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Welcome:
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Naturopathy is a philosophy and practice of healthcare that is effective, safe and grounded in traditional wisdom. Naturopathic doctors study conventional medical sciences - such as pathology, pharmacology and microbiology - but are also trained in a range of alternative modalities described in the "services" area.
As the fruit born by a tree depends on its roots absorbing nutrients and water from the earth, our well-being depends on the ability of our digestive system to absorb nutrients from our food also grown from the earth. When the tree and its roots are healthy and balanced, the plant produces abundant fruit. When the body is balanced, wellness is the inevitable result. Vital health is as simple as that.
Naturopathy resolves ailments by seeking their root cause and providing materials and guidance to restore balance. |
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Services:
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Nutrition: Dietary changes may be used to improve general well being, maximize nutritional status, treat a certain health condition, or detoxify the body. Nutritional supplementation may be recommended to treat an ongoing health concern or prevent future problems.
Botanical medicine: Naturopathic doctors use herbs in many different ways: to support and improve organ and endocrine function, to balance hormones and the immune system, and to treat any acute conditions such as ulcers & skin lesions. Herbs can be deilvered as a tincture (liquid), encapsulated, as food, or even topically as a salve or poultice.
Acupuncture: Treatment entails the insertion of fine gauge sterile needles into various points on the body - in accordance with a treatment plan to address energetic and physical dysfuntion. Treatment length varies, but usually lasts 20-25 minutes. Repeated visits, no more than 1 week apart, are necessary for long-term change in health concerns.
Homeopathic medicine: Homeopathy is the use of minute doses of natural substances to stimulate our self-healing capacities. This is one of the most gentle yet powerful and effective forms of medicine.
Lifestyle counselling: Health involves both mind and body: most dis-ease can be traced to or rooted in mental/emotional dysfunction. This is a very important aspect of your appointments: your naturopath needs to understand what brought you to your current state of health, from the perspective of your physical history, as well as your emotional experiences. A naturopath's goal is to help you recognize those patterns that have contributed to your current state of health, and then assist you in changing these patterns or responses. |
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Pascaline Phillips B.Sc.Hons., N.D.
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I have been practicing in Toronto as a naturopathic doctor for the past 10 years. My road to discovering naturopathy occurred after years of working as a chef in Toronto restaurants. My career was interspersed with enough overseas travel to end up with a medically 'indefinable' illness. This ultimately ended with a visit to a naturopath. The return to health through naturopathy was so simple yet so profound, that I decided to change careers in order to bring to others a similar experience - such a powerful route back to a balanced state of health and well-being.
Four years completing an undergrad degree at the University of Toronto, followed by 4 inspiring years at CCNM (Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine), and 2 years of part-time studies at the Toronto School of Traditional Chinese Medicine contribute to the core of my treatment knowledge. Other techniques or therapies that I have incorporated into practice include Reiki. My practice is diverse in scope, helping to prevent disease and treating a wide range of illnesses: from acute injuries or illness, to asthma, allergies, digestive and bowel problems, mood disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. The beauty of naturopathic medicine is that it focuses on the individual rather than the symptoms, supporting and facilitating the body's innate ability to heal.
Since starting to practice as a naturopath in 2000, I have had two wonderful children, which has given me a much keener insight into the birth process, infant and child health care, and mum's health; this I also bring to my practice. In response to an increase in thyroid dysfunction in a growing number of patients, I have been certified as a WTS (Wilson's Temperature Syndrome) practitioner. More recently, my passion for homeopathy has led me to pursue more in depth studies, and I'm currently enrolled in a Masters Clinician Program from the Luminous School of Homeopathy.
What I really love about my work as a naturopath is accompanying others on their journey to discovering a state of well-being; and sharing their excitement when positive and lasting changes are attained. |
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Frequenty Asked Questions:
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What should I expect at my first appointment?
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Your first visit with your Naturopathic Doctor 1 ½ hours for an adult and 1 hour for a child. Your doctor will take you through a detailed history and a screening physical exam. The goal in this visit is to go beyond the obvious signs and symptoms that you are experiencing to understanding the true nature of your concerns. At the end of your first visit your doctor will offer some preliminary recommendations, such as dietary modifications, vitamin or herbal supplements.
Between your initial and follow-up appointment, your doctor is doing research and/or finding a homeopathic remedy. Considerable research and planning go into developing an individualized treatment plan that takes into account the whole picture of your health.
Some treatments will require follow up in a month, others sooner or more regularly. For example, acupuncture treatments are usually scheduled for 30 minutes once or twice per week for several weeks. Lifestyle and diet change-based treatment may only require 30 min follow-ups every month or two for the first 6 months.
Once treatment is on track and you are feeling better, check up visits are best scheduled every three to six months. Remember that your naturopathic doctor is also a primary care physician and you can return to your ND at any time for any medical concern.
How does Naturopathic medicine work?
Naturopathic medicine works to enhance the body's own healing power. One of our basic tenets is vis medicatrix naturae (the healing power of nature), which honours not only the curative effects of natural therapies, but also our body's attempts to move to a balanced state, free of disease. You see, each of us is capable of self-healing; unfortunately, our healing capabilities are obscured by years of poor diet, little-to-no exercise, poor air and water quality, daily work and life stressors, and an inability to hear what our bodies are trying to tell us. The role of the naturopath is that of teacher (the word doctor comes from the latin "to teach"), teaching you to clear your body of toxins, improve your diet, strengthen your immune system, and ultimately to listen to your body's messages.
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What does Naturopathic medicine treat?
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Naturopathy treats illness, while focusing on prevention and enhancing your body's ability to heal itself. To accomplish this, naturopathy treats the whole person, rather than isolating and treating a symptom or cluster of problems. In treating the whole person, naturopathic medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, which are rooted in the physical body and the mental-emotional spheres. Disease flourishes when the body is unable to maintain homeostasis; when your body is unable to clear excess toxicity as a result of improper diet and impaired digestion, absorption and elimination; when your emotional life is out-of-balance. When your mind and body are strong, you are more able to fight infections and remain free of dis-ease. There is very little that naturopathy cannot treat. Some of the more common health conditions that I have treated include:
- allergies and environmental illnesses, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia
- eczema, acne/acne rosacea, psoriasis
- digestive problems such as acid reflux, constipation, candidiasis, IBS, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis
- infertility, PCOS
- PMS/menstrual disorders, uterine fibroids, endometriosis
- insomnia; depression; anxiety
- osteoarthritis; rheumatoid arthritis
- menopausal problems
- prostatitis, BPH
- MS, lupus, diabetes; cancer
- hyperactivity, ADD/ADHD,
- headaches & migraines, asthma, ear infections; colds and flu
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Client Portal:
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Access to a Client Portal is provided free of charge for all my clients. The Client Portal enables you to manage your demographics, set appointments and upload images. The Client Portal also provides access to an Event Calendar and Newsletter, to a Remedy Refill facility as well as access to your invoices that dramatically reduces my involvement at tax time.
Notably, a daily journal is included where the Client may create a log of his / her well-being. The Client Portal also provides several wellness questionnaires that if completed periodically indicate any progression or regression in a graphical format. A comprehensive nutritional calculator is also included. The results from the daily journal, questionnaires and calculators are also posted to the Client’s Wellness chart that I can view. The Client Portal is a significant value-added feature of my practice that can enhance my ability to care for you.
Click on LifeStyle Monitor to launch the Client Portal. |
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