Louise is a registered acupuncturist, reflexologist, and practices Indian Head Massage. After completing her reflexology certification in 2012, she began a deep learning dive into other healing modalities, which eventually lead her to study Acupuncture at Pacific Rim College.
Raised in Devon, England in a rural farming community she developed a passion for natural healing through organic fresh and local food. Today in Sooke, she farms 3 acres of organically grown food and raises chickens and ducks alongside her large family consisting of her husband, their 5 sons, and their cute ball of fluff Floki the black lab.
Louise is grateful for her early foundation of living a more natural lifestyle, in-tune with nature and the seasons. “We spend so much time fighting the natural order of things and that can be a great cause of suffering.” Her treatments are multi-faceted, incorporating traditional acupuncture techniques, auricular acupuncture, Gua-Sha, Cupping, Moxa and Tui-Na where appropriate, alongside offering self-care techniques and dietary information. She fully trusts each individual’s innate power to heal their self and simply offers a gentle nudge here and there to allow that process to get back into alignment.
Louise has treated a wide range of health concerns not limited too, but including, high blood pressure, chronic pain, diabetes and neuropathy, musculoskeletal issues, menstrual cycle disorders, mental and emotional distress, and allergies. There is no better compliment than a patient getting back to their normal activities and daily routines happy, healthy, and pain-free.
Eleven years after starting with studying reflexology, Louise also hold’s a Diploma of Arts and Science, a Diploma of Acupuncture, and is certified in Indian Head Massage, Mei Zen Facial Protocols, Acusculpting Cosmetic Acupuncture, Channel Examination, Diagnosis and Qi Dynamics and Deepening Skills. She is passionate about expanding her skills and learning about all things holistic from nourishing ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally and deepening our connection to the earth and each other.
Louise is a registered acupuncturist, reflexologist, and practices Indian Head Massage. After com...
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Michelle is a graduate of West Coast Reflexology in Victoria for Core and Foot Reflexology and Facial Reflexology. She has also completed the fully-accredited Professional Hand Reflexology Course, with the KEW Training Academy. She is excited to bring her knowledge and love for reflexology to you.
Michelle found reflexology when dealing with foot pain. With its non-invasive approach, soon after she added reflexology regularly to her self-care routine. Seeing the benefits of reflexology, Michelle decided that she wanted to work in the health and wellness community and became a Certified Reflexologist.
Michelle is delighted to now offer Facial Reflexology. With reflexology, Michelle’s focus aims at relaxation and assisting to remove stress by helping the body heal and rebalance itself. Offering holistic services with customized treatments, Michelle is motivated to work with you to optimize your overall well-being and help you reach your treatment goals.
In addition to reflexology, Michelle also enjoys getting out and exploring all the beauty and nature of Vancouver Island. She is a big fan of reading biographies and has a great appreciation for food from around the world.
Michelle is a graduate of West Coast Reflexology in Victoria for Core and Foot Reflexology and Fa...
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Jacquie Lynn (JL) has been serving as a Spa and Wellness professional for 28 years, and continues to evolve as an empathetic and sensitive practitioner and person through VCA, where she’s been working since the clinic’s inception in 2011. She received her early career certifications of Aesthetician and Body Care Specialist in 1996, and has essentially been pursuing education in areas of special interest ever since. This learning for life has led JL to be studied and experienced in multiple kinds of modalities such as: Acupressure, Aromatherapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Energy Balancing (various techniques including Aura Cleansing, Chakra Balancing, & Magnetic Therapy), Foot Reflexology, Incense Crafting, Meditation, all three degrees of Reiki. Through her practice, she emphasizes openness to the process and intuitive exploration of body ways to activate positive shifts for the integrative healing of our body, mind, emotions, energetics, and spiritual connectedness. You can find her current offerings under the discipline of Holistic Spa Services at VCA.
Jacquie Lynn (JL) has been serving as a Spa and Wellness professional for 28 years, and continues...
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Jessica Joy believes that within the body there is an innate intelligence beyond what our conscious minds could ever fully understand. Her bodywork approach then is one of deep listening to the wisdom of the body, aiming to work with the natural movement of this intelligent life force, rather than attempting to force it into a change.
She graduated from Cortiva Massage Institute of Seattle in 2012, and practiced as a licensed massage therapist there before moving to beautiful Victoria BC on Lekwungen Territory in 2021. She also completed a one year certificate training in Craniosacral Therapy in 2019, as well as numerous other trainings over the years in modalities such as Lomi Lomi, trauma informed touch, somatic healing, and energy work. She is a Reiki master as well as a certified Wellness Counsellor.
Jessica blends her extensive skill set with her intuitive approach to deliver a treatment that is attuned to the individual needs of her client.
She offers Customized Massage, which takes both a treatment and relaxation approach depending on the client’s needs and goals, blending manual tissue manipulation with Warm Bamboo (similar to hot stone but deeper tissue). She also uses Gua Sha and silicon cupping as needed to help release tight spots and bring fresh circulation into congested areas.
