What Your Doctor Doesn't Know Could Hurt You - The way to Empowered Health!

Empower Yourself to Vibrant Health

On my journey to healing a long list of  health issues, along with episodes of depression, and chronic anxiety, one thing I never considered no matter what prescription was offered or procedure suggested- was to mask my symptoms with a pill or unnecessary surgery. Maybe I am stubborn (as some have called me) but I like to think I am just determined, and I trust my intuition. Something deep within, told me that I could heal using natural methods and I knew that some of my issues where deeper, and more emotionally based. So I ruled out anything fatal with proper testing, and decided to go it on my own, seeking out my healthcare team, and taking things into my own hands.

Based on the current research and with more new studies coming out all of the time about the adverse effects of prescription drugs, I am sure I have made the right decision for myself. Opting for a life long dependency using medications is not something I ever want to experience, and so I do all that I can to heal any condition or symptoms from the inside out.

 I do want to clarify that this is the path I chosen based on my own philosophy, beliefs and understanding of healing the body,  and I am not suggesting that my path it is the correct path for everyone. Please take what fits for you and use it, and discard the rest. Only you know what your body needs and what is right for you.

As I stand firm in my belief that all illness can be healed if the conditions are optimal within the body,  I also realize that medications can be a saving grace for some, and are necessary in certain situations. That said,  I also believe prescriptions and over the counter medications are too widely used, and abused and eventually create more issues within the body than they solve.

Doctors save lives, they preform emergency procedures to preserve life, and thankfully they exist for those purposes. But they are not trained in maintaining health, or healing the root causes of health and dis-ease, but how to manage the symptoms. And the only tools they have to offer are medications and surgery. Did you know that they only receive 1 hour of training around the subject of nutrition in medical school? Crazy, right?

What our doctors are also NOT trained in medical school for,  is how our emotional-mental health directly affects our physical condition, how stress creates 90% of the symptoms we are visiting him/her for help with. They do not have the expertise of the time to address nutritional links to many health issues, are not "allowed" to recommend natural remedies that are more effective (and much safer) than prescriptions in many cases, nor will they offer up information around the negative and accumulative effects of over the counter medicines, steroid creams, and prescriptions, and how these effect our liver and entire system over the long-term. They don't have time to consider, or ask about how your stress levels are, how your marriage is going, how the kids are doing, and if you despise your job and are treated poorly at work. They don't pay any attention to the fact that toxic relationships can make a person sick and cause depression, and debilitating anxiety, and how our thoughts can either heal or create dis-ease. They are simply not trained to look deeper into the presenting issues, and find the root cause of eczema, asthma, hormone imbalances, depression, anxiety, insomnia, migraines, or weight gain.  They can't offer preventative treatment options, or even recognize adrenal fatigue or slight hormonal/thyroid imbalances that could be a huge contributing factor to many symptoms one is experiencing mentally, emotionally and physically.  They also follow a different reference range with their laboratory testing, and don't recognize there is a problem, oftentimes until it is too late, and perhaps medication is the only resort.

 I saw it somewhere the quote "Medication is for sick care not healthcare" and can also relate this sentiment to doctors as well. They are not trained to help us live well, and embody a holistic approach to our health. If our life needs saving and we are in a health crisis, thankfully we have them to intervene.

The truth about our health from a holistic perspective, is that if one area of our being is being neglected, it leaves a huge gap for things to go wrong, and an imbalance to take over.

It is time to take our health into our own hands! If it's one thing we need to understand, it is that doctors have a limited toolkit when it comes to healing our health issues. If you want to start taking ownership of your own health and healing, this is what I suggest for you if you want to start empowering yourself to better health.

1) Know when it's time to see your doctor and when you can try other alternatives: Doctors certainly have their place, and I recommend regular routine check ups to detect any issues early on. I have been so thankful to have the option of antibiotics in cases where they are absolutely necessary for myself and my children. When my daughter had a blood strep infection, antibiotics were the only option- no amount of echinacea or essential oils were going to clear that up. Don't mess with anything you feel may be serious and need medical attention. If it's a cold, flu, allergies, migraines, anxiety or depression or digestive concerns perhaps visiting a naturopath or health-food store for some natural remedies to support the body are in order, rather than heading to the doctor or pharmacy. Always investigate further into what your symptoms are trying to tell you. It is much better to address the root cause of why you have a certain symptom or illness, rather than how to mask the symptoms with pharmaceutical drugs and quick fixes.

