Transforming PTSD Treatment in Edmonton Through Integrative Care: A Comprehensive Guide to Holistic Healing

As my career has evolved, so has my focus. I now concentrate on helping more people earlier, preventing minor concerns from escalating into more complex and costly illnesses. A key part of this shift is my role in leading our Hormone Health program, which empowers patients to address hormonal imbalances that affect energy, mood, and overall well-being. This program has far-reaching impacts, not only improving individual lives but also strengthening the health of entire communities. By helping people regain balance, we’re preventing chronic diseases and fostering long-term wellness. Through a combination of my background in emergency medicine and women’s health, I offer a unique, integrative approach. I draw on the strengths of oriental medicine, along with the expertise of top practitioners, to deliver care that restores balance to the body, mind, and spirit.

Helping people comes naturally to Michelle! As a highly skilled Acupuncturist, Massage Therapist, and Advanced Care Paramedic she is widely recognized for developing unique care plans which draw on her knowledge and therapeutic touch gained across each of these specialized disciplines. Having over twenty years of combined expertise in caring for her patients, Michelle has had a front row seat to observe how stress and emotion affect the mind and body. Complementing her acupuncture services at Red Leaf Wellness, Michelle offers a variety of therapeutic and relaxation massage therapies, including pregnancy massage, myofascial release and myofascial cupping.

Michelle began her health career as a massage therapist, graduating the 2200hr Massage Program at Macewan University in 2001. Being active in competitive sport in her youth, Michelle understood the benefits of massage on sport performance, recovery and injury prevention. She subsequently branched into emergency care and became an Advanced Care Paramedic where she was able to offer a calming presence in stressful, emergent situations. Michelle has always believed that soft skills, an extra moment spent with family, or a hand to hold on the way to the hospital, can be as healing as the specific medical interventions themselves. Working as a Paramedic Michelle saw, and began to question, how it is that people differ in disease and the aging process and why the same drug benefited one person, but not the other. Her lifelong learning journey had her begin to look for these answers in the time-tested practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture, thus kicking off another quest for knowledge at MacEwan University’s Acupuncture Program.

Education:

• Diploma – Acupuncture, Macewan University
• Diploma – Emergency Medical Technician (Paramedic), Augustana University
  • Honors standings
• Certificate – Massage Therapy Grant MacEwan College

Licensure:

• RAc, College of Acupuncturists of Alberta (CAA)
• RMT, National Health Practitioners of Canada (NHPC)
• ACP, Alberta College of Paramedics

Dr. Yoko Masuda is a master practitioner – skilled in the rare craft of Japanese style acupuncture – where she incorporates and tailors gentle needling, moxibustion (specific deep heat), therme (heat massage) and cupping into her acupuncture treatment plans. These skills, as well as her reputation for delivering tangible results, make her a sought-after provider, especially in the areas of pain management, sports injuries, orthopaedic injuries and emotional health. Yoko firmly believes that the mind and the body are intertwined in healing and she continually advocates for a healthy lifestyle alongside of the care she provides.

Yoko received her acupuncture degree in Japan and, after working at several clinics in Tokyo, she accepted a staff acupuncturist position with the world renowned Cirque du Soleil touring show. For nearly twenty years, she went on to travel the far reaches of the globe, working on several other productions, and earning the respect of an international group of artists, staff and athletes before eventually selecting Edmonton for her permanent clinical practice. As a former high school physical education teacher, and also as an alumnus of the Japanese national rhythmic gymnastics team (where she competed internationally on numerous occasions), she has amassed an impressive background in sports therapy and physical education, uniquely positioning her to address all manner of orthopedic and performance related concerns.

Outside of work, Yoko enjoys travelling, the outdoors, and spending time with her husband and two elementary-aged daughters.

Education:

• Diploma of Acupuncture, Hanada College, Tokyo, Japan

Licensure:

• RAc, College and Association of Acupuncturists of Alberta (CAA)

Fluency: 🇬🇧 – English |  🇯🇵 – Japanese

Manuela provides a sanctuary for her clients, a place where they can relax and rejuvenate. As a dedicated somatic practitioner, she believes in the body’s inherent wisdom and intelligence. Her compassionate approach and healing touch set the stage for relaxation, vitality, and energy flow. She is committed to optimizing your health in the most effective ways possible.

The therapeutic techniques Manuela specializes in—Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy, Massage Therapy, and Qigong—emphasize the interconnectedness of our physical, mental, and emotional states. Through her gentle Craniosacral touch, she helps to release long-standing tensions and restrictions. She places a special focus on balancing the central nervous system, enabling your body to achieve a state of rest, recovery, and optimal functioning.