She also offers her signature Somatic Energy Work sessions, which combine craniosacral therapy, chakra healing, and somatic body dialogue to address the emotional, energetic, and nervous system roots of physical pain, or as a support through challenging life events.
Stand alone craniosacral sessions are also available as an integrative add on to other services at VCA, or for any time a nervous system reset is needed.
Jessica Joy believes that within the body there is an innate intelligence beyond what our conscio...
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What is Bowen therapy?
Bowen therapy is a gentle form of myofascial release work. It is a therapeutic modality that was created by Tom Bowen in the 1950’s in Geelong, Australia.
One of the main aims of Bowen therapy is to bring the body into parasympathetic balance, which basically means to calm the nervous system. All healing happens in the body when it is in parasympathetic dominance. This is the normal resting state of the body, and it’s where you go when you digest food and when you are asleep at night.
One of the other main aims of Bowen therapy is to gently loosen fasciae adhesions. When you have an old injury or you are in certain postures on a day to day basis, your fasciae matrix (white spider-web like tissue that overlays muscles) can become stuck to your muscles, hard and brittle. It is meant to be fluid and movable. The gentle rolling motion over your muscles seeks to gently break up adhesions as well as to improve blood and lymph flow to your tissues, if it was previously impeded by your stuck fascia.
How does it work?
The “Bowen moves,” are a series of moves that address your body as a whole, focusing on attempting to bring the body into balance. The practitioner will provide gentle pressure to a spot on the belly of a muscle, and with that pressure make a gentle rolling motion overtop the muscle. Proprioceptors in the muscle are stimulated via the nervous system and the muscles resting tension level can reset. There are breaks between sets of Bowen moves, so the practitioner will perform a set of moves and leave the room for a pause so that the body can integrate.
Who could possibly benefit?
Bowen therapy has been utilized to support the bodies natural healing when there have been certain musculoskeletal injuries and structural misalignments. It does not use force in the same way a chiropractic treatment would but it can be an adjunctive support to either chiropractic work or massage, although there are certain timeframes that make most sense when integrating treatments in a plan.
Traditionally, Bowen therapy has been used to support the bodies natural healing process in situations such as:
- arthritis (depending upon origin)
- head and neck tension
- digestive concerns where stress may play a role
- TMJ dysfunction (temporomandibular joint - jaw tension)
- frozen shoulder and shoulder pain (depending upon origin)
- tennis elbow
- carpal tunnel
- postural problems
- foot and ankle problems
- knee and hip restriction
- sciatica (depending upon origin)
If you have questions in terms of deciding whether or not this therapy could possibly benefit you, feel free to call the office or send an email.
I love this therapy particularly for its aim in terms of resetting the ‘mind-body’ connection. We are all moving so fast these days that the stresses of life seem to crop up in our systems. As Peter Levine has pointed out, animals in the wild will “shake out” their trauma. We are not taught to do the same as human beings. Old emotions can be stored in the body. Sometimes a Bowen treatment can accompany an emotional release but not always. As always, the body is wise in knowing when or not to release old emotional debris.
My aim is to hold a therapeutic space that facilitates healing for you in whatever capacity your bodies innate intelligence allows. We can never guarantee a result but we can hold an intention for your deepest healing, whatever that may look like.
I look forward to working with those that this resonates with. I look forward to serving you and supporting you on your healing journey back into right relationship with you.
A treatment plan is determined after the initial assessment.
What is Bowen therapy?
Bowen therapy is a gentle form of myofascial release work. It is a therap...
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Joleen is an acupuncturist & herbalist. She has recently begun practicing the Neoclassical Acupuncture style. Neoclassical Acupuncture works at treating the root of any issues that you’re facing, and can be very helpful in working on pain conditions (both chronic and acute), migraines/headaches, digestive complaints, emotional & hormonal imbalances, chronic disease and more. Joleen also offers cosmetic acupuncture and has trained in the Mei Zen style of facial acupuncture. She also offers Abdominal Mei Zen acupuncture for weight loss and fertility.
As a herbalist, Joleen crafts individualized herbal medicines for each person’s unique situation, which may take the form of tinctures, teas, creams, capsules, and so on.
Joleen is trained in NAET as well, and also offers needle-free (LLT laser) acupuncture.
Joleen is an acupuncturist & herbalist. She has recently begun practicing the Neoclassical Ac...
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Tegan’s own experiences with physical limitations fuelled her passion to further explore and understand the workings of the body. She immersed herself in the bodywork program at the Vancouver School of Bodywork & Massage. There, she gained a deeper understanding of how the body and mind are interconnected. She then continued to pursue her desire to expand her knowledge of the human form and graduated from the Vancouver School of Massage Therapy. Tegan’s background and education have helped her to build a well-rounded intuitive- and medical-based practice that encourages both body awareness and empowerment.
She is passionate about working with others and values creating a comfortable and safe environment for her clients. Tegan believes it is important to understand the root cause of an issue to effectively treat the person on a whole. She encourages her clients to participate in their own self-healing by promoting body-awareness and providing individualized remedial exercises.
