Herbs

Herbal medicine is one of the oldest forms of medicine. It simply means using plants as allies in our quest for health. The medicine may be made from the leaves, flowers, berries, bark or roots of a plant, and may be given as a liquid extract or tincture, or as a tea, usually to be taken 1-2x/day.

Herbs are wonderfully versatile and incredibly effective. I love that each batch that I mix for a patient is crafted individually for them, to address their specific needs. And because we use the Latin names of the plants, I like to call it “Harry Potter” style medicine :).

ACUPUNCTURE

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture is an ancient art that goes back over 3000 years. Life-force or Qi (pronounced "Chi") travels through channels or meridians in the body, the way blood flows through arteries and veins. Illness and dis-ease occur when the flow of Qi is interrupted or unbalanced. Acupuncture uses small, thin needles inserted at specific locations on the body to rebalance the flow of Qi, thus returning the body to a state of health. 

Once inserted, needles are left in place for approximately 20minutes while you relax on the treatment table.

For optimal results, weekly sessions for 3-4 weeks are recommended.

NUTRITION

Food supplies us with the building blocks needed to keep us active and engaged in our day-to-day lives. Many of us know that healthy eating is important, but figuring out what exactly our body needs can be tricky - and dynamic. Our requirements change with our activity and stress levels, age, illnesses and seasons.

Supplements and vitamins can be helpful, but food always offers the most bioavailable and best-absorbed form of nutrients. For this reason, I ALWAYS have nutrition suggestions when working with patients (you may have to eat more veg - you’ve been warned).

Vitamins and supplements

Vitamins and supplements can be very helpful adjuncts to balance out any deficiencies, or provide that bit of added support to the body. The more stressed we are, the faster we zip through nutrients in our body and it can be hard to get everything we need from food alone.

When dealing with mental health, anxiety, depression, ADHD and autism, I use the Walsh protocol, which looks at methylation status as well as levels of key minerals and vitamins in the body and aims to correct biochemistry with advanced nutrient therapies. To learn more about the research-based Walsh protocol, please visit their website here.

Craniosacral Therapy

Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, hands-on treatment that aims to optimize the flow of nourishing and detoxifying fluid, also called cerebrospinal fluid, throughout the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). When the “control centre” of the body is working properly, the messages it sends and receives to and from the rest of the body are more in sync. If our aim is to get to the root cause of any illness, then we have to make sure that the root of the nervous system is working well. Craniosacral is less of an input into the body, and more of a facilitation of tension release, allowing the body to unwind what it is ready to let go of. This is often felt as unwinding, tingling, or heat or coolness. Patients find it deeply relaxing.

HOMEOPATHY

Homeopathy uses dilute amounts of natural substances to guide the body back to a state of health. Given as small pellets or liquid drops, homeopathy contains none of the actual substance from which it is made. This may sound odd, however everything that we see as solid, including ourselves, is actually made up of millions of tiny particles vibrating at a specific frequency. Illness occurs when the frequency of our own body goes off-kilter. Capturing the resonant frequency of the original substance, homeopathy gently nudges the body back to a healthy vibration. It is a fascinating medicine and is safe, inexpensive and very effective when used with the guidance of a trained professional.

Visceral Manipulation

Visceral manipulation is hands-on technique that releases tension in the connective tissue (fascia) in the body to improve both the structure and function of the body’s systems. We forget that our organs need space to move, to contract, to expand. Like a pull in a sweater that can alter the whole shape of the shirt, so areas of tension in our fascia can impact pain, digestion, hormones, breathing and the overall state of our nervous system.

Applied Kinesiology

More info coming soon

“Heather is deeply knowledgeable about her subject & offers a friendly, caring service. I was able to talk freely, discuss my needs & receive the correct products for my health issues. One feels as though they've known Heather for years - very much recommended!” S.W.