WHERE TO START

Physiotherapy and Pelvic Health Physiotherapy

If you are looking for support with the experience of any one or combination of the following, then an In-Person or Virtual Initial Physiotherapy Session or Initial Pelvic Health Physiotherapy Session is where you want to start.

• Chronic Pain (e.g. back pain, neck pain, jaw pain, hip pain, knee pain, foot pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, wrist pain, pelvic pain, headaches, fibromyalgia, etc.)

• MindBody Symptoms (e.g. chronic pain (see all listed above), digestive issues, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, TMJ/jaw dysfunction, body tension, tinnitus, etc.)

• TMJ/Jaw Symptoms (e.g. jaw pain, clenching, grinding, tension, etc.)

• Pelvic Floor Symptoms (e.g. pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, vaginismus, vulvodynia, vestibulodynia, incontinence, etc.). ***If you are experiencing pelvic pain and or other symptoms, please book the In-Person or Virtual Initial Pelvic Health Physiotherapy Session.

• Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation (e.g. overall changes include shallow breathing, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, digestive issues, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, reduced tolerance to stress, emotions, or alcohol, difficulty remembering things, difficulty focussing, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep, changes in immune function, hormonal changes, etc. Some specifics of each state: anxiety/flight - feeling overwhelmed, restless, excessive worrying, overthinking, tension in the lower body including the stomach, back, hips, hamstrings and calves; overreaction/fight - feeling irritated, frustrated, agitated, defensive, tension in the upper body including the neck, shoulders, chest, hands, forearms, jaw, stomach and back; panic attacks/freeze - feeling stuck, indecisive, body wide tension; depression/shutdown – feeling numb, disconnected, dissociated, depressed, depleted, brain fogged, socially withdrawn and minimal to no body tension)

• Stress (see Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation) A stressor is the “trigger” or perceived threat that leads to your brain using the different states of the nervous system (flight, fight, freeze, shutdown) to protect you. The brain can perceive anything as a threat. We are all unique in what our brain perceives as threat vs safe and it depends on our upbringing and experiences in life. You can rewire what your brain perceives as a threat, so long as it isn’t actually threatening, so that it no longer responds in the same way.

• Post-Concussion Symptoms (e.g. headaches, pressure in the head, dizziness, neck pain, light-headedness, balance issues, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, fatigue, reduced tolerance to stress, emotions, or alcohol, difficulty remembering things, difficulty focussing, difficulty concentrating, confusion, feeling mentally slow, changes in sleep, irritability, depression, anxiety, feeling more emotional, lack of energy, brain fog, etc.)

• Long Covid (e.g. headaches, fatigue, abdominal pain, pain in the muscles and joints, sleep issues, shortness of breath (ie shallow breathing), difficulty remembering things, difficulty focussing, difficulty concentrating, lack of energy, anxiety, depression, changes in blood pressure, changes in heart rate, heart palpitations (fast-beating or pounding heart), brain fog, dizziness or light-headedness when you stand up or exert yourself, changes in taste and smell, digestive changes, hormonal changes (ie changes in menstrual cycle), etc.)

The Initial Session is my opportunity to learn as much about you as I can. The more I know and understand about you, the better equipped I am to help you in the ways that will be most beneficial to you. We are going to spend a beautiful 120 minutes together! I know this sounds like a really long time, but you’d be surprised at how quickly the time passes and how beneficial it is to have this much time and to not feel rushed. This is your time to really be heard.

An Initial Session may incorporate a combination of the following:

• A discussion of the pain and/or symptoms you are experiencing.

• A discussion of what you have done in the past to try to resolve the pain and/or symptoms you are experiencing and the impact of those interventions.

• A discussion of what was going on in your life, mentally, emotionally, and physically when the pain and/or symptoms you are experiencing started.

• A discussion of your daily level of stress and how you manage it.