Having recently graduated from the 2200-hour Massage Therapy Program at Reflexacademy in Sherwood Park, Manuela has broadened her range of services. She now offers Massage Therapy as a standalone treatment or in combination with Craniosacral Therapy. Her nurturing touch and massage skills work to dissolve muscle tightness and tension, restoring your energy and vitality to a harmonious state.

Beyond her hands-on treatments, Manuela offers additional resources to support your well-being. She consistently provides body meditations, exercises, and practical tips to help you maintain your health between sessions. Her extensive background in somatic techniques, which focus on the internal experience of movement and bodily awareness, equips her with invaluable tools to help you manage day-to-day stress and self-regulate both body and mind.

Schedule an appointment with Manuela to experience a range of benefits: from stress and anxiety reduction, pain and muscle stiffness alleviation, to enhanced relaxation and improvements in digestive, respiratory, and joint health, as well as circulation, energy flow, and immune system function. Her treatments aim to deepen your connection with your body, leaving you feeling peaceful and revitalized.

Education: 

• Somatic Movement Therapist (SMT), Moving On Center, Oakland, USA
• Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist (BCST), BodyIntelligence, Canada
• Qigong Instructor Certification (ASS Institute, Germany)
• Training in Continuum Movement (USA)
• Massage Therapy at Reflexacademy Sherwood Park, AB, Canada 2200hrs

Licensure: 

• Natural Health Practitioner Canada / NHPC (RMT)

Fluency: 🇬🇧 – English | 🇩🇪 – German

Anjali Nagda has been working as a Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist with an extensive academic background in Clinical Psychology, advocating for the powerful potential of utilizing the subconscious mind. Over the past year, Anjali has been navigating the evolving scope of counseling in Alberta, registering herself as a Registered Clinical Counselor with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) and as a Counseling Therapist with the Association of Counseling Therapists of Alberta (ACTA). Her affiliation with additional regulatory bodies is underway, especially now that clinical counseling can be directly billed.

Anjali combines her expertise as a Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist and a Registered Clinical Counselor to offer integrated services as a Clinical Counseling Hypnotherapist. This dual approach empowers her to work with both the conscious and subconscious minds of her clients. She supplements various conscious therapeutic techniques such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), to name a few, which help individuals recognize and change negative thought patterns and behaviors, manage painful emotions, decrease conflict in relationships, and transform irrational beliefs into rational ones. These techniques are particularly effective for treating anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, anger, guilt, and unhealthy dependency.

Under hypnotherapy, Anjali employs techniques such as JPMR (Jacobson’s Progressive Muscle Relaxation), Guided Visualizations, Regression Therapy, Parts Integration Therapy, Behavioral Hypnotherapy, Analytical Hypnotherapy, and Inner Child Therapy, among others, to support clients with psychological trauma, specific fears, phobias, anxiety, sleep issues, and more.

Anjali’s invaluable experience at a De-addiction and Rehabilitation Center has given her the opportunity to work closely with individuals grappling with addiction. She focuses on identifying and addressing the underlying triggers that contribute to addictive behaviors, helping clients achieve a natural state of mindfulness and emotional regulation. By incorporating techniques such as Age Regression and Parts Therapy, Anjali empowers her clients to replace their dependency on substances with healthier coping mechanisms and a renewed sense of self-worth.

Anjali’s role has been evolving as her stay in Canada lengthens, driven by her dedication to supporting her clients to the best of her abilities. By combining Clinical Hypnotherapy and Clinical Counseling, she offers a holistic approach not commonly found in the Edmonton market. This unique service allows her to reach more individuals who previously faced barriers due to billing issues.

Anjali’s dedication to her clients’ well-being, combined with her expertise in both Clinical Hypnotherapy and Clinical Counseling, makes her a compassionate and effective guide on their journey towards transformation and healing. Her hard work behind the scenes ensures she can now support a broader range of clients through direct billing, welcoming those who were unable to access her services earlier.

Education: 

• Post-Graduate Diploma in Clinical and Applied Hypnotherapy
• Masters in Clinical Psychology
• B.A. Psychology, Journalism, English Literature

Licensure: 

• Registered Clinical Counselor, British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC)
• Counseling Therapist, Association of Counseling Therapists of Alberta (ACTA)
• Registered Clinical Hypnotherapist (RCH), Canada Association Of Counselling Hypnotherapists And Educators (CACHE)
• Certified Hypnotherapist (CH) – National Guild of Hypnotists

Fluency: 🇬🇧 – English | 🇮🇳 – Hindi, Gujarati (fluent); Bengali, Punjabi (conversational)