This is for Andrew, and might be revealed more during the course of our discussions— I wonder how one would go about considering the overlaps of the 5 elements, EPFs, organs, and 8 principles; in an ideal world I imagine they would all make sense and say the same thing, but as I consider some of the case studies presented in the HW and clients I've worked with I feel like sometimes certain elements in the flow of generation or control get skipped, or an organ isn't as relevant as I think it is... Where should we start when we look at a case?

Hi Jennifer, I will get to that at the end of the module. First, I have to teach you all of the different parts before we can put it together! In a nutshell, the patterns are the focal point of diagnosis and the eight principles help you narrow down all of the possibilities in order to select a pattern. Organs, substances and EPFs are the aspects of pathophysiology that make up the different patterns. Five element theory is a foundational concept that helps us understand the thinking behind the patterns. Steps to understanding a case: 1. Write a list of all of the organs that pertain to the case most directly. 2. Write a list of the most involved substances. 3. Do the eight principles. This step helps you narrow down the list from step 1 and 2. 4. Put it all together into one diagnostic statement (ie- pick a pattern) Happy studying! Andrew