• A discussion of your childhood and upbringing at the level you are comfortable sharing. When we are children, we develop a lot of coping mechanisms and strategies that serve to protect us. These can be things like people pleasing, perfectionism, having high expectations of yourself, worrying, rule following, being hard on yourself, not expressing thoughts, not expressing emotions, etc. If these strategies worked to protect us then they continue running throughout our life and tend to have a big influence on pain and mindbody symptoms. Once we recognize them we can update the brain and change these patterns over time.

• A discussion of other systems of the body - nervous system, digestive system, immune system, etc.

• A discussion of sleep patterns.

• A discussion of what you are hoping to get out of the time we spend together.

• A discussion about anything else that might be relevant to the pain and/or symptoms you are experiencing. To me, everything is relevant because everything is connected.

• We may explore different movements and/or positions that are connected with the pain and/or symptoms you are experiencing.

• I will feel different areas of the body to get a sense of where your brain is holding tension to protect you.

• Depending on your unique experience of pain and/or symptoms we may discuss how pain works, the autonomic nervous system (polyvagal theory/ladder), the two directional communication between the body and the brain, how repressed (unconsciously hidden from us) and/or suppressed (consciously pushed down) emotions are connected with the pain and/or the symptoms you are experiencing, and more. I won’t overwhelm you with all of this in one session and I repeat information a lot to help you really understand the concepts. It truly takes time to understand these concepts.

• I will incorporate therapeutic body techniques to send different messages to your subconscious/unconscious brain and autonomic nervous system to create a sense of safety and provide an opportunity for them to explore and re-evaluate that area of your body. As the subconscious/unconscious brain and autonomic nervous system explore an area of the body and notice that there isn't actually anything threatening or dangerous happening in the area they will reevaluate what they are doing (ie holding tension). If they perceive that the area is okay and you are safe they no longer see the need to continue to protect you in this way and will release the protective tension they have been holding. I promise we will talk more about this. I really don’t like to use the word “treat” or “treatment” when describing my approach because it implies that I am treating something and that it’s me that is changing it. But ultimately, I am just creating an opportunity for your subconscious/unconscious brain and autonomic nervous system to connect with your body in a different way, which gives them the opportunity to connect explore and re-evaluate what they are doing and potentially make some changes.

• A discussion of tools and techniques you can incorporate into your daily life to support your mind, body, emotions and nervous system. They will be very simple, don’t require much time, and are easy to incorporate into your life.

• A discussion of a rough plan for next steps. Here’s the thing, I wish I could give you a solid plan with exactly what steps we’ll be taking and what to expect, but I can’t because the next steps truly depend on what happens with the first steps we take. I use all of the information you share with me from the first steps and this helps me determine what next step(s) would be most beneficial for you. There is no one size fits all approach.

• ***** If you are interested in exploring PELVIC HEALTH PHYSIOTHERAPY, an In-Person or Virtual Initial Pelvic Health Physiotherapy Session is where you will want to start. The only difference between this session and an In-Person or Virtual Physiotherapy Initial Session is that we may incorporate an internal vaginal assessment of the pelvic floor muscles, discuss the anatomy of the pelvic floor region, and discuss tools and techniques you can incorporate into your daily life to support the pelvic region.

hypnotherapy

If you are looking for an alternative option for support with any one or combination of the following, then an In-Person or Virtual Clinical Hypnotherapy Session is where you want to start.

