Essential Holistic Wellness

05/15/2026

The timing of picking up my Reiki training manual right before the New Moon in Ta**us honestly feels a little too aligned not to share. 🌑

Over the last year, Essential Holistic Wellness has slowly been evolving into something deeper than “just massage” — more nervous system support, more intentional care, more space for restoration, grounding, breath, regulation, stillness, and connection.

I’m currently continuing my education in Reiki alongside yoga teacher training, breathwork, somatic work, and restorative bodywork practices, and it already feels incredibly aligned with the direction this space is growing.

The website is still being updated behind the scenes (new offerings and ritual sessions are coming soon 👀), but I wanted to share this part of the journey as it unfolds instead of waiting until everything feels “finished.”

This New Moon feels especially meaningful:
a reminder to slow down, reconnect with ourselves, plant new intentions, and create space for healing that feels sustainable and embodied.

✨ You are safe here.
✨ You are supported here.
✨ You do not have to hold everything alone.

05/15/2026

GROUNDWORK: Aromatherapy Safety

Tuesday, May 19 @ 5PM Eastern – LIVE
1 CEU Credit | Presented by Denise Cusack

Gain confidence and ensure safety in your community work! Join us for Aromatherapy Safety, a live webinar designed to equip you with the knowledge and understanding to use essential oils safely and effectively in your herbal practice and community work.

Denise Cusack will guide you through the essential principles of aromatherapy safety, including appropriate dilution rates for different populations and uses, understanding phototoxicity, and promoting proper use. Learn how to confidently incorporate essential oils into your work while minimizing risks.

👉 We’ll cover:
Dilution Rates: Understanding appropriate dilution rates for different populations (e.g., children, pregnant women, elderly) and uses (e.g., topical application, inhalation).
Phototoxicity: Identifying essential oils that are phototoxic and taking appropriate precautions to avoid sun sensitivity.
Proper Use: Learning proper techniques for using essential oils safely, including inhalation, topical application, and diffusion.
Contraindications and Precautions: Understanding contraindications and precautions for specific essential oils and medical conditions.
Educational Resources: Providing a list of reputable educational resources for aromatherapy safety.
Best Practices for Community Settings: Implementing best practices for using essential oils safely in community settings, such as herbal chapters and outreach programs including working with refugees, unhoused, and after disasters.
Use essential oils with confidence and knowledge, ensuring the safety and well-being of yourself and your community.

This live webinar includes a downloadable eGuide, slides, and a dilution rate chart, and a certificate of completion for 1 CEU hour.

Free for HWB Members | Suggested donation for non-members
Register NOW: https://zurl.co/i18sw

05/13/2026

I’ve officially updated my intake and wellness forms for Essential Holistic Wellness 💚

Current and prospective clients — when you have a moment, please take a few minutes to fill out or update your information using the link below. This helps me better support your body, nervous system, health history, session preferences, and wellness goals in a more personalized and trauma-informed way.

Thank you for growing with me as this practice continues to evolve ✨

https://forms.gle/3kfY8ojkSQchJY4D6

05/12/2026

Join RBK Aromatherapy LLC for a FREE Monthly webinar.

This month on Wednesday, May 20th, at 4PM EST time, we will be joined by Denise Cusack who will talk about the work Herbalists Without Borders does using aromatherapy in disaster relief and mutual aid. She will talk about formulating, safety, distribution, and creating for specific needs. We will also talk about the role of scent memory in trauma, and using aromatherapy to support recovery in people who have been impacted by trauma.

A bit about Denise Cusack
Denise Cusack is the Co Executive Director of Herbalists Without Borders, a global nonprofit dedicated to providing holistic health and wellness support to communities in need. As a hands-on leader, Denise organizes disaster response and relief efforts and operates HWB’s US Donation Network, ensuring essential supplies reach underserved communities through free clinics, outreach, and education. She also leads the organization’s Community Supported Aromatherapy initiatives, formulating and creating aromatherapy products used in care packs and community distribution across the U.S.

