Women's Shelters in Costa Rica

based on interviews and correspondence
with Paola Cordero González and Dr. Natalia Fernández
with translation assistance by Ricardo Mateos

The National Institute for Women of Costa Rica (El Instituto Nacional de la Mujer de Costa Rica), is a government organization for the protection of women’s human rights. An integral aspect of INAMU’S interdisciplinary programs are the Specialized Care and Shelter Centers (CEAAM: Centro Especializado de Atención y Albergue para Mujeres), with three centers in different regions of Costa Rica. These centers provide safe refuge and emergency intensive treatment for women and their children who are at severe risk for their safety and well-being. The residential services include medical, social, psychological and legal assistance. After six weeks of residency, there is a six-months follow-up period with various forms of assistance. Many women are able to build a new life free of violence. However, there are also ongoing cultural and economic challenges that need support in order to achieve stability and independence.

Collaboration with INAMU:
The Contribution of Flower Essence Therapy

Dr. Kristin Holthuis, M.D. founded the first program in Costa Rica involving flower essence therapy to help both the staff and patients in a program funded by the National Institute for Child Protection Services in Costa Rica (PANI: Patronato Nacional de Infancia). Her work is reported in this article previously published by the Flower Essence Society .

Dr. Natalia Fernández is a colleague of Dr. Holthuis who directs the Flores del Alma school of flower essence therapy in Costa Rica. She founded a new pilot program in February of 2022 working in partnership with Paola Cordero González. This program is active in two of the three main Specialized Care and Shelter Centers (CEAAM) that serve as residential refuges for women and children in extreme need. The pilot program involving flower essence therapy and counseling is currently staffed on a volunteer and donation basis, but has been welcomed by INAMU, with plans to extend the program to the third shelter.

Assessment questionnaires have been developed for intake and exit from the program, to evaluate the results of short-term flower essence therapy during the stay at the shelters, based on their physical and emotional symptoms. The questionnaires will be supplemented with short narratives detailing the individual experience of each shelter resident. Preliminary assessments of 50 women who received flower essences indicated that 48 of the 50 recognized improvement of their condition. In all cases, confidentiality and anonymity of the participants will be protected, due to the very real danger of repeated violence.

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Two Foundational Formulas that Bring Relief and Emotional Stability:
Post-Trauma Stabilizer and Grace

Paola Cordero González, the main coordinator for flower essence therapy pilot program, describes the typical client who come to the center, as being in an extreme state of terror and shock. These women and their children are victims of domestic abuse and violence, including rape or attempted murder. Other clients have been subjected to human trafficking and sexual enslavement.

Post-Trauma Stabilizer and Grace are the two formulas Paola recommends widely for foundational recovery and stabilization for both the women and children. Post-Trauma Stabilizer eases deep-seated paralysis and accompanying loss of basic emotional functions. On the other hand, the Grace formula works on the profound impact of abuse and degradation within the feminine identity. For the children, Grace addresses the trauma and rupture of familial bonds, especially the nurturing and protective qualities of mothering, as well as sexual abuse and related violations of dignity, innocence and safety.

Paola observes that after several weeks of using the Post-Trauma Stabilizer and/or Grace formulas, the women are much more able to express their emotions and acknowledge the impact of the violence they have experienced. Both the women and children experience fewer debilitating nightmares, can sleep better and have less over-all anxiety. She also notes that other counseling work is more effective because the soul identity becomes freer; her clients can access and begin to describe the many emotional fears and harrowing events that have crippled or distorted their core sense of integrity and dignity.

Case example: "Fear no longer settles in the pit of my stomach."

A 35-year-old woman had suffered abuse from her partner, including emotional, physical and sexual violence. She separated from her abuser and is in legal proceedings against him. She has endured severe anxiety, not just from the past abuse, but out of fear that her abuser will find her. She described the effect of taking both Post-Trauma Stabilizer and Grace :

“When taking the flowers, I know the problem is there, but it doesn't take over... it doesn't settle in the pit of my stomach. The flowers are an accompaniment that gives me peace of mind."

After leaving the shelter, this woman continues to receive regular psychological support from the program. Her therapist commented, “She is super empowered and working in a very different way. The transformation is evident.”

Case example:
Renewed Capacity to Express Emotions and Show Self-Care

A 33-year-old women arrived at the shelter, a victim of both physical and sexual abuse. In the intake interview, she could not make eye contact, staring at the ceiling, seemingly lost and disheveled. She could not express herself coherently and was unable to describe her emotions, or what had happened to her. She had no plans or sense for her future.