• Stress, Anxiety, Depression and/or Emotional Issues

• Fears and Worries

• Chronic Pain

• Mind/Body Symptoms

• Post Concussion Syndrome

• Long-Covid

• TMJ/Jaw Symptoms

• Pelvic Floor Symptoms

• Increasing Confidence

• Connecting with the Inner Critic

• Connecting with your Creativity

• Forgiveness of Yourself or Others

• Finding your Life Purpose

• Creating Habits

• Lack of Motivation, Procrastination and/or Difficulty Concentration

• Self-Esteem/Worth

• Sleep Issues

• Weight Loss

There are many different types of hypnotherapy. The hypnotherapy approach I learned and practice is Transpersonal Hypnotherapy. Transpersonal means beyond self, and thus beyond the ego. With Transpersonal Hypnotherapy, the intention is to use progressive relaxation to slow your brain waves down, which takes you into a deeper state of relaxation (ie. the trance state). The slower the brain waves, the more access you have to your subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is like a library that stores all of your life experiences, emotions, autonomic bodily functions and responses (ie the autonomic nervous system), beliefs, values, behaviours, moods, patterns and habits. Transpersonal Hypnotherapy gives you access to this library and an opportunity to explore the different sections (ie experiences) through a different lens. Carl Jung says “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” Transpersonal Hypnotherapy offers you an opportunity to connect with the subconscious mind to bring archived past experiences and emotions it into conscious awareness so you have the opportunity to heal the source of an issue at the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual level.

There are many false perceptions of hypnotherapy. Let’s clear some of them up:

• Most people’s exposure to hypnosis comes from what they see on TV, in movies, or during a stage performance. This type of hypnosis tends to be stage hypnosis and the purpose is entertainment. Typically, to be an entertaining participant for stage hypnosis you must be very suggestible. Most people assume suggestibility is a pre-requisite to be hypnotized. Transpersonal Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic modality, which is very different than stage hypnosis and pure direct suggestion type hypnosis. With Transpersonal Hypnotherapy, the intention is to guide you into a deeper state of relaxation where you have access to the subconscious mind where all of your experiences and emotions are stored. From this place you have the opportunity to explore past experiences and emotions from a different lens, release what you no longer need, and invite in what you want to experience and feel in your life. Ultimately, the hypnotic trance state is a state in which the frequency of the brain waves slow. This happens naturally to every person at least twice a day, as you are falling asleep and as you are waking up from sleep. Since everyone’s brain has the ability to enter slower brain wave states, everyone has the potential to be hypnotize. Ultimately, all hypnosis is self hypnosis, meaning that you will relax as much as you allow yourself to. Entering deeper states of relaxation is something you can practice and learn how to do. Just like learning any other new skill. The only pre-requisites to hypnotherapy are an open mind and the ability to focus on my voice and follow simple commands.

• Going back to most people’s exposure to hypnosis, there can be hesitation or fear because it appears to be a form of mind control. Again, with stage hypnosis the purpose is entertainment. Transpersonal Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic modality and is not of form of mind control. You will not say or do anything you do not want to say or do. During a hypnotherapy session, you will be conscious and able minded the entire time. You will be able to speak, remember everything, move, open your eyes, and say no to anything you do not want to explore, share or do. You are truly in control throughout the entire session. I am merely a guide to support you entering a deeper state of relaxation (ie trance state) and through your inner journey.

The Clinical Hypnotherapy Session is 90 minutes in length and will give you the opportunity to experience my approach (Transpersonal Hypnotherapy) and style of hypnotherapy as well as experiencing what it feels like to be in the trance state. With all Hypnotherapy Sessions, the information you receive can vary greatly and you will always experience what is meant for you at this point in your journey. Trust the process.

The first Clinical Hypnotherapy Session may incorporate a combination of the following:

• A discussion of what you are hoping to explore with hypnotherapy.

• A discussion of the hypnotherapy process and what to expect.

• An opportunity to share and discuss any fears, concerns, worries or any other feelings you may have about entering the hypnotic state and exploring the depths of your subconscious mind.

