I’m Gillian, and I’m a social worker, holistic nutritionist & mindfulness practitioner. I offer mothers a holistic way through anxiety and mental health challenges so they can most deeply connect with their babies and rise to their full motherhood potential.

I’ve spent my entire adult life focusing on the well-being of children and families. I went to school for social work and when I finished, worked in child welfare supporting foster parents to help children who experienced trauma have the best possible life. I earned my master’s degree in mental health therapy and  went on to work at a world-class children’s hospital in the psychiatry department doing mind-body therapy for somatic symptom disorders. I also dove deep into meditation practice and became one of a handful of practitioners certified in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (which is basically applying basic mindfulness to mental health). In between, I became a registered holistic nutritionist and personal fitness trainer and worked privately with women with challenges like fertility, relationships, anxiety and more.  In all of my years of practice, I found that when we support the mother, the child thrives. I propose that we cannot really raise healthy children without helping mama be healthy first. Mother and baby are a dyad. A twosome. They share a sacred synergy.

Because of my experience with attachment, trauma, mindfulness and holistic health, I can help you overcome your own worries & emotional struggles so you can bond with your babies and raise thriving children by being healthy yourself.

 

When I’m not working, you can find me walking in the forest because I love trees and nature. If I’m not outside (because it gets cold here), I am probably in the kitchen changing a tasty recipe into something more healthy, or in the local health food store finding new ingredients to try. Oh, and because I’m a mother, most of my walking, cooking and shopping now revolves around her!

Here are a few lesser-known facts about me:

 

I’m obsessed with healthy food but not am not the best cook in the kitchen.

 

I’m an introvert  – if I could live my life on the side of a mountain never seeing another soul, I would! This was challenging for me when I first had my baby because everyone said I needed to get out when all I wanted to do was be alone, the two of us.

 

I’m an avid supporter of women’s reproductive rights. I believe that how we birth babies and are cared for by the medical system is not always conducive with our body working the way it is meant to, and can change (not for the better) our early motherhood experience.

 

I hope to do my PhD someday soon but am undecided on what topic. So many interesting things, so little time.

 

I used to be a certified personal trainer and Level 1 CrossFit coach…and I actually loved doing burpees. I still do!

 

Read more about my official bio & qualifications here.

The generally accepted approach to managing anxiety is through talk therapy. But research shows that there are more factors that influence our mental health like nutrition, inflammation and our gut microbiome. Lifestyle factors like exercise and yoga, rest, and journaling have also been found to have a positive impact. Being part of a community, feeling a sense of belonging, and being in nature all have a profound effect on mental wellness.

The problem is that none of these factors done individually have a very high success rate. But what if we combined the elements that contribute to mental health into one all-encompassing approach.

A Biopsychosocial model of care weaves together the biological, psychological, social, environmental and spiritual contributors to mental health for a complete approach to healing.

Because you are a whole, interconnected person and because science tells us all of these things matters, it just makes sense to treat anxiety & maternal mental health in this same, holistic way.