Physiotherapy

Our Physiotherapists combine their orthopaedic physiotherapy foundation with their pelvic physiotherapy skills. This allows for a whole body physiotherapy experience often incorporating multiple different treatment strategies and using techniques like: external joint and tissue mobilisation, internal tissue mobilisation and release, exercise prescription for both external and internal muscle ... Read More

Our Physiotherapists combine their orthopaedic physiotherapy foundation with their pelvic physiotherapy skills. This allows for a whole body physiotherapy experience often incorporating multiple different treatment strategies and using techniques like: external joint and tissue mobilisation, internal tissue mobilisation and release, exercise prescription for both external and internal muscle systems, modalities like ultrasounds, TENS, acupuncture and most importantly patient education.


Lactation

At Guelph Womens Health Assocaites, we offer lactation education and support through the means of a Certified Lactation Counselor. We offer these services to new parents during the entire feeding process for your infant: breast/chest feeding, pumping, bottle feeding, and starting solids. This is a challenging and unfamiliar time for many parents, having the encouragement and knowledge to succes... Read More

At Guelph Womens Health Assocaites, we offer lactation education and support through the means of a Certified Lactation Counselor. We offer these services to new parents during the entire feeding process for your infant: breast/chest feeding, pumping, bottle feeding, and starting solids. This is a challenging and unfamiliar time for many parents, having the encouragement and knowledge to successfully feed your baby is extremely beneficial. Our goal is to help these new parents and babies to meet their feeding goals.

We offer these services through a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC). A CLC is someone who has completed specific lactation education and passed an examination. CLCs are committed to the education, assistance, and the use of problem-solving skills to aid with breast/chest feeding, bottle feeding, pumping, and starting solids.


Counselling/Psychotherapy

What is Counselling/Psychotherapy? “Counselling/Psychotherapy is the skilled use of relationships to facilitate self-knowledge, emotional acceptance and growth and the optimal development of personal resources. The overall aim of counsellors is to provide an opportunity for people to work towards living more satisfyingly and resourcefully. Counselling relationships will vary according to n... Read More

What is Counselling/Psychotherapy?

“Counselling/Psychotherapy is the skilled use of relationships to facilitate self-knowledge, emotional acceptance and growth and the optimal development of personal resources. The overall aim of counsellors is to provide an opportunity for people to work towards living more satisfyingly and resourcefully. Counselling relationships will vary according to need but may be concerned with developmental issues, addressing and resolving specific problems, making decisions, coping with crisis, developing personal insights and knowledge, working through feelings of inner conflict or improving relationships with others” (Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, 2014).

Conditions Addressed by Social Work;


Addictions (Behaviorally based and chemically based); Insomnia
Anxiety
Grief
Depression
Self-Esteem, Self Confidence
Major Mental Health
Life Transitions
Trauma and PTSD
Relationship Issues
Psychosocial Stressors
Perinatal Mental Health
Post Termination of Pregnancy Support
Chronic Health Challenges - Self and family members
Co-Dependency
Emotional Regulation


Yoga

The art of yoga works hand in hand with pelvic physiotherapy. In yoga we can become aware of our pelvic floor and learn to specifically relax through breath and strengthen through appropriate contraction. Yoga classes at Guelph Women’s Health Associates are developed in collaboration with physiotherapy to address the common challenges that women bring forth when suffering from pelvic floor co... Read More

The art of yoga works hand in hand with pelvic physiotherapy. In yoga we can become aware of our pelvic floor and learn to specifically relax through breath and strengthen through appropriate contraction. Yoga classes at Guelph Women’s Health Associates are developed in collaboration with physiotherapy to address the common challenges that women bring forth when suffering from pelvic floor conditions.


Occupational Therapy

Illness, disability, pain or significant life transitions can disrupt your ability to engage in the life roles, activities, and relationships that are important to you. Occupational Therapists are trained to merge your lived experience with the best available evidence in order to help you find creative ways to navigate these challenges, manage symptoms, optimize function, and find a life balanc... Read More

Illness, disability, pain or significant life transitions can disrupt your ability to engage in the life roles, activities, and relationships that are important to you. Occupational Therapists are trained to merge your lived experience with the best available evidence in order to help you find creative ways to navigate these challenges, manage symptoms, optimize function, and find a life balance that works for you.

Who would benefit from an OT on their pelvic health care team?

If you are struggling with incontinence, urgency/frequency, pelvic organ prolapse, constipation, and/or pain that is disrupting your mental health and your capacity to live your life, Occupational Therapy would be a fantastic member of your team.

