Integrative Medicine

I had a really interesting time today at the Centre of Integrative Care in Glasgow. It got me thinking about the philosophy behind how I work with clients and also how we would hope that Southside Therapy Centre works too. I was struck by this definition of Integrative medicine below.  It seems to encompass everything about how we aspire to work. 

Integrative medicine is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative.

The principles of integrative medicine:

• A partnership between patient and practitioner in the healing process
• Appropriate use of conventional and alternative methods to facilitate the body's innate healing response
• Consideration of all factors that influence health, wellness and disease, including mind, spirit and community as well as body
• A philosophy that neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically
• Recognition that good medicine should be based in good science, be inquiry driven, and be open to new paradigms
• Use of natural, effective, less-invasive interventions whenever possible
• Use of the broader concepts of promotion of health and the prevention of illness as well as the treatment of disease
• Training of practitioners to be models of health and healing, committed to the process of self-exploration and self-development

By Brad Lemley
DrWeil.com News

Qi-Gong

I am really enjoying my new Qi Gong practice. I signed up for an online module. Slightly cynical and immediately irritated by the hard sell for other courses that followed. But it has done exactly what I wanted, which is to put me back in touch with Qi Gong on a regular basis. Every day I am doing something and also thinking about how the Qi in my own body is circulating and how my own health may be being affected by blockages or stagnant Qi. I can honestly say that after a week I am already feeling better.  My energy feels cleaner both mentally and physically. My thoughts feel lighter and I feel less stuck and more as if I have perspective on things that have been worrying me. I am more physically aware. I feel stronger and more upright but also as if I have potential physically I can feel shifts in any tensions I have and more balance.  I think that part of my work as an acupuncturist is about embracing the ideas of Chinese Medicine such as Qi Gong. It helps my work too.

I've attached a blog from the Yinover centre in New York. It's about stress and our adrenals and how they can become exhausted.
http://yinovacenter.com/blog/archives/19478/

Remove toxins during the menopause with food and exercise

During the menopause, periods become less frequent. This means that the body loses one of its natural exit routes for toxins. If toxins build in the body it may increase the likelihood of problems such digestive disorders, skin problems, and arthritic complaints,

You can help keep toxin levels low by following these guidelines:

Drink at least 1.5 litres of still, plain water daily.
Cut out coffee, introduce herbal teas such as nettle or detox teas.
Make sure your bowel moves regularly
Eat regularly and calmly
Reduce refined carbohydrates - refined sugars, white bread, white pasta, and white rice, and things containing lots of sugars, syrups and sucrose

Eat more phyto-oestrogenic foods - almonds, apples, bananas, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cashews, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, green beans, oats, parsnips, parsley, peas, sprouted seeds, sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds, tofu.

Eat more non-dairy calcium containing foods - almonds, brazils, brown rice, figs, kidney beans, oats pine kernels, salmon, sardines, sunflower sesame and pumpkin seeds, tofu, watercress, white cabbage.

Exercise daily, even for a 10 minute walk.



ref: A. Vogul Institute

Some lovely feedback from a client.

I came to Francesca for infertility acupuncture over 2 years ago.  I wanted to try a few IVF rounds with my own eggs before moving on to egg donor.   Francesca offered me, not only her calming influence, but her expertise and a listening ear through what can be an emotional and physical roller coaster.  I found the acupuncture gave me back a sense of control that is lost when nature fails you.  Francesca's knowledge of the IVF and fertility world is excellent - keeping up with all the latest drugs, treatments and websites - and it was a relief to speak with someone who instantly understood all the terminology.  She not only supported me with acupuncture prior to treatments but on two occasions, pre and post transfer at the clinic.  My last attempt was a positive and I believe Francesca's input was a key part of that success.  I fully intend to see her prior to the birth for some additional support.   To anyone starting on this journey, I would definitely recommend that Francesca is in your corner from the start!  
Karen - Glasgow

January 2013

The last six months have all been about changes in where and when I work. I left Woodland Herbs in October 2012 after 8 years.  Woodland Herbs was where I built my practice and discovered how I like to work as a practitioner and it will always be an important place to me. We ran the first Acupressure courses there, which are still going strong, and I collaborated with other practitioners and set up Life Medicine, which is still a good website for practitioners.  I'm still working with Anna Hill who co-owns Woodland Herbs and is a medical herbalist.  We have found that the combination of  Herbs and Acupuncture work really well for our clients.

I have started working at a really lovely clinic in the West end called Nurture  (NurtureGlasgow.co.uk). I am part of the team there, offering Acupuncture and Counselling. The team at Nurture opens up lots of possibilities and I am there with two colleagues from the Natural Fertility Centre (thenaturalfertilitycentre.com), Polly Douglas, Nutritionist and Klayr Young (Medical Herbalist).  I have opened my own Centre for counselling, with Deirdre Parkinson, who I studied Counselling with at Strathclyde University.  We have opened Southside Counselling (southsidecounsellingglasgow.co.uk). I am so pleased that this has happened, it's exciting and I think we have found a reallyurture opens up lots of possibilities and I am there with two colleagues from the Natural Fertility Centre (thenaturalfertilitycentre.com), Polly Douglas, Nutritionist and Klayr Young (Medical Herbalist). I also have my practice on the Southside too, Southside Acupuncture.

Room Hire

The room at Southside Counselling is available to rent for Counsellors and therapists.
http://www.southsidecounsellingglasgow.co.uk/room-hire/
We are keen to have a small team of counsellors there and to provide somewhere that really meets the needs of both clients and counsellors. The room is lovely to work in, very peaceful.

Southside Counselling

We have opened a new centre for counselling in the south side of Glasgow and our lovely room is available to rent to professional and dedicated counsellors.


http://www.southsidecounsellingglasgow.co.uk/room-hire/