ERWIN FONSECA
ANJUNA: While India has long embraced plant-based medical therapies like Ayurveda, Unani, and naturopathy, there is another form of nature-based healing that’s gaining attention: flower therapy. Lorien Alice Cooper, a 55-year-old UK-born therapist, has spent the last 20 years in Goa, dedicating herself to the healing powers of flower therapy. Known fondly as “Lol” among her friends and clients, she has treated over 300 patients using the Bach Flower Therapy, a practice that harnesses the energy of flowers to treat not just symptoms but the emotional causes of ailments. Based in Anjuna, Lorien fell in love with Goa 30 years ago and eventually made it her home after being captivated by the State’s natural beauty.
Her journey with flower therapy began when she was 18, preparing for a driving test but paralyzed by nervousness. A teacher introduced her to flower therapy, and the experience left her feeling calm and confident. Since then, she’s been passionate about the healing powers of flowers. This passion grew when she saw the therapy work on her three-year-old daughter, who had developed an intense fear of fire. After treatment, her daughter’s fear melted away, and she could confront fire without distress.
Bach Flower Therapy, developed by British doctor Dr Edward Bach almost a century ago, uses tinctures made from flowers with unique healing properties. “Dr. Bach spent long hours researching the energy in flowers and their healing power,” Lol explains. His discoveries, known as Bach Flowers, are now used worldwide for treating various conditions.
Lol’s approach goes beyond the physical symptoms. She believes in identifying the root emotional causes of a person’s distress. “Sickness doesn’t just mean external causes. It reflects your body’s state and emotional state,” she explains. By addressing emotional imbalances through flower therapy, she has helped many, including alcoholics, recover and lead positive, fulfilling lives. “If you treat the cause, instill positivity, and bring about an emotional transformation, you’ve won them over,” Lol says.
Although not a high-paying profession, flower therapy brings Lol immense joy. She finds fulfilment in “touching people’s lives” and turning them away from negativity. Using flower tinctures and a combination of counselling, muscle tests, and eye movement techniques, Lol customises remedies for each patient. Her treatment sessions typically last two hours, during which she delves into the patient’s life, emotions, and challenges before prescribing a remedy.
Over her two decades in Goa, Lol has become deeply attached to thelocal culture, the lush Western Ghats, and the vibrant community.
She encourages her patients to find peace within themselves and connect with nature. “Nature is our Mother Earth, and she cures her children. We must stop destroying her by cutting hills, forests, and trees,” she urges. Having experienced severe stress in her own life, Lol is on a mission to ensure that others don’t go through similar emotional struggles.
Lol is passionate about helping people understand their own potential and purpose in life. “If you don’t understand yourself, you won’t know your potential, and without that, you’re just a burden to your family,” she warns. Her goal is
to use flower therapy to instil emotional strength in her patients, helping them face life’s challenges with positivity.