Care plans provided by OT are unique to you and your goals. Modalities include:

1. Trauma-informed care
2. Exploring behavioural strategies, lifestyle factors and habits to support your pelvic health
3. Exploring your sensory processing preferences to support nervous system regulation
4. Rehabilitative exercises
5. Ergonomic assessment & functional movement
6. Activity pacing and graded exposure to triggering activities
7. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
8. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy


Mindful Nutrition and Wellbeing

Mindfulness is the simple act of noticing, without judgement, your thoughts, body sensations and emotions in the moment. A mindful approach to eating can help us better connect to body sensations of hunger, fullness, cravings and emotion. With a better connection to our body, we can naturally find the right quantity and combination of food to support our own unique needs. Mindful Nutrition ... Read More

Mindfulness is the simple act of noticing, without judgement, your thoughts, body sensations and emotions in the moment. A mindful approach to eating can help us better connect to body sensations of hunger, fullness, cravings and emotion. With a better connection to our body, we can naturally find the right quantity and combination of food to support our own unique needs.

Mindful Nutrition can help reduce overeating, improve digestion, satisfy cravings and help us feel energized to perform at our best each day. In addition, understanding our thought patterns related to food can provide important insights into our relationship with food and how that may drive our daily habits. For example; someone who is trying to follow a diet may believe they have to be strict and self-critical in order to be successful. Research has shown that a more compassionate and mindful approach to eating increases body satisfaction, reduces disordered eating and helps to maintain a healthy weight over the long term. Another name fir this is Intuitive Eating.

Intuitive eating allows you to eat what you want, when you want, in quantities that satisfy your hunger, while fully enjoying the experience of eating without feeling guilt or shame.


Prenatal Class

Join Lindsay, our perinatal nurse and lactation specialist, and Megan, our Certified Lactation Counsellor, in our comprehensive prenatal course designed to build your confidence and readiness for the arrival of your new family member. Our course covers essential subjects such as: - Birth preparation - Signs of labor - Comfort and pain management - Delivery - Postpartum - Baby car... Read More

Join Lindsay, our perinatal nurse and lactation specialist, and Megan, our Certified Lactation Counsellor, in our comprehensive prenatal course designed to build your confidence and readiness for the arrival of your new family member.

Our course covers essential subjects such as:
- Birth preparation
- Signs of labor
- Comfort and pain management
- Delivery
- Postpartum
- Baby care and infant feeding
- Emotional well-being
- Introduction to local resources

The optimal time to take the course is between 28-36 weeks gestation, but you can join at any time during your pregnancy.

Class registration includes a spot for the birthing parent as well as a partner or support person. We intentionally keep our class size small to ensure an engaging and informative experience, where you can ask questions and have discussions, leaving you informed and empowered as you embrace the arrival of your new family member.

Welcoming new Clients! Judy believes that we are all “In Recovery” from something whether from addictions, dysregulated emotions, workaholism, anxiety, stress, insomnia, trauma, grief, abuse, ill health, depression, burn-out, broken-hearts………. “In Recovery” means becoming aware of behaviours/thoughts/feelings that hurt us at the core of our being and committing to a new path of change/growth and healing. Judy is a member in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers. She is also a member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers She has achieved a Masters of Social Work degree (with distinction) from Wilfrid Laurier University. She has additional training in Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and post-graduate training in both chemically and behaviourally based Addictions from McMaster University. Furthermore, she has completed the Indigenous Studies course (University of Alberta) and First Line Treatment for Insomnia in Primary Care training (Queen’s University).

Welcoming new Clients! Judy believes that we are all “In Recovery” from something whether from ad... Read More

Aishwarya Desai graduated from Western University in 2020 with a Masters of Physical Therapy. She also obtained a Bachelor of Science with honours in the fields of Biology and Medical Physiology from the University of Waterloo in 2018. Aishwarya offers over 2+ years of clinical experience in orthopedics and neural rehabilitation and has been treating pelvic floor dysfunction since 2021. Aishwarya has experience working with women of all ages, helping them overcome urinary, fecal and urge incontinence, as well as pelvic pain. She works alongside expecting mothers, with the aim of helping them prepare for childbirth, postpartum rehabilitation and returning to exercise and/or day to day activity following their pregnancy. She also treats pelvic organ prolapse and constipation and guides her patients as they undergo menopausal and peri-menopausal changes. Aishwarya has worked with a wide variety of patient population, including those suffering from adhesive capsulitis, low back pain, carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, post-operative rehabilitation, arthritis; cardiorespiratory conditions such as pneumonia, COPD, atelectasis; and neurological conditions such as stroke, MS, Glioma, and Parkinson’s Disease. Aishwarya speaks English, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi and Marathi and would love to use this knowledge to provide the best possible care for her patients. Areas of Specific Training: • Level 1 Manual Therapy • Hand and upper extremity rehabilitation from Roth/McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Center • Level 1 and 2 of Pelvic Health Physiotherapy • Post-partum rehabilitation following cesarian birth Areas of Clinical Interest: • Urinary, feal and urge incontinence • Pelvic pain, including pain associated with intercourse • Post-partum recovery, and post-partum return to exercises • Acute and chronic neck and shoulder pain • Mid and lower back and stiffness • Pubic symphysis and SIJ dysfunction during pregnancy

