😰Anxiety·Panic
Sudden palpitations and a choking sensation, anxiety rushing in for no reason.
Sleepless nights, anxious mind.
We restore the balance of brain and body.
We restore the balance of brain and body.
Mental Health Clinic
Tests are normal, yet your chest feels tight and you can't sleep?
Mental illness is invisible,
but the body sends honest signals.
😔Depression·Lethargy
Hard to wake up, no motivation, always tired and unmotivated.
😣Insomnia·Sleep Disorder
Hard to fall asleep, frequent waking, still tired in the morning.
😵Stress Overload
Work·relationship·exam stress accumulates, bringing headaches, indigestion, and chest tightness.
😌A Calm Mind
Causeless anxiety fades, palpitations decrease, and you naturally return to daily life.
💪Restored Vitality
Mornings feel lighter; motivation and focus for work return.
😴Deep Sleep
Time to fall asleep shortens, no waking in between, and you greet refreshed mornings.
🧘Stress Tolerance
Your body no longer overreacts to the same situations — you gain self-regulation.
If You're in This State,
Treatment Is Needed
If any of the symptoms below apply,
you need professional diagnosis and care.
🌙
When You Can't Fall Asleep
Lying down brings racing thoughts;
it takes over an hour to fall asleep
When brain hyperarousal persists, autonomic balance breaks down and sleep quality plummets. This is not simple insomnia — it's a sign of nervous system imbalance.
💓
When You Feel Anxious for No Reason
Sudden palpitations
and a choking sensation
Hyperactive sympathetic nerves accelerate heart rate and shallow breathing. Even with normal exam findings, this is your body's warning signal.
🧠
When Focus Drops
A foggy mind,
hard to focus on work or conversation
Chronic stress and lack of sleep impair frontal lobe function. Treat the root cause before it leads to memory decline and judgment fog.
😔
When Mood Swings Severely
Sensitive to small things,
easily exhausted or depressed
Reduced emotional regulation is deeply linked to brain-gut axis imbalance. Trying to solve mental issues with the mind alone perpetuates the cycle.
Check My Body Status
Just 1 minute. Find the right prescription for you.
Mental Health Self-Check
1 / 4
What is the most difficult emotional issue you face right now?
Special Diagnosis System
Treating Mental Illness From the Root
Sedatives and sleep aids can help calm acute symptoms. But long-term reliance leaves the root cause untouched while building tolerance.
Korean medicine views mental illness as deeply connected to organ (Zang-Fu) balance.
When the heart (心) accumulates heat, anxiety arises; when liver (肝) Qi stagnates, anger rises; when spleen (脾) is depleted, worry won't end.
금맥한의원 인
印
Core Solution Why Treat the Body First
Why Treat the Body First
for Mental Illness?
1
Re-Aligning Disturbed Organs
Anxiety is a signal from the heart (心), anger and tension from the liver (肝), endless worry from the spleen (脾). Restore balance among these three organs and emotional storms quiet down.
2
Reopening Blocked Flows
Replenish where Qi is deficient, unblock where circulation is stuck, cool what's overheated, warm what's cold. As the inner environment shifts, the mind follows into stability.
3
Building Self-Recovery Rhythms
Deep sleep, released tension, sufficient rest — these allow brain and body to revive on their own. We build a foundation for sustained recovery without relying on medication.
What Type of Mind Do You Have?
Even with the same "mental illness," causes and patterns differ by person.
Through 4-axis diagnosis, we identify your type and design a tailored treatment strategy.
1
Tossing and Turning at Night,
Dreading the Morning
Main Symptoms
- • Mind races when you lie down
- • Hard to fall back asleep after early-morning waking
- • Chronic fatigue despite sleeping
Diagnosis Pattern
Heart-Gallbladder Deficiency-Fearfulness (心膽虛怯) · Yin-Blood Insufficiency
Recommended Treatment
Calming the Spirit & Nourishing Blood
Settles the over-aroused mind and replenishes blood, creating conditions for the brain to truly rest.
2
Heart Racing Without Reason,
Feeling Suffocated
Main Symptoms
- • Sudden palpitations
- • Shallow, tight breathing
- • Extreme tension in crowded places
Diagnosis Pattern
Liver Qi Stagnation (肝氣鬱結) · Sympathetic Hyperactivity
Recommended Treatment
Soothing the Liver & Releasing Stagnation
Releases pent-up liver qi to calm autonomic overreaction and helps you breathe without tension.
3
Everything Feels Burdensome,
Motivation Has Disappeared
Main Symptoms
- • Body feels weighted-down in the morning
- • Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy
- • Tearfulness or irritability over small matters
Diagnosis Pattern
Heart-Spleen Dual Deficiency (心脾兩虛) · Qi-Blood Depletion
Recommended Treatment
Boosting Qi & Tonifying the Heart
Lifts depleted energy and restores the heart-spleen generative functions, bringing vitality back to daily life.