In addition to the daily management of HWB, Denise is a clinical herbalist, certified aromatherapist, flower essence practitioner, permaculture designer, and natural perfumer. She is the owner of Analu Perfume, a natural botanical perfume company, and Wholly Rooted Farm, a plant sanctuary where she grows medicinal and aromatic plants for education, HWB outreach, and mentoring aspiring herbalists and aromatherapists. Actively involved with HWB since 2017, Denise is deeply committed to advancing health justice through accessible, community-centered care.

It is FREE to register for this webex webinar! Visit the link below and fill out the contact form - be sure to comment MAY WEBINAR REGISTRATION in the text.
https://www.rbkaromatherapy.com/contact.html Hope to see you there!

05/04/2026

05/04/2026

In 2014, I was introduced to Ayurvedic medicine for the first time.
I didn’t know then how much it would shape the way I understand the body.
Now, over a decade later, I’m completing my certification in Marma Therapy—
a system of working with vital energy points that influence the nervous system, circulation, and overall regulation.
What started as curiosity has come full circle.
This work is now integrated into a signature session at Essential Holistic Wellness—
blending massage therapy, Thai bodywork, breathwork, herbal support, and the principles I’m refining through my yoga teacher training.
Different modalities, one intention:
helping your nervous system feel safe enough to heal.

05/01/2026

✊ Take a Stand for Health Justice — Join Herbalists Without Borders! 🌿
Access resources, eGuides, webinars, mentorships, Herb Scouts, and more while supporting our mission. Members also qualify to join or form an HWB Chapter, Clinic, or Project and access all of our training and resources.

Join as an Individual, Nonprofit, Business, or School Member.

🔗https://zurl.co/yjHAF

04/30/2026

04/05/2026

If my services aren’t within reach right now, I completely understand 🤍✨

I deeply value the care, skill, and presence that go into my work—and I hold that standard in any exchange as well.

For the right, aligned fit, I’m open to thoughtful, mutually beneficial trades ✨

If you’re interested, feel free to reach out with what you’d love to offer, such as:

• facials + advanced skin treatments 🧖🏻‍♀️✨
• massage + holistic wellness services 🤍🕊️
• tattoo work 🎨✨
• content creation / brand photography 📸✨
• branding / social media support 📲✨
• garden goods / fresh, locally grown produce 🥬🌿✨
• pet sitting 🐾✨
• home reset / light cleaning 🧼🏡✨

I approach these collaborations with intention—ensuring the energy, value, and exchange feel supportive on both sides.

aligned energy only ✨
collaboration > currency 🤍✨

03/26/2026

Continued education today 🔬

The Regulated Therapist: Why Your Nervous System is Your Most Important Clinical Tool

Here’s the science-forward takeaway:

Research shows the therapeutic alliance (the relationship between practitioner + client) has a measurable impact on outcomes—often with effect sizes around r = .28–.30 across hundreds of studies.

That’s significantly higher than many common interventions alone.

Why?
Because when the nervous system perceives safety, it shifts out of sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and into parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) states—where healing, repair, and regulation actually occur.

This is co-regulation, and it’s not abstract—it’s physiological.

So in session, it’s not just the technique that matters.
It’s the quality of presence, safety, and connection shaping how your body responds.

Always refining the science behind the work 🤍
— Essential Holistic Wellness

03/26/2026

Massage Therapy Appreciation Week 🤍

This work is so much more than muscles.

Yes, I help ease tension and reduce pain…
but what I truly care about is how safe your body feels when you’re on my table.

Because healing doesn’t happen when your system is in survival mode.
It happens when your body feels supported, seen, and safe.

Through therapeutic alliance and co-regulation, your nervous system begins to settle.

Your breath softens.
Your body lets go.
And healing can finally begin.

✨ Research shows massage therapy can lower cortisol, reduce inflammation, and support the nervous system in shifting into a true healing state.

This isn’t just about relief.
It’s about restoration.

If your body has been asking for a reset…
I’d be honored to hold that space for you. 🤍

Booking is open ✨