• I will use a progressive relaxation induction, similar to a guided meditation, to guide you into a deeper state of relaxation, the trance state, where the brain waves slow and you have access to the subconscious mind where all of your experiences and their corresponding emotions are stored. Connecting with the subconscious mind gives you the opportunity to connect with the deeper roots of the issue(s) you are experiencing. You may already be aware of the deeper roots or it may be something you are unaware of that is connected to this issue. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter because we want to connect with the emotions attached to the experience so that you can feel and release them, which disconnects them from that particular experience. Once the emotions are disconnected from the experience there tends to be a ripple effect throughout other experiences that resembled that experience, disconnecting the emotions from these experiences as well and shifting how they are stored. It tends to be the emotions connected to the experiences that keep us stuck in the same patterns and once we disconnect the emotions from the experiences we create an opportunity to rewire a new more beneficial response and pattern. For most, it tends to be a bit easier connecting with the emotions attached to an experience in the trance state. Additionally, because you are also in a more suggestible state, I can support you through feeling the emotions with direct suggestions that you are safe to feel the the feelings along with guiding you to use the power of your mind and guided imagery to support releasing the emotions from your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual/energetic body.

• Once you are in a deep state of relaxation, we will use one or a combination of the following to explore the subconscious for the root of the issue: 1. Age Regression. This involves guiding your subconscious mind back to the first time you experienced the issue as that is the most powerful place to resolve it and will have an impact on all subsequent events connected to the issue. 2. Parts Therapy. This involves connecting with the part(s) of you that is holding on to patterns, emotions and protective behaviours of the past. Connecting with the part(s) gives it the opportunity to feel seen and understood. We can then ask the part why they are playing that role so we can understand that part better. Once we understand why that part is playing that role, we can share with it how the role it’s playing is actually impacting our current life and the issue we are exploring. All of our parts truly want the best for us, but a lot of the time they don’t realize that what they are doing is no longer supporting us in the ways we need. These parts are usually living in the past and once they understand how their behaviour is impacting your current life, they are usually very open to changing their role to something that would be more beneficial. 3. The Feelings Bridge. This involves bringing up the present day issue we are exploring in your mind and allowing the feelings to arise in your body. We will then use the feelings to guide the subconscious mind back to the first time you experienced the feelings. Again, the first time you experienced the feelings is the most powerful place to resolve them and the issue and will have an impact on all subsequent events connected to those feelings and the issue.

• What happens next really depends on what comes up for you. Ultimately, we will explore what comes up in detail and hold space for you to feel the emotions connected to the experience. Feeling the emotions allows you to release them and disconnect them from the experience. Once the emotions are no longer connected to that experience, it’s stored as a neutral memory and no longer has the same impact on you.

• I will incorporate different therapeutic and energetic release techniques to support you in releasing the emotions at a deeper level.

• We will invite in the emotions and ways you want to feel, respond, behave, etc.

• I will incorporate direct suggestions that will help you release outdated patterns and behaviours, emotions, and beliefs. We will incorporate direct suggestion to reinforce the new ways you want to feel, respond, behave, believe, etc. Direct suggestions are very powerful in supporting the creation of new neural pathways, which is the premise of neuroplasticity. We want to create a foundation of the new ways you want to feel, behave, respond, believe, etc. so that you brain has a pathway to follow and as this new pathway is activated more often it gets stronger and stronger over time until you have created new programming and are feeling, responding, behaving and believing in completely different ways.

• I will guide you down the path of your future self. As you walk down this path, I will reinforce that you are already feeling, responding, behaving, believing, etc. in all of the ways that are ideal for you at this time. Already living as your future self. Feeling all of the ways you want to feel, responding and behaving in the ways you want, leaning into new beliefs, and walking through the world as a new version of yourself. This strengthens the foundation of the new neural pathways we created in the brain. It also gives your brain the opportunity to experience what it would be like to be this new version of yourself, already learning that it is safe to update the programming making it much more willing and open to tread down this new path more often, which ultimately creates a stronger path that becomes more deeply ingrained over time until it’s your new way of being.

• I will gently guide you to emerge back to a relaxed, alert and non-suggestible state.

• We will discuss your experience.

• We will discuss anything you may want to incorporate, explore, or reinforce on a day to day basis.

• We will discuss the next step that would be most beneficial for you based on what we noticed during the session and what you are seeking to explore.