Aishwarya Desai graduated from Western University in 2020 with a Masters of Physical Therapy. She... Read More

Lara has worked as an Occupational Therapist in the mental health and addictions field since 2009. In 2016, Lara launched Pelvic Resilience, an Occupational Therapy practice dedicated to helping individuals struggling with pain, pelvic health challenges, and other distressing symptoms to get back to living a rich and meaningful life.

As an Occupational Therapist, Lara firmly believes in offering approaches to pelvic health recovery that are creative, flexible, accessible and focused on restoring quality of life.

As a skilled mental health clinician, Lara also offers psychotherapeutic strategies in the work that she does with her clients. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy are evidence-based approaches that guide individuals toward a more empowered and flexible recovery by offering new ways of managing symptoms and the emotions that are intertwined with them.

In her spare time, you will find Lara hanging with family, reading a good book, crocheting something special, or playing Ultimate Frisbee!

Lara has worked as an Occupational Therapist in the mental health and addictions field since 2009... Read More

Kristin’s embodied and compassionate approach weaves Yoga, experiential movement, ELDOA, meditation, breathwork and Somatic Experiencing – a body-based approach which aims to understand and resolve symptoms of trauma, overwhelm and stress that accumulate in our bodies – into every collaborative session. Whether it’s deepening awareness, experiential movement education, understanding your unique nervous system, healing from an injury or shifting tensional patterns, Kristin provides practical tools that can increase your capacity, vitality and awareness for daily life.

Her passion for pelvic health education began over 15 years ago with pelvic floor physiotherapist Susanne Kemmerer, and yoga teacher Ramanand Patel with whom she studied and collaborated for many years. She continued learning with Pelvic Health Solutions, Leslie Howard and others still with a specific interest in how the pelvic floor and nervous system are deeply woven. Kristin is also an End-of-Life Care Practitioner and a longtime meditator in the Buddhist tradition and deeply curious about how our awareness and experience of transition, grief and death inspires life.

Kristin’s embodied and compassionate approach weaves Yoga, experiential movement, ELDOA, meditati... Read More

Lindsay is licensed with the College of Nurses of Ontario as a Registered Nurse (RN), and is accredited through the IBCLE as a lactation consultant (IBCLC). Lindsay also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree specializing in Psychology and has successfully completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Lindsay has spent her nursing career working in various areas of perinatal and women’s health including a postpartum inpatient unit, mother-baby outpatient unit, obstetrical offices, colposcopy clinics, and a perinatal residence for women in need. Lindsay has completed specialized training in postpartum mood and adjustment disorders, as well as having completed many certifications in lactation and infant feeding.

Lindsay is licensed with the College of Nurses of Ontario as a Registered Nurse (RN), and is accr... Read More

Heidi Smith has been consulting for individuals and organizations for over 25 years. Her approach combines an expertise in nutrition and exercise with her passion for practicing mindfulness, discovering unconscious patterns and reconnecting to our intuition. In addition to being a Registered Dietitian, Heidi is a certified facilitator of the MBSR program (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction), a trained SoulCollage® Facilitator and an Advanced Dream Pattern Analyst. She is an award-winning presenter, an author and a mother of 3. In addition to her individual work with clients, Heidi has travelled across North America facilitating workshops for organizations of all sizes.

Heidi creates warm, non-judgemental, soulful spaces to explore our inner world. Whether it’s through meditation, collage, dream analysis or intuitive eating, Heidi uses her facilitation skills to help you turn inward, to listen to your body, to be curious about your mind, to awaken your heart and to find what fuels your fire to live life with vitality.

History and Training: Heidi completed her training in Dietetics at Brescia Collage earning a double degree in Nutrition and Human Biology at the University of Western Ontario. She did her Dietetic Internship at Kingston General Hospital. She began her career as a research coordinator at Queen’s University looking at the metabolic effects of weight loss through diet and/or exercise. Heidi is perhaps most recognized for her 18 years as Head of Nutrition at the University of Guelph, Health and Performance Centre. During her time in this position, she consulted for individuals, sports teams and organizations. On a more personal note, Heidi loves spending time outdoors in the woods, by the fire or on the water every chance she gets. The more she practices mindfulness, the more she savours her time in nature shared with loved ones.

Heidi Smith has been consulting for individuals and organizations for over 25 years. Her approach... Read More

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Located at: 1453 Gordon St, Guelph
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