward into Aries. The fact that Neptune will remain for three and a half months at the very final degree of the very last sign of the zodiac is symbolically profound.

It invites us to complete unfinished business - both personally and collectively - before the great rebirth when Saturn and Neptune unite at 0° Aries on February 20th.

Neptune governs illusion, merging, sacrifice, grief, and surrender. Its extended stay at this anaretic degree of Pisces offers a sacred opportunity to:
Release illusion and accept truth
Recognize where we’ve overgiven or lost ourselves
Grieve what must be let go to prepare for the dawning new era
Throughout October, Jupiter (ruler of Pisces) has been traveling through Cancer, squaring Chiron in Aries - a powerful configuration for healing childhood wounds and ancestral conditioning so we can inhabit our full authenticity.

On October 23rd (the day after Neptune reenters Pisces), this square becomes exact, amplifying the potential for deep emotional healing and self-reclamation.

These final months of Neptune in Pisces are a threshold moment - an initiation into greater clarity, wholeness, and readiness for the world waiting to be born.

What has your experience been of these radically transformative times?

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10/20/2025

New Moon in Libra (Oct 21, 8:25am ET): Planting seeds of beauty, love, and pleasure under Venus’s light

Are you ready to plant seeds of beauty, love, and pleasure? On October 21st, there will be a gorgeous New Moon in Libra. Libra is ruled by Venus, and at this lunation, Venus herself joins the sun and moon in her home sign, amplifying an uber-Venusian frequency.

New moons are always times of seed planting, and this one invites us to set intentions around Venus themes: love, beauty, heart, pleasure, and abundance.

During the New Moon, the sky’s at its darkest, allowing Venus and other planets and stars to shine even more brightly. It’s a potent moment to commune with Venus directly.

These practices of devotion can transform our lives. Try this:

Step outside, gaze at the night sky
Speak out loud to Venus
Ask for her blessing in strengthening your capacity to give and receive love, create beauty, attract abundance, and open to life’s sweetness

If you enjoy this devotion, continue it on Fridays - the day associated with Venus (in Spanish: Viernes, in French: Vendredi).

Ways to honor Venus:
Make art
Spend time in nature
Care for your body with fragrant oils or baths
Prepare something delicious to share
Each act of pleasure attunes you to Venus’s frequency and magnetizes more of it into your life.

How will you honor this Libra New Moon? Do you make enough time for pleasure in your life?

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10/16/2025

The blessing of the non-toothache: Finding everyday magic in what we take for granted

Did you know that everyday magic reveals itself the moment we stop taking life for granted? Years ago, I heard a beautiful teaching from Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thích Nhất Hạnh about the blessing of the "non-toothache." When we have a toothache, so much psychic energy is consumed by discomfort. Yet how rarely do we give thanks for all the days when our teeth don't hurt?

Recently I injured my lower back doing yoga, and it was painful to go about daily life. The morning I woke up realizing it was starting to feel better, I felt a rush of gratitude and happiness for that simple improvement. There's so much to be thankful for when our bodies simply function as they should.

In the Jewish tradition, there's a prayer called Asher Yatzar recited after using the bathroom. It's not about the act itself - it's a profound expression of gratitude for the intricate and miraculous design of the human body. This blessing expresses awe and appreciation for the wonder of creation, even during routine bodily functions. It reminds us that it's all sacred, even excretion.

Noticing these everyday blessings - the ordinary magic freely available to us - can be truly transformative. Tomorrow morning when you wake and open your eyes, take a moment to express gratitude for the precious gift of another day.

I also like to affirm: "I'm made of stardust, and I'm not afraid of what I came here to do." This sets the tone for my day, cultivating greater awareness of the sacred dimension woven throughout our ordinary moments.

What do these reflections bring to mind for you? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

10/14/2025

Energy hygiene for chaotic times: When the world feels wound up, protect your field

Have you noticed how many people seem wound up lately, barely holding it together? I’m hearing more stories of road rage, altercations over parking spots, and a tense atmosphere than ever before. In the face of heightened negativity in the collective field, it’s more important than ever to use skillful energetic practices to support, protect, and cleanse your energy body.