4
Mind Foggy,
Thoughts Won't Organize
Main Symptoms
- • Markedly reduced concentration
- • Memory decline and clouded judgment
- • Chronic headache or head heaviness
Diagnosis Pattern
Phlegm-Fluid Disturbing the Upper Body (痰飮上擾) · Reduced Cerebral Circulation
Recommended Treatment
Resolving Phlegm & Clearing the Mind
Clears thick phlegm-fluid and improves qi-blood flow to the brain so you can recover mental clarity.
TREATMENT PRINCIPLE
Core Treatment Principles to Restore Mental Balance
Suppressing symptoms with medication alone doesn't bring fundamental recovery.
You must restore organ balance and build the body's self-recovery power.
- 1
Calm: Mind-Body Stabilization
We calm the hyperaroused nervous system to first break the anxiety-insomnia cycle.
- Spirit-calming pharmacopuncture stabilizes the autonomic nervous system
- Acupuncture improves heart and liver meridian circulation
- Acute anxiety and insomnia eased within 72 hours
- 2
Restore: Organ Recovery
We revive Heart, Liver, and Spleen function to rebuild the foundation of emotional regulation and sleep.
- Constitution-tailored herbal medicine replenishes heart-spleen qi and blood
- Releases liver-qi stagnation to relieve chest tightness
- Restores gut-brain axis balance to normalize serotonin
- 3
Sustain: Independence Reinforcement
We strengthen body and mind's self-reliance so you can maintain stability without ongoing treatment.
- Training in sleep hygiene, breathing, and relaxation techniques
- Lifestyle coaching that strengthens stress resilience
- Constitution-improving prescriptions to prevent recurrence
🌿
Constitution-Tailored Herbal Medicine
Based on the 4-axis evaluation, we prescribe individualized herbal medicine. We strengthen the heart and spleen and resolve liver stagnation to create an environment where the mind stabilizes itself.
- ✓ Reinforce heart-spleen to improve sleep quality
- ✓ Relieve anxiety by releasing liver-qi stagnation
- ✓ Normalize qi-blood circulation
📍
Acupuncture & Calming Pharmacopuncture
Acupuncture and pharmacopuncture at acupoints restore autonomic balance. We calm hyperactive sympathetic nerves and elevate parasympathetic activity to induce deep relaxation.
- ✓ Restore autonomic-nervous-system balance
- ✓ Ease palpitations and chest tightness
- ✓ Relieve tension headaches and shoulder stiffness
🧘
Sleep · Relaxation Lifestyle Guidance
Time outside the treatment room determines recovery. We design 1:1 self-management programs you can practice daily — sleep environment improvement, breathing techniques, progressive muscle relaxation.
- ✓ Personalized sleep-routine design
- ✓ Breathing-technique training for stress response
- ✓ Lifestyle coaching to prevent recurrence
Scientific Evidence for Mental Health Care
Korean medicine effects on insomnia, anxiety, and depression are validated by modern clinical research.
Herbal Medicine — Insomnia Improvement 83%
Sleep quality (PSQI) improvement after herbal treatment in insomnia patients
Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
Acupuncture — Anxiety Reduction 76%
Anxiety scale (HAM-A) improvement after acupuncture in generalized anxiety disorder
J of Affective Disorders
Korean Combined Therapy — Depression Relief 79%
PHQ-9 improvement after combined herbal medicine + acupuncture for mild-to-moderate depression
Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
A systematic analysis of 40 RCTs (total 3,549 patients) showed herbal medicine reduced depression scores (HAMD-17) by an average 4.53 points more than placebo (p<0.00001), with treatment effect equivalent to antidepressants (RR=0.99). Combination of herbal medicine with antidepressants showed even better results.
참고문헌 (6)
- [1] Wang Y, Shi YH, Xu Z, Fu H, Zeng H, Zheng GQ. Efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine for depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials . Journal of Psychiatric Research (2019) DOI
- [2] Yeung WF, Chung KF, Poon MM, et al.. Chinese herbal medicine for insomnia: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials . Sleep Medicine Reviews (2012) DOI
- [3] Kim SH, Park JH, Lee YJ, et al.. Effect of modified Guibi-tang (歸脾湯) on sleep quality and anxiety in patients with insomnia and anxiety: a randomized controlled clinical trial . Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry (2023) DOI
- [4] Amorim D, Amado J, Brito I, et al.. Acupuncture and electroacupuncture for anxiety disorders: A systematic review of the clinical research . Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (2018) DOI
- [5] Li M, Niu J, Yan P, et al.. The effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for depression: An overview of meta-analyses . Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2020) DOI
- [6] Xu G, Xiao Q, Huang B, Lei H, Yin Z, Huang L, et al.. Clinical Evidence for Association of Acupuncture with Improved Major Depressive Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials . Neuropsychobiology (2023) DOI
Treatment Process
Prescription Process
- 🩺
01. Pulse Consultation
We precisely diagnose your current condition,
deficient energy, and lifestyle habits. - 🌿
02. Herb Selection
We compose the optimal blend of herbs
to match your constitution and symptoms. - 🫖
03. Careful Decoction
In our in-house decoction room, we brew your remedy
with clean water and selected herbs. - 📖
04. Dosage Guidance
We guide proper intake and lifestyle management
to maximize effectiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions
More QuestionsQ. I'm taking psychiatric medication — can I take herbal medicine alongside it?
