With Marijke Boucher, Artist Have you seen the beautiful bracelets and earrings at our Annex location? These are the work of local Toronto artist, Marijke Bouchier. Marijke has worked with Innate on a number of creative design projects over the years. Beyond her design work and jewellery she also had a portfolio of fine arts work and is launching a new textile line! She will be showcasing her fine art work this year at the One of a Kind Show. […]
Q&A with Kaitlyn Wengler, Registered Massage Therapist Q1: Kaitlyn, what exactly is Manual Lymphatic Drainage and who can it help? Manual Lymph Drainage (also known as MLD) is a very gentle manual technique that is used to help drain the excess fluid from the body and improve the overall function of the lymphatic system. As the lymphatic system is our “cleaning system” of the body, it is very important to maintain a healthy lymphatic and immune system. When MLD is applied to a patient whose lymphatic system may be sluggish or compromised, it can have a great effect on the body. […]
By Geraldine LoMonaco, Energy Healer & Intuitive Practitioner Have you ever had a moment when you felt something was just not right? Maybe you had a sense of unease while walking through a parking lot or meeting someone for the first time. How did you respond? Did you shrug it off or dismiss it as illogical nonsense? […]
Interview with Leigh-Anne Best, Registered Massage Therapist Leigh-Anne is one of the talented team of RMTs at Innate Wellness. Both as an RMT and as a mother, she has tackled many women’s health issues including pelvic floor health, pregnancy, labour and postpartum health. She is a wealth of information on how massage can be used for women specific concerns. We asked her to help us understand a little more about how this wonderful modality can be used for health & healing in women. Q1: How can massage therapy help to address women’s health? Massage Therapy is well known for its ability to promote relaxation, reduce stress and muscle tension, as well as for its role in rehabilitation and injury prevention. However, there is less of an understanding of the benefits of massage as a holistic approach to women’s health issues. What most people don’t know is that Massage Therapy is an effective modality for treating women’s health issues, including irregular menstrual cycles, menstrual disorders like PMS and PMDD, but also for aiding with fertility issues. Additionally, massage is an excellent means in which to support the ever-changing needs in women’s bodies during pregnancy, in preparation for birth and during labour, and, most importantly, as part of the postpartum picture for healing. […]
Q & A with Melody Yeung, Registered Psychotherapist and Teacher Back to school brings up a lot of ‘stuff’ for parents and kids. When tackling these thoughts – it can be helpful to get a little help from the experts. We sat down with Registered Psychotherapist & School Teacher, Melody Yeung to ask how she can help. Melody, what are some of the most common back to school anxieties that children face? It is definitely common to have back-to-school jitters, and from my experience, teachers get it too! It is hard to go back to a structured routine after a relaxing and enjoyable summer. Some of the most common back-to-school anxieties include: Who will be my teacher? Will my new teacher be nice? Will my friends be in my class? Will anyone be my friend? Will I fit in? Are my clothes cool enough? What if something bad happens to mom and dad when I’m at school? […]
Dr. Kathleen Regan is one of the co-founders and naturopathic doctors at Innate Wellness. She works a lot with families and kids. We asked… what are the most common health question from families? Apparently, this is a tough question to answer because families come in for all sorts of things from basic nutrition advice to skin conditions. But, at this time of year, she gets asked a lot of questions about the cold & flu. Read more on our interview with Dr. Regan. Dr. Kathleen Regan, ND Can Naturopathic Medicine treat the Cold & Flu? Of course! Cold & flu treatment begins with prevention. This starts with the basics like staying active, eating balanced meals & seasonal foods, dressing appropriately for the weather and keeping stress managed. But when a cold or flu strikes, natural medicine is one of the best options to try first! Why? Most colds and flus are viral in origin – antibiotics don’t work here. But there are many wonderful herbs that have antiviral effects. These can be taken in soups or as teas, tinctures and supplements. Many people don’t know how effective naturopathic medicine can be in these cases so we often see patients after they have tried everything else. I like to remind my patients ahead of flu season to book in for a flu prevention visit or an acute check-in visit when the flu strikes before they try more conventional routes. […]