One simple but powerful tool is stimulating acupressure point Gallbladder 40, poetically known in Chinese as “Mound of Ruin.” Located in the hollow depression just in front of and below the bony prominence of the outer ankle, this point:
Promotes benevolence and detoxifies negativity
Releases judgment and resentment
Enhances clarity in decision-making
Promotes energetic flow by relieving liver/gallbladder chi stagnation
Uplifts the spirits
Massage Gallbladder 40 with frankincense essential oil diluted in carrier oil. Frankincense is a sacred fragrance that grounds and promotes wholeness and integrity.

Before bed each night, you can do a little ritual magic:

“I ask that any energy in my field that doesn’t belong to me be blessed and transformed and sent back to whom it belongs. I ask that any energy of mine that has been left elsewhere be blessed and transformed and return to me.”

Beat a drum or rattle as you cast this spell, or simply say it without accompaniment. This energetically cleanses your field, ridding it of what’s not yours and reclaiming what’s been lost during the day.

Just as we wash our face and brush our teeth, it’s important to routinely care for the energy body.

Do you practice energy hygiene regularly? Share your experiences below!

Ready to explore more energetic protection practices? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) đź“š

10/14/2025

The radical act of saying “no” - and why it’s so hard for most of us

Have you ever noticed how hard it can be to say no, even when every cell in your being is begging you to? What if saying no is actually saying yes to honoring yourself?

Getting in early, staying late, volunteering for more, never letting anyone down - our culture celebrates these behaviors. They create feelings of safety and belonging, while saying no can feel risky. From childhood, we’re taught to be pleasing, to earn love through compliance. By adulthood, that conditioning runs deep. Declining a request can trigger guilt, anxiety, and fear of losing connection.

Yet constant yeses often come at the expense of our health and wellbeing. When we say yes to just one more task or invitation, we’re often saying no to rest, time with loved ones, creative self-expression, and communion with spirit.

Learning to say no without fear or guilt is a profound act of empowerment. The capacity begins with self-attunement. Before responding to any request:
Pause and check in
What does my body feel?
What does my heart want?
How does this choice align with my true priorities?
Try simple phrases like: “I’d love to help, but I’m at capacity right now” “I can’t attend - my family always has dinner together on Fridays”

Avoid lengthy explanations or delay tactics like “I’ll think about it.” People sense when you’re putting them off, and it doesn’t feel good. When we feel appropriately entitled to say no, guilt transforms into self-respect, and our authenticity and vitality flourish.

How empowered do you feel to say no? What strategies have helped you?

Ready to explore more about healthy boundaries? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) đź“š

10/14/2025

October’s cosmic invitation: Rewrite the story that’s shaping your destiny

The stories we tell ourselves shape our destiny. But throughout October, the cosmos is giving us a chance to rewrite the script. The story you carry about who you are, what you’ve lived through, and what you’re capable of creates the reality you experience. By shifting that narrative, you can shift your future.

This is not about distorting reality or denying history - it’s about choosing an interpretation that empowers rather than diminishes you.

October brings a powerful cosmic invitation: Jupiter (planet of belief and meaning) is moving through Cancer (sign of home, family, and ancestral memory), squaring Chiron (the mentor who guides us in transforming suffering into mastery) in Aries (sign of self, desire, and authentic living).

On October 17th, the Sun in Libra (sign of relationships) activates this entire configuration, bringing it vividly into focus.

This alignment invites us to reexamine the beliefs shaping our personal story. Identical experiences can be woven into a tale of injustice and victimization, or into a narrative of courage, resilience, and triumph. When you change the story, everything feels different.

What story are you ready to retire? What new song about your life are you willing to sing into being?

Remember: Your story is your spell. Cast it wisely.

Ready to explore more about transforming your narrative? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) đź“š

10/08/2025

Everywhere online, there are videos in bright yellow capital letters warning about imminent alien arrivals or World War III. But astrologically, what’s happening is something different.

Right now, Pluto in Aquarius and Neptune in Aries are in a long harmonious relationship - a pattern linked throughout history with vast shifts in collective consciousness, mystical revelations, and dissolution of old paradigms.

A world is ending, but not THE world. These alignments bring paradigm shifts that decenter humanity itself. Many feel we’re on the verge of disclosure about extraterrestrial intelligence, which would forever change how we see our place in the cosmos.

When Copernicus published his heliocentric theory in 1543, there was also a harmonious Neptune-Pluto alignment. His vision that Earth revolves around the sun shattered the medieval worldview and reshaped human understanding. I believe something similar is unfolding now.