 2) Educate yourself!  Research, go to the library and find books on the subjects of holistic and alternative healing as well as emotional-physical connections to health. Stop handing your health over to others, take ownership! There is much you can do to create health, you know what your body needs to heal. Be determined to find a solution to your health concerns that will heal it at the root. All other avenues are only masking the underlying issues, and the body will manifest them elsewhere if it is not dealt with at the source. Finding the root cause is essential! One side-note: Do not Google your symptoms! Google will almost always tell you that you have cancer or have you believing the worst case scenario, believe me- I have been there many, many times.

3) Take all of your lab results to a naturopath for further assessment: This one is an essential. Every time I get anything tested- I take the results to my naturopath so she can see anything going on that the doctors overlook. And it never fails, the doctors "normal range" needs to be tweaked based on further evaluation. This is a very smart thing to do, as part of working with your family doctor and naturopathic physician.

4) Find your 'whole being' wellness tribe: Having a Naturopath, acupuncturist/Chinese medicine practitioner, massage therapist, holistic health counsellor that can assist you in healing the emotional/mental patterns that are linked to physical symptoms, an energy healing practitioner,  yoga and meditation teacher, will assist you greatly in achieving healing and greater inner peace and inner balance. Find your healthcare tribe, and make sure they understand and practice holistic healing principles themselves! The greatest healers,  and teachers are the ones that walk the talk in their own lives. Finding the right people that you feel comfortable with, and those that you trust understand your unique set of concerns is also essential. Keep looking until you find your perfect wellness support team.

If I can assist you in creating a wellness plan, or you would like an assessment of your concerns to receive direction, recommendations and a treatment plan about your specific mind-body health connection and symptoms, contact me to book a Breakthrough Session appointment.
I offer holistic wellness coaching sessions that will assist you in determining possible alternative avenues you could try for your current health concerns.

Mention this blog and receive $20 off your initial session.

In health,

Leanne Oaten
Holistic Counsellor- Wellness Coach
www.leanneoaten.com
250-319-3630

How to tap into your Intuition and start creating a life you love

Do you find yourself obsessing, ruminating and overthinking every single detail of everything that happens? Can you come up with a list of 100 possible scenarios for how something could turn out and this clouds your decision making ability? Do you have a hard time making decisions because you rely more on what you think rather than how you feel?

You are not alone!

This is something I am always actively working on in my life, and every single person I have worked with has had this going on to some degree in their life. It is often why we become stuck. Literally, we become stuck in our heads, and disconnect from our heart, soul, intuition, and inner-knowing.

"Most of our logical thinking is fear based"

Most of the time we are operating and making decisions with our logical (thinking) mind and that can lead us down many different paths -in the wrong direction. Most of our logical thinking is fear based, and creates fear stories that keep us stuck.

 When we tap into our intuition (our greatest source of empowerment) we start to operate from our deepest inner knowing, our soul~truth.

How do you know when you are operating from your soul and intuitive knowing?

~ Calm: You feel a sense of inner peace, confidence and safety

~ Clarity: The feeling of being empowered and connected to your truth. Uncertainty vanishes.

~  Flow: Life just flows

~ Fun: You are having FUN!

~ Joy: You feel joyful, alive and full of inspiration

~ Trust: you know that all is working out for your highest good, even if you are not sure what that is

~Synchronicity: You are seeing signs everywhere that speak to
 you. (Seeing someone you were thinking about earlier that day, humming a song and it comes on the radio, certain repeated number patterns come to you (1:11, 11:11. 3:33) I have had this one happening BIG time lately! These are all just signs from the Universe that you are on the right track, and that you are being guided by a force beyond physical sight.

Signs we are disconnected from our intuition:

 ~ Fear: We are feeding into the fear story. Fear thoughts, worry, obsessive thinking, trying to control circumstances. We mostly operate from fear based thoughts.

~Stuck: You do not know what to do or how to improve the situation.

~ Weak: You feel dis-empowered over your own life- like you have no power over your life circumstance and no way to change your current situation. You feel like a victim of circumstance.

~ Addictions: You engage in self numbing behaviors, or drink, drug, eat, whatever you can do to numb and distract from what you are feeling.

The beautiful part is that when we are able to live fully from the heart, and less from the ruminating, fear based, obsessive thinking mind, life begins to flow. Joy becomes the norm rather than fear, depression, sadness, anxiety, and hopelessness. And health issues and physical symptoms, depression and anxiety begin to miraculously disappear!

How do we tap into our intuition?

~ Prayer: I love this one from Gabrielle Bernstein: "Thank you for showing me creative solutions beyond my physical sight".

~ Mediation: Even 5 minutes of sitting and tuning in when we are unsure or feeling low, dark energies can shift us to a higher feeling place. Aim for 15 minutes daily, more is always better.

~ Get into nature: The trees and the birds and the sky will speak to you- just listen. Turn off the iTunes, and just sit on a rock or in the middle of the forest and listen. This is one thing that always shifts me in big ways. I crave being in the trees or by the ocean, it literally feeds my soul.