For those of you who don’t know, Lindsey Danisch is the newest edition to the Innate Wellness Team. We are very excited to have her! Counselling services are an essential part of holistic health care. As a Registered Social Worker and provider of Psychotherapy, Lindsey offers counselling services for individuals, families and children. She has a tonne of experience and couldn’t be more approachable but we think you should get to know her yourself! Read more about Lindsey in our monthly Innate Q&A… Q1: This is the first time Innate Wellness has had a Social Worker and Provider of Psychotherapy on their team. We are very excited! How do you see your services fitting into this integrative and holistic team? I’m so excited to be a part of the Innate team! With the pace of today’s society and the increase of expectations/demands on everyone, paying attention to one’s mental health becomes progressively important. I recognize that while it can take a village to raise a child, it can take a team to tackle the physical and emotional complexities of our clients. Psychotherapy is a great compliment to the services already being provided at Innate Wellness. I am able to dig a little deeper with clients to address and support any underlying concerns that may be creating a barrier to improving our overall health and wellness. […]
At Innate Wellness we have 4 different massage therapists with 4 different styles. We decided to sit down and ask our therapists about their top techniques in practice. Still not sure which RMT is the right fit for you? Visit their bios or call our front desk staff to inquire (416-760-9424). Emily Carr-Locke, RMT Q: You take an intuitive and gentle approach to massage. Is there a patient population that you think your massage style works with best? A: I have been told that I have a very intuitive touch. I have had many different patients with different health presentations tell me that I really ‘found the right spots’ and helped to relieve an ongoing issue or trigger point that no one else had been able to find. I am able to provide a deep, focused, and relieving treatment which can help patients with frozen shoulder, decreased range of motion, injuries, as well as general aches and pains caused by posture, stress, or physical restrictions. I also have many patients with chronic pain disorders such as fibromyalgia or chronic stress/anxiety who need a varied treatment with different goals, techniques, focus, and awareness. […]
Q&A with Dr. Jonathan Cartile, DC It’s official! The warm weather has arrived and with it naturally comes more running, swimming biking and outdoor sports. Injuries can be common especially as people are getting ramped up for summer training schedules. In this month’s Q&A Dr. Jon shares his top tips for building fitness and staying injury free all summer long! Dr. Jonathan Cartile, DC You have worked a fair amount with fitness from the average person to the athlete. Do you have any general recommendations for those beginning a new fitness program? […]
Matthew Richardson, Registered Acupuncturist at Innate Wellness, High park, is an experienced acupuncturist who has spent a lifetime studying martial arts, Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. One thing many people don’t know about Matthew is his experience in fertility, pregnancy, labor and delivery. Wondering about how acupuncture can help fertility? Concerned about the labor and delivery process? Matthew has personal experience and many tips to help you conceive and deliver your baby on your terms! Matthew Richardson, Registered Acupuncturist Q1. For those of us that don’t know – what exactly is acupuncture and how does it work? This is the most common question I get, and the hardest one to answer. The textbook kind of answer is this : Acupuncture is a Traditional Chinese Medical practice that has been practiced, passed down and improved on for over 2000 years and involves the insertion of very thin sterile stainless steel needles into very specific points on the body. The stimulation of these points have the effect of regulating blood pressure, reducing pain, regulating the nervous system and promoting proper organ function. These combined effects are useful for treating any pain, symptom or disease of the body. Put simply though, acupuncture stimulates the body to heal itself. Health is a state of balance. Your best health comes from you, and acupuncture is the means by which we can improve the body’s function when it has lost balance. As a side note, when people ask me about acupuncture I often suggest they come in to experience a session. There is a look that people have when you ask them to do something they have never imagined themselves doing before [...]
