"To be at peace with
ourselves, we need to know ourselves".
Caitlin Mathews
"Behind every word flows
energy".
Sonia Choquette
"What you do instead
of your work is your real work".
Roger Ebert
"The structure of the
myth exists only in the mind and needs only to be tapped".
Deena Metzger
"You only see the world
you make".
Bonnie Raitt
"Until one is committed,
there is a hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness,
concerning all acts of initiative. The moment one definitely
commits oneself, then Providence moves too. A whole stream
of events issues from the decision. Whatever you can do or
dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic
in it".
Goethe
"Life is not a problem
to be solved, but a mystery to be lived".
Thomas Merton |
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The
Healing Process and Inspiration
Pathways
to Healing: Clients come through many different "door
ways" to our clinic, but all have one thing in common...
they want to heal in some way, either from an injury, accident,
surgery, or from something deeper, more personal, seeking
transformation to another level in their lives. Most of our
clients have heard about us through word of mouth, from a
friend or professional health service provider.
One of our main goals is to "provide
space" for our clients to heal, a safe haven or fertile
ground to move into a place of healing.
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Hope
& Mindfulness: Current
medical models in the field of physical therapy are now recognizing
the significance of the emotional element in the healing process
and how it impacts the perception, character, and intensity
of pain. Research has shown that the belief system of each
client has often more impact on their healing process than
the treatment itself. Which brings us to the subject of attitudes
and beliefs that each of our clients brings to the treatment
sessions.
"It is
important to understand the patient's emotional state. Sometimes
it can be as simple as restoring hope through education and
awareness of the underlying mechanical problem."
"Teaching individuals to be 'mindful' or aware of what
is happening in their body during times of physical and/or
emotional loading, can reduce sustained, unnecessary muscle
tone and therefore joint compression."
From Pelvic Girdle, by Diane Lee,
3rd edition - 2004
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Empowering
Yourself: We encourage clients to empower themselves
and view their pain, discomfort, dysfunction or stumbling
block to moving on in their life as
the main focus of their life, not a distraction from
life. Someone who is healthy has a balanced life; balance
equals health. The body has an amazing creative capability
of letting us know when things are out of balance, if we only
listen. Healing is often dependent upon listening to what
our body is telling us, and taking appropriate action.
One thing is a given: healing comes
from within your own body, your own being. There are no "healers".
We, as therapists, assist and support you in your healing.
And our expertise and experience provide tools to help you
heal. But the commitment and opening to healing must come
from yourself. We cannot help those who resist their own healing.
Counseling is recommended in these situations to uncover the
psychological reasons that block or inhibit the healing process.
Many people believe that their condition
has taken their attention away from what they really want
to be doing. This is a distraction that moves them away from
healing. Moving into the state of grace is to look
at your difficulties with purpose and full consciousness.
As the poet
Rilke wrote, it is in living the "questions",
in being fully present in the midst of difficulties (without
succumbing to catastrophic thinking), that one can find his
or her way into the answers.
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Addressing
Anxiety: Anxiety is often a concurrent partner to the
imbalance, pain, or dysfunction. This is often due to systemic
changes in the sympathetic nervous system (flight or fight)
that have the potential to exacerbate conditions. The key
is to recognize and become conscious of what is happening
in your body, to witness your own life and what is going on
inside you. The messages are often obvious once we listen.
And, we are more transparent to others than we imagine. Our
body "speaks" to others, conveys what is felt inside,
what is held in our posture and fascia ("tissue memory").
Without awareness, we become emotional hostages to our pain
and dysfunction.
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Anxiety
& Breath: Anxiety can be exacerbated by restrictions
in your breathing, leading to hyperventilation syndrome, a
change in breathing rate, depth, and resultant blood chemistry.
Systemic changes turn on components of the sympathetic nervous
system, causing an increase in irritability and inflammation.
Myofascial structural integration addresses both the musculoskeletal
structural aspects of breathing and indirectly, the biochemistry
of the fascial tissues through manual manipulation. Breathing
capacity is increased, structures return to normal function,
and anxiety and irritability are often reduced.
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Chronic
Conditions: Clients who suffer from chronic pain have
special challenges. It is not an easy path. There is a common
phenomenon among those who suffer from chronic pain to: a)
forget they were ever out of pain when they are in pain, and
b) forget they ever had pain when they are out of pain.
The problem arises when the normal
course of healing takes place, reductions in the frequency
and intensity of pain, including complete abatement of symptoms
at times. When there is a relapse or a flare up, the chronic
pain sufferer loses perspective and loses the ability to witness
their healing process from a "state of grace". The
key is to become educated about the normal healing cycle and
to get support during times of flare ups or setbacks. It is
normal to every one going through the healing process.
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Support
& Validation: Our goal is to assist and support
each of our clients through the healing process. We have had
our own challenges in life and can empathize with many of
the struggles our clients are going through. Our role is to
listen, validate, and help you understand and treat some of
the issues that lead to your pain or chronic condition. Often
what is new to our clients, is the amount of time that is
given to fully address the issues. Clients often "discover",
uncover, or remember things that they had long ago forgotten
or put aside in order to get on with life. The pieces of the
puzzle often come together in new ways that lead to healing.
For some, this is the greatest benefit of the treatment sessions,
unraveling the story of how they got here and what brought
them to this stage of healing in their life. It is life changing
for many.
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Respect
for Each Client's Belief System: Each client brings
to the session their own belief system, values, and goals.
We are there to support our clients and not to judge or interfere
with their own path toward healing. Our job is to facilitate
as best we can within the scope of our license and to offer
referrals ancillary health services or fitness programs that
may augment your treatment in our clinic.
Each of you is special, very special.
We thank you for your trust in us. We honor each client that
enters our door, and the opportunity to witness your growth
and transformation.
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Exploration
- A Joyful Process: Lastly, but most important, we
are here to help you explore your life, your body, your being
in a joyful, mindful way. We are here to assist you, so that
you may reinforce, find, or rediscover the joy in your life
through connection to all that is you. It is not uncommon
to lose that joy through illness or dysfunction. Exploration
is a joyful process to reconnect in many ways.
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