This woman was given Post-Trauma Stabilizer and Grace formulas. After two weeks of treatment, her physical appearance changed. She could make eye contact and talk about what happened. She was able to cry, express emotions, and have ideas about a plan for her new life. In her body image, she demonstrated signs of renewed self-care. She was wearing a brightly colored dress again. Her hair was neatly groomed. She had returned to being “herself.”

Case example: An 8-year-old girl recovers from sexual trauma.

An 8-year girl came with her mother. Both had been victims of rape by the girl’s father. The abuse of the mother began when she was only an adolescent. The mother and child lived in terror, enduring continual sexual violence and many forms of psychological and physical aggression. The girl was full of sadness and anxiety, with a vacant look in her eyes, as though her soul was far removed from her body. Her mother reported that her daughter was unable to play or express any happiness. After a few days of receiving the Grace formula, the girl was calmer and full of joy. As she recovered further, she was able to sleep more soundly, and even started to play again.

Care for the Caregivers: Protect TerrAnoint & Post Trauma Stabilizer

Dr. Natalia Fernández observed that the therapists she trains for the shelter program are acutely overwhelmed by the intensity of the traumatic and painful experiences they encounter in their clients. They find it difficult to maintain emotional distance and to protect their own health and well-being from the effects of the trauma. In fact, stress levels are so high that many shelter therapists can develop severe ailments such as fibromyalgia and even various cancers.

Dr. Fernández has discovered that the Protect TerrAnoint Roll-on Formula is a significant and practical support for all members of the shelter staff. The therapists can easily apply the oil at any time while engaged at the shelter. They report an almost immediate dissipation of the “heavy” energy that typically inundates them. In longer term use, the therapists report greater emotional cohesion and safety. This feeling of protection and inner calm allows them to return home without carrying the immense emotional burden of the day. Moreover, Dr. Fernández reports that she can recommend the Protect formula for immediate a situational effectiveness, while also employing more targeted flower essence formulas for the ongoing support of each individual therapist.

Post-Trauma Stabilizer is also being used with outstanding results as a foundational support for the therapists. For example, one of the main caregivers reported that the Post-Trauma Stabilizer helped her to heal the emotional impact of so many years of working in intense crisis situations. She has new strength in her mission, decreased irritability and improvement in her sleep.

About the formulas

Post-Trauma Stabilizer: To recover and rebuild from shock and trauma

The Post-Trauma Stabilizer formula was formulated by Patricia Kaminski based on the Flower Essence Society ’s many decades of assisting relief work in natural and human-caused disasters. For example, it has been used for relief work following earthquakes (China, Chile, Haiti), refugees (Greece), wars (Rwandan genocide and Ukraine), and for many other regional and community-based natural disasters or violent upheavals.

Grace: A symphony of white lilies to nourish feminine qualities of soul.

The Grace formula was formulated by Patricia Kaminski, initially based on the experiences of flower essence practitioners in Brazil and Mexico, who were working with women in shelters, recovering from sexual and physical abuse. The formula is based on eight flowers in the Liliaceae and related plant families, which work synergistically to strengthen core feminine values and identity. Grace is primarily used by women, but it also used increasingly by many men who are recovering and reclaiming their positive soul relationship to the Feminine Archetype.

Protect: Consolidating the Core Self

The Protect formula is one of the TerrAnoint roll-on oils formulated by Patricia Kaminski for direct body application to pulse and acupressure points. It is a blend of flower essences and essential oils in a MCT coconut oil base. The Protect formula facilitates an awareness of healthy boundaries, and the ability to identify and effectively filter unhealthy influences and energies. It is particularly helpful for those who are naturally highly sensitive, as well as those whose professional work as caregivers and therapists requires an openness to the suffering and pain of others, while needing also to maintain core strength and well-being.

	Dr. Natalia Fernández is a professional psychologist using holistic methods, including herbalism and flower essence therapy, and is Director of the Flores del Alma school in Costa Rica. A particular focus of her work involves training therapists who work in the women’s shelters. This includes treatment for their clients, and also their own self-care.
	Paola Cordero González, MSc , is a clinical psychologist with 15 years of experience working in shelters and with domestic and gender-based violence. She is coordinator of the pilot project with flower essences in the Costa Rica Shelter Program and is on staff at the shelter located in the central area of the country.
	Ricardo Javier Mateos Saínz de Medrano directs Centro Gaia in Barcelona Spain, along with his professional colleague, Begoña Alías. Ricardo completed his FES Certification in 1999 and is an authorized teacher of the FES Certification Course in Spanish-speaking countries. He is the recent author of Edward Bach, las esencias de flores, y otras hierbas and co-author with Begoña Alías of Las esencias de Flores de la Flower Essence Society de California .