Resource Library

Holistic Health, Women's Health, Complementary Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P. Holistic Health, Women's Health, Complementary Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P.

Harvesting Health: Ancient Wisdom for Autumn

My favourite season is finally here!! Okay, almost – it officially starts on Saturday. I LOVE autumn and everything to do with autumn. I love the warm days and cool nights, the amazing food (the farmers markets are full of amazing food), chai, soups, all the cozy sweaters and so much more.

Saturday marks the halfway point between the longest and most Yang day of the year (the Summer Solstice) and the longest and most Yin night of the year (Winter Solstice). Yin and Yang will be exactly equal on Saturday. After Saturday, Yin will begin to grow as Yang begins to wane. This is a season of change, a season of pivoting. It’s an important season because it represents the bringing in of all the work that has been done this year. This might be work on your health, work on your relationships, work on your home, work on your business, work on something else entirely.

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Mental Health, Holistic Health Rebecca Graves, RH, CH Mental Health, Holistic Health Rebecca Graves, RH, CH

Back to School: 10 Study Habits for Students of Every Age

Personally, I am currently pursuing a degree in Health Sciences. Navigating my path back to academia as a mature learner has introduced its own set of challenges, including the delicate juggling act of harmonizing work, family commitments, and scholarly pursuits. I've also had to embrace the task of acquainting myself with emerging technologies, all the while recognizing that my ability to absorb copious volumes of new information is not quite as swift as it once was.

Incorporating the demands of learning into an already busy life has compelled me to become very efficient in learning and coursework. I have been intentional in creating study habits that give me the best chance of staying on top of coursework and being successful in exams.

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Counselling, Women's Health Alicia Niewiatowska, RSW Counselling, Women's Health Alicia Niewiatowska, RSW

Boundaries

In my work with adult clients, a frequent theme that arises during sessions is that of boundaries.

They are the limits we place to protect our needs, our hearts, our bodies, amongst others. Few of us have learned healthy boundaries during our childhoods, and the effects can be felt throughout our adulthood. There are many challenges in establishing and maintaining boundaries, but the most common complaint is what I would like to challenge.

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Women's Health, Complementary Health Rebecca Graves, RH, CH Women's Health, Complementary Health Rebecca Graves, RH, CH

Glimmers: Illuminating the Path to Positive Mental Health

When we stop to consider the myriad of things that can affect our mental health, our focus is so often on the negative. Things such as painful memories that have a detrimental effect on our emotional well-being, triggers that can take us from ‘OK’ to ‘Nope’ in no time at all. And while these definitely play a significant role in our mental health - or lack thereof - it is equally important to explore the power of positive experiences and emotions.

Positive experiences or ‘Glimmers’ as they are sometimes called, are the moments that bring joy, contentment, and a sense of fulfilment, and they can have an equally profound impact on mental health.

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Holistic Health, Mental Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P. Holistic Health, Mental Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P.

How to Change Your Habits and Make it Stick - Part 1

Our lives are run by habit. We wouldn’t be able to do the majority of the things we do in the day without habits. This doesn’t make habits wrong, right, good, bad, healthy, unhealthy… Habits simply are. Habits by nature are subconscious and exist solely to respond to different stimuli (pop over and read How Habits Affect Your Life if you want to understand why habits better).

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Holistic Health, Women's Health, Men's Health, Mental Health, Complementary Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P. Holistic Health, Women's Health, Men's Health, Mental Health, Complementary Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P.

Health - What is it really?

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." - Health as defined by the World Health Organization

I've come to believe that if I want to thrive, I must invest in my health. If I want to merely survive, I can treat health as an expense and treat symptoms as they arise.  For years I treated my health as an expense and opted for the cheapest solution.  I struggled with iron deficiency anemia, chronic fatigue syndrome, debilitating periods and more.  Unlike most practitioners, I understand chronic illness and the struggles it creates because I’ve lived with it.

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Counselling Alicia Niewiatowska, RSW Counselling Alicia Niewiatowska, RSW

Perils of Working from Home

COVID-19 has transformed many aspects of our lives- some for better, others for worse. One such transformation has been the seismic shift in the workplace.