~ Create space: Make space in your life for alone time, free of texting, cell phones, emails and t.v. Make time for activities that feed your soul and connect you with yourself. Cross of the unnecessary "to do's" on your list, and create a life based around your wellness rather than around your work and endless daily tasks. Make your self a priority! Your happiness, health and emotional well-being should always be at the top of the priority list.

For more on this subject read:

In~ Power Hour- 21 Days to a..
All it takes is a little shift to change your life!

Wishing you a soul~full day,
~Leanne Oaten
Holistic Counsellor R.P.C,c
250-319-3630

www.soulworkcounselling.com

For greater happiness and health- Choose Your Tribe Wisely

I remember with such clarity when things really started to change for me on my healing journey.
One of my mentors that has been a pivotal person on my journey, and I believe has assisted me in getting me to where I am today, said to me- "You don't have to do it all alone Leanne, it's OK to reach out and get support".

 As a counselor I know this to be true, however I was not living this in my own life. I've had so many negative experiences with seeing counsellors in my past, that I had given up with trying to find support. And I had very few people in my life at the time I could trust with my vulnerabilities and suffering. But one thing I know for sure, is that we definitely aren't meant to go through life in isolation, to go it alone and struggle through feeling lost, depressed, lonely, stuck, sick, hopeless and disconnected! 

For me, I have always worked hard to be a positive person, and want to be that positive light for others. I never want to burden or drag somebody else down with my problems and complaints. I even had guilt about coming in to see her when I was having a bad day, because I didn't want to bring my negative energy in with me and ruin her day- and I would always cancel on friends I had made plans with for this same reason. Sounds perfectly noble and caring of others feelings, right?

 Wrong! Having a belief that others can't be there for me in the dark times, when I am struggling and not at my best, held me back from connecting with others, and kept me isolated in my own personal hell for many, many years.

 The enemy of depression is isolation.

It is true that when one is depressed they don't want to go out and see others, but want to hide away behind closed doors and avoid the world. Everything is in black and white, life loses its color, and it can feel as though nothing can pull the depressed person out of the depths of their darkness. You could be staring at the most beautiful meaningful thing, but feel nothing at all. But, this is no life!

I have been there, and I do not ever want to feel that way again. That is why I am so passionate and dedicated to my well-being and health, and why I want to help others with what I have learned!

I am so grateful today to have had the revelation- I need people! And I can trust others to be there for me -even when I am at my worst.

In my past, I learned that others could not be trusted, and when I was suffering, sad and alone, nobody came to help. That is what I learned at a very early age, and carried with me into adulthood.

Now I choose to believe others can be trusted, and that I am worthy of mutually supportive relationships and receiving loving support from others who truly to have my best interest at heart.

With all of this said, I am very selective with who I share my vulnerabilities with. As author Brene Brown advises- people need to earn the right to our vulnerability, and to hear our story.

We need deep connections and rich relationships with others to be healthy physically, mentally and emotionally. What I have learned about discerning who those people are is the following. Maybe these tips can help you in deciding who you want to have in your circle , or who you need to attract into your circle that can support you to become your best self.

1) Trust your gut. If something feels wrong or off about a person, trust this feeling and either cut ties, or be very mindful about what you share with this person/people. If someone really has your best interests at heart, you will feel that when you are with them.

2) Observe how they speak about others. If they are always gossiping or talking negatively about other friends/people behind their backs, they will most likely do the same to you with your personal disclosures.

3) Choose people who are committed to their own growth process, and having authentic, trusting and loyal relationships who are on a path similar to you- or a few levels above- where you want to be. The best friends we can have are ones who are there for us to assist us in our evolution. If someone is dragging you down, it may be time to reassess that relationship.

4) How do you FEEL in their presence? Tense on edge? Guarded? Do you have a knot in your stomach? Or, relaxed, calm and at ease? Trust your feelings, they never lie!

5) How do you feel after having spent time with them? If every single time you spend time with someone you leave with a stomach ache, headache, or feel depressed, anxious or totally drained, listen to these messages your body is sending! It is one thing if someone is having a bad day or going through a rough time, we need to be there for others in their time of need, I am speaking more of a pattern that becomes the norm. Tune into your body, it is our barometer for how we are affected by what is happening around us!

We can have compassion and let people go with love if they are not serving our highest good. We can wish them well, and say no thank you and move on. We can choose to love ourselves enough to only allow high quality people in our lives! YOU deserve to have rich and fulfilling relationships. You are the creator of your life. Start being more intentional about who you will and will not allow into your heart and life.

With love and gratitude,
~Leanne Oaten- Holistic Counsellor, R.P.C,c
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