I would like to dispel some misconceptions about counselling and psychotherapy (words that will be used interchangeably here):
1) Going to psychotherapy doesn’t mean that you are psychotic or that you will be diagnosed as a psychopath. “Normal” people go for counselling and psychotherapy to feel supported and get help with their lives.
2) Going for counselling or psychotherapy doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you. Sometimes there are obstacles between how your life is now and how brilliantly sane you really are. Then we work to remove those obstacles. Whether or not there are obstacles it also helps, categorically, to have someone to see your brilliant sanity and reflect it back to you.
3) I am not, as a Registered Clinical Counsellor, going to prescribe medications. Although medications are helpful for some peoples’ mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, you will need to speak to your doctor or psychiatrist if you are seeking pharmacological or medical support. If you feel it would be particularly supportive to see additional healthcare professionals (i.e., acupuncturists, herbalists, massage therapists, chiropractors, naturopaths, etc.), with your written consent I am happy to consult with them and work as part of a team on behalf of your wellbeing. In psychotherapy, the therapeutic relationship is the medicine.
4) Psychotherapy does not have to be about finding what’s wrong with you or your life. Psychopathology is what we, as psychotherapists, call “what’s awry” in peoples’ personalities and moods. Psyche means, “the vital principle or animating force within living beings, and pathology means, “a departure or deviation from a normal condition.” (Normal is more accurately described as “commonly accepted” here). Sometimes there are things awry and we can work to improve those conditions. That doesn’t change the fact that you are fundamentally and brilliantly sane, and that that sanity can justifiably be the focus of psychotherapy.
5) Psychotherapy is most accurately translated as “healing of the mind, spirit, and animating principle.” Â
Everyone needs support sometimes. It can help to talk to someone who is going to listen and be there just for you. A counselling or psychotherapy session is just that - a time just for you.Â
It can be equally helpful for you to have a therapist who can be a reliable source of comfort not because then you will have to depend on them, but because then you can depend on them. When you have a counsellor, you can count on having a stable, warm and kind force in your life. You don’t need to do it alone.Â
What you find has been wounded in relationship can be, and some would say needs to be, healed through relationship. A psychotherapeutic relationship is a healing relationship.
You can use the counselling session to explore your thoughts, feelings, sensations and emotions. This is a time when you can feel your way through your whole life, whether your experiences seem to be positive, negative or neutral. You may just begin to feel as though you are living more fully!
Marlise Meilan, M.A., R.C.C., Contemplative Psychotherapist (Buddhist Mental Health Therapist).Â
Researchers have found a possible link between the use of the pain medication acetaminophen (sold as Tylenol) in early childhood and the later development of asthma, nasal allergies and eczema.
For the study, the researchers asked parents or guardians of children aged 6 to 7 to complete a questionnaire.They were asked if the children were given acetaminophen-based medications and whether the kids later developed asthma or other symptoms.
The results revealed that children who received acetaminophen for the treatment of fever in the first year of life were, on average, 46 per cent more likely to develop asthma by the age of 6 or 7, compared with infants not given the medication.
What’s more, the use of acetaminophen during the first year was associated with a boost in the risk of rhinoconjunctivitis (nasal allergies) by 48 per cent and eczema (a skin condition) by 35 per cent.
The risks were highest among those children who were treated the most frequently with acetaminophen.
Substituting another over the counter medication such as Aspirin would not be appropriate as this has been linked to a condition known as Reye’s Syndrome.
Alternatives to over the counter medication such as traditional Chinese medicine, or homeopathic remedies from your naturopath may be a more viable alternative to help bring down fever or relieve pain by treating the source of the problem.
Call the clinic and ask about our pediatric treatments. Depending on your child’s condition we will direct you towards the appropriate practitioner. All our practitioners have additional training in treating children (chiropractic, traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathic medicine and massage therapy).
Healthy News from your Qi Interated Health Team,
Dr.Armstrong, Kiem, Kelly, Dr. Adatya, Francesca, and Peter
*Only stretch when you are warm - either after your run or after a warm up of 5-10 minutes. Hold each stretch for at least thirty seconds, and always stretch both sides.*
The Gas Pedal
To stretch the calf muscles (gastrocnemius, soleus, tibialis posterior, flexor hallucis, and flexor digitorum), go to a wall. Lift your toes up and move your heel closer to the wall so that your fore foot is pressing into the wall like you press into a gas pedal, keeping your leg straight. Let the acceleration take hold and lean your body into the wall until you feel a stretch in the back of your calf. The gastocnemius muscle is the largest of the calf muscles, the closest to the surface and the only muscle to cross the knee. To take the gastrocnemius out of the equation and go deeper into the calf, bend your knee with your foot and body in the same position.
The Curler
In many of us, our hip flexor muscles (namely psoas major and minor, rectus femoris of the quadriceps, and sartorius) become quite tight due to all of the sitting during our days. If we are also runners, the hip flexors come into play with every stride as we bring one leg forward, and the other must extend back. If we have limitations in our hip flexors, we may have limitations in the length of our stride. To stretch the hip flexor group step forward into a lunge with one leg, allowing the rear leg to trail, imagining gliding along the ice as you throw your curling rock (my apologies to readers outside of Canada, for more information on what the heck I am talking about see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling). Allow your pelvis to sink towards the earth but keep the hip points of your pelvis pointing forward.
Thread the Needle
In runners, the muscles of gluteus area (buttock) have a very important function. Since running requires you to repeatedly stand on one leg during the stride, the glute group provides stability to the hip joint and pelvis, enabling the pelvis to stay level and provide balance to your stride. Lying on your back with both knees bent, feet flat on the floor, pick up your left foot and cross it over the right thigh just below the knee (when looking at your thigh). Using your hands or a strap/belt/tie reach through the hole, like thread through a needle eye, wrapping around the right thigh and pull the thigh towards you. Keep your head relaxed on the earth and energetically (i.e. without using your hands) imagine your left hip opening and your shin moving towards perpendicular to your right thigh.
The ITB Curtsey
The Iliotibial Band (ITB) is a band of connective tissue that runs from your hip to your knee. It has a close relationship with the outside quadricep muscle of the thigh as well as the gluteus muscles of the hip. In runners, the ITB can come under tesion due to the repeated flexion and extension of the knee and hip, which can sometimes lead to friction between the ITB and the underlying muscles or bone. To lengthen the right ITB, begin your curtsey by stepping your right leg behind your left. Hitch your right hip out to the right to deepen the stretch. You may also incorporate a side stretch by reaching overhead with your right hand, away from your right hip, opening into the Quadratus Lumborum muscle of the trunk.
The Rubber Ankle
There are a number of muscles in the front and side of the shin that are involved in the running gait. As we run our foot moves from eversion (outward facing of the sole) to inversion (inward facing of the sole) as well as pronation (ankle shifting inward) to supination (ankle shifting outward). To stretch into the outside of the shin, sitting with legs extended, reach down from the inside of the foot and wrap your fingers around the outside of your foot. Using your hand, move the foot so that the sole is facing inward stretching into the outside of the shin. To add a stretch into the front of the shin, point the toes lengthening the muscles of the front compartment (tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum, extensor hallucis).
Happy Running! - From Dr. Armstrong, Kiem, Peter, Kelly, Dr. Adataya, and Francessca - your team at Qi Integrated Health.