Working-from-home (sometimes shortened to WFH) started as a distancing necessity, requiring us all to become proficient in video conference calls and virtual meetings. Employers and employees have both capitalized on this expanded flexibility, geographic freedom, and commute-eliminating savings. 

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Holistic Health, Mental Health, Complementary Health Rebecca Graves, RH, CH Holistic Health, Mental Health, Complementary Health Rebecca Graves, RH, CH

Hypnosis and Chronic Illness – A Pathway to Healing

Living with a chronic illness is an immense challenge that affects millions of people worldwide. Traditional medical treatments often focus on managing symptoms, but what if there was an alternate approach that could tap into the mind's innate healing abilities? Hypnosis is a therapeutic technique that employs the power of suggestion and deep relaxation to alleviate symptoms and improve the overall well-being of individuals with chronic illnesses.

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Holistic Health, Complementary Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P. Holistic Health, Complementary Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P.

Your Snooze Button and Why It’s Messing with You!

Did you know that hitting the snooze button actually makes it harder to get out of bed in the morning?  

Studies have shown that we get most of our REM sleep (or dream sleep) in the latter part of our sleep cycles (these cycles happen multiple times throughout the night).  We also get more REM sleep overall in the early morning hours.  REM sleep is the most restorative part of the sleep cycle.  When your alarm goes off in the morning, you’re most likely disrupting REM sleep; especially if you wake up from a dream.  By choosing to hit your snooze button instead of getting up, you are starting another sleep cycle and may be reentering another REM cycle within that sleep cycle.  

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Counselling, Mental Health, Men's Health, Women's Health Alicia Niewiatowska, RSW Counselling, Mental Health, Men's Health, Women's Health Alicia Niewiatowska, RSW

Surprising Things You Will Learn In Couples Counselling

Couples counselling is always a learning experience for all parties. I wanted to offer a glimpse behind-the-scenes of couples counselling, but that is a tall order! Each session, each couple, is so unique; that processes vary tremendously. 

So, here are a few surprising lessons that I’ve seen couples learn during relationship counselling. 

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Mental Health, Holistic Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P. Mental Health, Holistic Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P.

Pets - Unexpected Health Benefits Beyond Unconditional Love

When I was a child, I used to beg my parents for a pet; sadly, they never gave in.  However, I found a way around that!  I started babysitting our neighbours pets when they were away, this began a lifelong love of cats (and the occasional dog).

Little did I know then what a profound effect having pets would have on me.

My husband and I currently have four cats - Jane, Darcy, Toes and Lizzie.  They each have such unique personalities and quirks.  I truly can’t imagine life without them.

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Mental Health, Holistic Health Dancing Willow Wellness Mental Health, Holistic Health Dancing Willow Wellness

Happy Pi(e) Day!

In honour of International Pi/Mathematics day, I would like to do an experiment with you where we imagine two different scenarios. 

First, imagine somebody has made you a pie. You appreciate the gesture and set the pie on your counter. You’re on a diet and not allowed to eat pie. Maybe you’re not on a specific diet, but you don’t think pie is good for you or you’re concerned about the amount of sugar and carbs in it. Throughout the day, you walk past the pie and are tempted to eat a piece, but restrain yourself and don’t. By the end of the day, you say what the heck and decide to quickly shovel a piece in your mouth. Quick and dirty, you get it over with so you can stop thinking about it. Do you feel guilty that you ate a piece? Do you beat yourself up for not having more willpower? Did you even really taste the pie? Did you end up eating another piece or 2 so you could actually taste the pie? Maybe you ate it and moved on with your day, not giving it much more thought.

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Counselling, Mental Health Alicia Niewiatowska, RSW Counselling, Mental Health Alicia Niewiatowska, RSW

Why is Therapy So Damn Expensive!?!

Deciding to go to therapy is a huge decision that requires courage. So, when you see the fees associated with therapy, it’s hard not to feel dismay and dread.