She utilizes a variety of modalities to assist her clients to regain natural, fluid function.
Tegan’s own experiences with physical limitations fuelled her passion to further explore and unde...
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To contact directly regarding booking inquiries: hollymckinneyrmt@gmail.com
Holly graduated from the RMT program at Langara College in Vancouver, BC in 2022. She has a genuine curiousity when it comes to people and loves to ask questions and learn more about people’s stories as a way to connect with them. Her attentive and thoughtful nature is one of Holly’s greatest strengths when building personalized treatment plans for clients. She uses a variety of techniques that help clients decompress and allows them to have a slowed down moment in the midst of their busy lives.
Regardless of pace of life, she believes massage is a great way to practice self-care for both physical and mental health, brings awareness to the mind-body connection, and generally helps calm the nervous system.
To contact directly regarding booking inquiries: hollymckinneyrmt@gmail.com
Holly graduated from...
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Meghan is registered with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia. She is invested in interventions to change the course of a disease or an injury through avenues in Chinese Medicine.
My area of practice looks at neurodegenerative prevention, traumatic head injury, soft tissue damage, post traumatic stress, headaches, and tension stemming from digestive issues. I also work with fertility, pelvic health, and postpartum recovery. I employ a range of modalities; tui na (massage), gua sha, cupping and ear seeds in almost every treatment. I am further trained in New Scalp Acupuncture (Yamamoto) and certified with the National Acupuncture Detox Association (NADA).
I have taken a special focus in nutrition, resolving acute disruptions and chronic patterns with solutions that bridge Chinese Medicine and personal vitality. I look at getting to the root of imbalances, while making it comfortable on a new way forward. I believe Acupuncture brings cohesion to the physical body and can radically affect the mind and spirit. I want to give my patients breathing room to access their full capacity and unwind from the distractions of daily life.
I am honoured for these ancient lineages and practises that help us in these modern times become more connected to ourselves. Outside of the clinic, I have an affinity for moving my Qi, outdoor running, and getting into the mountains!
Meghan is registered with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupunctu...
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Michelle is mother of two wonderful boys and her love for skincare began at an early age while modelling in Tokyo. Having worked for beauty lines she learned early that taking good care of your skin has benefits. Focusing on skincare became mainstream for Michelle and after working in a medical spa she opened Nubare Skincare. So now with 18 years experience in Calgary, she is excited to join the VCA Spa in Victoria!
Michelle focuses on each person individually so no one treatment is the same; however, chemical peels are her specialty as well as microneedling and dermaplaning. Facial massage is also a key factor in Michelle’s treatments with lymphatic drainage and lifting techniques. All products used deliver optimum benefit to the skin wether it be fine lines, acne, rosacea, dryness, or collagen depletion, and the results are amazing!
Michelle is mother of two wonderful boys and her love for skincare began at an early age while mo...
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Hayley Stobbs, R.Ac., CNC, is a registered acupuncturist and certified nutritional consultant. Hayley’s personal introduction to Chinese medicine and nutrition began at the age of eight years old. Health challenges at a young age gifted her with a sense of empowerment and empathy, which inspired her passion for wellness.
Hayley gently guides each patient towards achieving health goals through attentive listening, skillful needling, and a sincere heart. She believes that customized diet and lifestyle routines along with deep relaxation treatments can profoundly awaken one’s innate ability to heal. Treatments include acupuncture, Chinese massage, cupping, gua sha, food as medicine, and self-care recommendations. Complementary modalities assist in improving circulation, hormone and nervous system balance, detoxification, and nutrient assimilation.
Hayley’s special interests include stress-related symptoms, women’s health, menstrual irregularities, pain, anxiety, insomnia, allergies, facials, pregnancy & labour preparation, and digestive health. Quality treatments are nurtured via ongoing continuing acupuncture education. You can find out more about Hayley’s work through Instagram @hayley.stobbs.acupuncture, or at her website: www.innerpassacu.com.
Hayley Stobbs, R.Ac., CNC, is a registered acupuncturist and certified nutritional consultant. Ha...
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Rachel van Wersch is a Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner (R.TCM.P) who studied both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine at Pacific Rim College in Victoria. After completing over 2900 hours of instruction, including over 700 hours of clinical experience, Rachel graduated summa cum laude with a Diploma of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Prior to her TCM studies, Rachel earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on syndrome differentiation, meaning each treatment is customized to the individual needs of the patient in order to relieve symptoms and address the root cause of disharmony. In working towards balancing the relative Yin and Yang flowing through the meridians, acupuncture can help guide the body back towards homeostasis and support the harmony of both our physical and mental health.
At VCA, Rachel provides acupuncture as well as adjunct therapies such as cupping, gua sha, tui na, and recommendations based on Chinese diet therapy. Outside of general practice and preventative care, Rachel has a special interest in reducing stress and the myriad of health complications that may arise alongside it, such as muscle tension, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, menstrual irregularities and digestive discomfort.
Rachel van Wersch is a Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner (R.TCM.P) who studie...
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