From October 22nd through January 26th (more than three months!), Neptune will station at 29° Pisces - the very last degree of the zodiac, symbolizing profound ending. Then on February 20th, Saturn and Neptune unite at 0° Aries - the very first degree of the very first sign, an archetypal signature of rebirth.

No wonder “end of the world” themes are everywhere. We’re living through a deep death and rebirth of collective consciousness. These are truly wild times.

How are you experiencing this transformation in your own life?

Ready to navigate these paradigm-shifting times? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) đź“š

10/06/2025

We all know what paranoia is, but have you considered its opposite? It’s called pronoia. While paranoia imagines the world is secretly conspiring against us, pronoia imagines the universe is actually working on our behalf - that life is rigged in our favor, that blessings are unfolding even when we don’t expect them.

Today, on my birthday, I received a perfect example. My father had a large modern wall clock with weights that he treasured. By now it’s old and temperamental - sometimes keeping time, sometimes not. Sometimes the chimes ring on schedule, other times they fall silent. For quite a while, it had stopped chiming altogether.

This morning, to my amazement, the chimes rang out again - clear, resonant, perfectly on time. I chose to see this not as coincidence, but as a birthday gift from my father who transitioned 20 years ago. A communication from beyond, reminding me of love’s enduring power and that unseen forces are always at play.

This is the essence of pronoia. We can always choose how to construct our narratives. Do we explain events as random, threatening, or meaningless? Or do we open to the possibility that we’re supported, loved, and guided in mysterious ways?

Cultivating a pronoia perspective is perfect medicine for uncertain times. It shifts the lens from fear to trust, from suspicion to gratitude. When we live with that orientation, life begins to feel more magical, connected, filled with grace.

Of course, pronoia isn’t the same as denying reality, which can prevent adaptive action. But when we choose to orient our stories toward wonder, meaning, and support, it nurtures resilience and wellbeing.

Do you resonate with pronoia? I’d love to hear your experience!

Ready to explore more perspectives for resilient living? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) đź“š

10/04/2025

What would politics look like if it was rooted in love instead of fear?

Meet James Talarico, a 36-year-old Texas Democratic lawmaker and former middle school teacher now running for Senate. Until recently, he was also a part-time seminary student, still intending one day to become a minister.

On September 10th, the day Charlie Kirk was shot, Talarico was scheduled to hold a campaign rally in San Antonio. He thought about canceling but instead chose a different kind of speech. He told Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times: “I really wanted to show up, not as the politician, but as the pastor.”

Speaking to 2,000 people crammed into a local hamburger and pizza shop, he said: “People are hungry for a different kind of politics, not a politics of fear, not a politics of hate, not a politics of violence, but a politics of love.”

Talarico’s videos often go viral, challenging Republican leaders and conservative dogma from a Christian perspective.

This kind of leadership connects to something deeper than policy - it speaks to our collective soul. He closed that San Antonio rally with words from the New Testament: “Blessed are you who weep.” To him, it’s a reminder of the wisdom in grief. “If your heart is breaking right now, it means you still have a heart. It means you’re still human. Protect that, trust that - that is what will get us out of all of this.”

You can hear more of his vision in a July interview with Joe Rogan. I admire him. If you feel called, learn more about this man and let me know your thoughts.

Ready to explore more about healing our collective? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) đź“š

10/02/2025

🌕 Aries Super Full Moon (Oct 6, 11:47pm ET): Do you have the courage to see things as they really are?

When the moon grows to her brightest in Aries, she asks us this piercing question. On Monday, October 6th, we experience a Super Full Moon in Aries - appearing up to 30% brighter and 14% larger than usual because it’s at perigee, the closest point to Earth in its orbit.

This particular Super Moon is also called the Harvest Moon - the one closest to the Autumnal Equinox. Both physically and symbolically, full moons are times of culmination and illumination. When the light is this big and bright, it can bring powerful clarity and insight, and sometimes hidden truths and secrets are revealed.

Aries brings courage, fierceness, and independence - qualities needed to face reality as it is. This theme of exposure is amplified by the square between Mercury in Scorpio and Pluto in Aquarius, a transformative aspect that sharpens perception and reveals hidden motivations.

This square often demands a kind of mental alchemy - letting old mental patterns, beliefs, or narratives die so that new, more truthful ways of thinking can emerge.

What lies beneath the surface? How will you use this moment of illumination? What truths do you sense may come to light?

Ready to navigate these revelatory energies? Grab your copy of Sacred Psychiatry (link in bio) đź“š

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