Yes. We can combine them initially and gradually reduce western medication as symptoms improve.
Q. How long does herbal treatment take?
Acute stress reactions: 2-4 weeks. Chronic insomnia/anxiety: 1-3 months. Depression and panic disorder: 3-6 months or more. We adjust the prescription based on progress and gradually improve while combining with western medication.
Q. Is acupuncture effective for psychiatric conditions?
Yes. Acupuncture regulates the autonomic nervous system and promotes secretion of neurotransmitters like serotonin and endorphins, with scientifically proven effects for anxiety, insomnia, and depression.
Telemedicine Process
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Try our easy consultation service.
Treatment Reviews
Stories of those who reclaimed peace of mind together with 금맥한의원.
Case Study
🔒
Menopause: woke up at 2 AM with hot flashes — finally sleeping through
After menopause hit, I'd wake up at 2 AM with a sudden rush of heat and couldn't fall back asleep. After 2 months on the herbal medicine, the hot flashes eased and I can finally sleep through till morning T_T. My husband is happy he can sleep well next to me too, lol. My menopause symptoms are better overall.
Patient: 성**|Doctor: 김효섭 대표원장
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Case Study
🔒
Vertigo made daily life hard — almost gone after 3 weeks of herbal medicine
Vertigo was making daily life hard, but after 3 weeks on the herbal medicine the dizziness is almost gone. The subway commute doesn't scare me anymore, hehe.
Patient: 권**|Doctor: 김효섭 대표원장
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Case Study
🔒
Sleep disorder: chuna + acupuncture combo is the best — staff are kind too
For my sleep disorder, the chuna + acupuncture combination has been the best. The nurses are thorough and kind — I’m sticking with this clinic.
Patient: 윤**|Doctor: 김효섭 대표원장
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3+ more real treatment cases
Health Column
Health information for relieving insomnia, depression, and anxiety.
Column
Autonomic Dysfunction — Tests Are Normal, but Your Body Hurts
When dizziness, palpitations, and tingling keep returning despite normal test results — Korean medicine treatment for autonomic dysfunction.
Column
Hwabyeong: Bottling It Up Will Not Heal You
Hwabyeong does not get better just by enduring it — we explain its causes in Korean medicine and how soothing the liver and resolving stagnation guides treatment.
Column
Panic Disorder: Korean Medicine Treats the Root Cause
We explain the Korean medicine view of sudden panic attacks and how root-cause treatment focused on calming the spirit and steadying the will helps recovery.
Research Papers
RESEARCH
코호트 연구Aging & Mental Health · 2024
노인 우울증에 대한 한약(귀비탕)의 코호트 연구
Moon KW, Go JH, Shin BC, et al.
41%GDS 감소180명참여자 수24주추적 기간
무작위 대조시험Stress and Health · 2023
적응장애 환자에서 한약(소요산)의 항스트레스 효과: 무작위 대조 시험
Baek IH, Lee JH, Park CW, et al.
39%스트레스 감소90명참여자 수코르티솔 정상화생리 지표
전후비교 연구Eating Behaviors · 2024
폭식장애에 대한 이침과 한약 병행치료의 전후 비교 연구
Kim GH, Park HJ, Lee SH, et al.
52%폭식 점수↓3.2kg체중 감소55명참여자 수
Research Papers
RESEARCH
코호트 연구Aging & Mental Health · 2024
노인 우울증에 대한 한약(귀비탕)의 코호트 연구
Moon KW, Go JH, Shin BC, et al.
41%GDS 감소180명참여자 수24주추적 기간
무작위 대조시험Stress and Health · 2023
적응장애 환자에서 한약(소요산)의 항스트레스 효과: 무작위 대조 시험
Baek IH, Lee JH, Park CW, et al.
39%스트레스 감소90명참여자 수코르티솔 정상화생리 지표
전후비교 연구Eating Behaviors · 2024
폭식장애에 대한 이침과 한약 병행치료의 전후 비교 연구
Kim GH, Park HJ, Lee SH, et al.
52%폭식 점수↓3.2kg체중 감소55명참여자 수