You start to think….“You charge how much?”, “ An hour is actually 50 minutes?”, and “ You suggest I see you every week?” After some quick mental math, you may think to yourself, “I am in the wrong line of work. I should have been a therapist, and I would be rolling in dough!”. 

Believe me -you are not alone in having this line of thinking. In fact, that hourly rate creates tension for all parties involved (we know the financial realities of Canadians). 

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Women's Health, Mental Health, Holistic Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P. Women's Health, Mental Health, Holistic Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P.

Put Your Own Oxygen Mask On First

For anyone who’s ever taken a flight, you’ve all heard the safety demonstration telling you to put your own oxygen mask on first, before you help others to do the same. This doesn’t just apply to flights, emergencies and cabin pressure changes.

The reality is, that as women, we need to learn to put our own oxygen masks on everyday.

Recently, I’ve heard from several women that they’re putting themselves last.  Some want to make a change and put themselves first and others have said that they “don’t exist” until a certain point because they’re so overwhelmed by life, the demands on their time and energy, as well as everything else that’s happening on a daily basis. This also includes caring for their loved one.

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Mental Health, Holistic Health, Women's Health Dancing Willow Wellness Mental Health, Holistic Health, Women's Health Dancing Willow Wellness

Accepting Your Body as an Act of Rebellion

“I’m so bad”, she states as she reaches for a cookie. “No I can’t, I’m trying to be good” as she declines an offer of a homemade muffin. We’ve all heard these phrases, and have probably said them, or something similar, ourselves. When we pause to reflect on these phrases, we can discern how we’re assigning moral value to food choices. Letting what we eat determine whether we’re “good” or “bad”. Our worth is not based on which foods we choose to eat or choose not to eat. 

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Counselling, Mental Health Alicia Niewiatowska, RSW Counselling, Mental Health Alicia Niewiatowska, RSW

How Counselling can Help with Winter Blues

As Canadians, our mental health can dive during the winter months.“About 15% of people in Canada experience the winter blues, while only about 2-3% of people in Canada experience SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)” (Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 2000).

If that doesn’t sound like a lot, that’s about 5,737,500 Canadians experiencing the winter blues yearly! So, how can counselling or therapy help with that?

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Mental Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P. Mental Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P.

How Habits Affect Your Life + How to Make them Work for You

Habits aren’t something that most people think about regularly until you’re trying to make a change. Habits, by nature, are subconscious and exist in response to specific stimuli. This is also called ‘Cue, Routine, Reward’ in Charles Duhigg’s book The Power of Habit.

“Habits are the compound interest of self improvement.” ~ James Clear (Atomic Habits)

By definition, habits are repeated actions or behaviours that you do with such frequency that you may not be aware of them. You might find yourself in the middle of the action or have even completed it before you realize what you are doing.

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Holistic Health, Women's Health, Complementary Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P. Holistic Health, Women's Health, Complementary Health Andrea Empey, R.Ac, CNP, R.O.H.P.

Practitioner Spotlight: Meet Andrea

Are you looking for a practitioner who is kind, compassionate, empathetic and understands the health struggles you’re experiencing?

Andrea’s near encyclopaedic wealth of knowledge combines perfectly with her calm and compassionate nature to deliver an outstanding level of care.

At Dancing Willow Wellness, we pride ourselves on patient-centred care, and Andrea exemplifies this principle. She is always ready to meet patients where they’re at, and use her skills, expertise, and warmth to bring them closer to where they want to be.

Patients feel supported and heard throughout their journey and appreciate her kindness as well as the great results they achieve.

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Mental Health, Counselling Alicia Niewiatowska, RSW Mental Health, Counselling Alicia Niewiatowska, RSW

“I want to be happy” isn’t an achievable goal

Throughout my career, I have asked clients about their goals: hundreds of clients, hundreds of goals. There is one answer that wins the majority, by landslide. The answer I typically get is “ I just want to be happy”. I hear this reply so often, it’s hard to remember if I’ve heard anything else in response.

If this is a goal you have set for yourself, the biggest obstacle in reaching this goal is your brain. This magnificent, complex, poorly understood organ. It is evolution's greatest marvel. It is the reason we have survived and evolved over millennia.

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