Resources

Every day I am grateful for the wonderful people in my life that I have the pleasure of working with, collaborating on projects, working out problems, or trusting my own self-care to. This section is devoted to these amazing practitioners who I would highly recommend to my clients, friends, and family. I have also included some of my favorite books, recipes, and other information that I find super interesting, and you might too!


Acupuncture (Local)

Calgary SW

Calgary SW

Kayla Lakusta
Registered Acupuncturist, Cupping Therapist
Areas of Focus:
Pain Management // Stress Management // Psycho-Emotional Disorders and Physical Pain Correlations

For Kayla, deciding to study Traditional Chinese Medicine was not merely a career choice but a lifestyle choice as well. She strongly believes in the importance of holistic health; integrating many practices to address the root of the problem. Kayla views humans and all beings as microcosms of the natural world surrounding us. Much of her practice revolves around exploring ways to align and really connect to the natural rhythms of Mother Nature.

Today, Kayla is a practitioner of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She is a graduate of Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and a member of the Alberta Governing Board of Acupuncturists (CAAA).

Kayla’s continuous pursuit of knowledge finds her travelling the world discovering different styles of healing and other modalities. Kayla’s passion for Eastern philosophy as a way of life drives her in her day to day activities; making connections with likeminded people, sparking ideas, learning, and sharing all fuel her to be an active participant and a creative and involved practitioner.

Banyan Tree Health Inc.
banyantreehealth.com
Instagram: Banyan Tree Health
Facebook: Banyan Tree Health

Calgary SW

Calgary SW

Dr. Kimberly Mintenko
Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Registered Acupuncturist


Kimberley Mintenko came to discover her calling to the healing arts through her caring and artistic nature along with a background in Western sciences and athletics. She graduated from the University of the Fraser Valley on a volleyball scholarship with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Kinesiology. The holistic philosophy of health care embedded in the ancient roots of Traditional Chinese Medicine resonated with Kim as the next step on her educational and career path.

The combination of a DTCM and Kinesiology degree with a history in competitive athletics, has given Kim a solid knowledge base in human movement and sports recovery medicine. Being certified in orthopaedic acupuncture and completing an internship in China has added to her repertoire of tools to further help her patients stay active, competitive, and healthy. In understanding that the body systems function together as a whole, Kim has dedicated her professional life to sharing her skills and knowledge treating each patient with individualized and complete care.

In her free time, Kim is an avid artist, enjoys playing volleyball, snowboarding, exploring the world, and loving all things furry and friendly!

Root & Rise Acupuncture
587-899-4616
Instagram: rootandriseacupuncture
Facebook: Root & Rise Acupuncture

Acupuncture (Canada)

Edmonton, AB

Edmonton, AB

Yangyang Xu
PhD, Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor, Registered Acupuncturist
Areas of Focus:
Women’s Health // Fertility // Neurological Disorders // Pain & Stress Management // Disease Prevention & Wellness // Health Maintenance

Yangyang has always been interested in sciences and enjoys learning about how the world around her works.  She became increasingly fascinated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and was drawn to its holistic principles and focus on working with one’s own body to heal itself.

After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Immunology and Infection at the University of Alberta, she went to China to study Traditional Chinese Medicine and eventually obtained her Master’s and PhD degrees in TCM.  Yangyang practiced in Calgary after returning from China, and was an instructor and Associate Dean at the Alberta College of Acupuncture and TCM before moving back to her hometown of Edmonton in the fall of 2016.

Yangyang has extensive training in Traditional Chinese Medicine in both a western setting and in the traditional Chinese setting and can speak Mandarin Chinese fluently.  In her practice she employs a wide array of TCM modalities such as acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, cupping, ear seeds, herbal formulas and more.

In her free time, Yangyang likes to keep active by playing sports, practising Taichi and Qigong, and listening to music.

Integrated Therapies

www.integratedtherapies.ca
10065 80th Ave NW, Edmonton, AB

780-432-4803
yxutcm@gmail.com

Lethbridge, AB

Lethbridge, AB

Katie Saruwatari
Registered Acupuncturist
Areas of Focus:
Women’s Health Issues // Fertility // Sports Medicine Ailments // Acute & Chronic Pain Management

Katie Saruwatari was born and raised in the windy city of Lethbridge, Alberta. She had some health concerns which lead her down the path to alternative therapies such as Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Her body responded so well to Acupuncture and TCM treatments that she grew interested in the idea that she could return the favor to others struggling with their health issues.

Katie graduated from the Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine and holds a current License with the College and Association of Acupuncturists of Alberta. She moved back to her hometown and opened Vital Essence Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine Inc. At her Clinic she specializes in women’s health issues, including fertility as well as sports medicine and pain management.

Vital Essence Acupuncture
vitalessenceacupuncure.ca
122A 5th Street S, Lethbridge AB
403-524-2929
vitalessenceacupuncture@gmail.com

Comox, BC

Comox, BC

Aysha Nuttell
Registered Acupuncturist, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Areas of Focus:
Pain and Stress Reduction // Athletic Performance // Injury Prevention

Aysha began her acupuncture journey when her own health was threatened. On the recommendation of her yoga instructor she made her first visit to a DTCM. After 3 months of acupuncture treatments, herbs, and a wealth of new found knowledge, her life was changed; she no longer needed her medication and was in control of her health.

Within months of this experience, Aysha began her schooling at the Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Calgary where she graduated and became a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Because of an interest in sports, Aysha was motivated to further her studies and trained in Acupuncture Sports Medicine at the Southwest Acupuncture College in Boulder, Colorado. Aysha is an Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist which utilizes the NADA protocol to treat addictions and PTSD which she put to good use providing these treatments at Calgary’s only in-tox center for people in recovery. Aysha was the resident acupuncturist at Southcentre Health and Wellness, a large multidisciplinary clinic as well as a teacher at the Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Aysha moved with her family to the Comox Valley in 2014 to slow down and spend more time with her kids and immediately fell in love with the West Coast lifestyle and her new community. When Ashya’s not treating her clients to top-notch acupuncture treatments, you will find her hiking, in a yoga class, walking on the beach with her Basset Hound, or simply hanging out with her husband and kids.

Inner Strength Acupuncture
#200, 190 Port Augusta St, Comox, BC
250-941-0961
innerstrengthacupuncture.ca

 

Acupuncture (International)

St. Lucia W.I.

St. Lucia W.I.

Ina Joseph
Registered Acupuncturist, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Areas of Focus:
Pain Management // Chronic Illness // Fertility & Women’s Health // Emotional Health & Stress Management // Nutritional Healing

Dr. Joseph has been an avid health and wellness practitioner for over ten years, with experience initially as a Massage Therapist and Holistic Fitness/ Tai Chi Instructor.

Striving to specialize her career, Ina’s path took her to Calgary, Alberta where she graduated from the Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACATCM) and has since practiced as a Registered Acupuncturist and TCM Doctor in Canada, Barbados and presently St. Lucia W.I.

Ina is an all-around fitness enthusiast, enjoying Tai Chi & Qi Gong, yoga, meditation, nature, hiking, music and dance. She aspires to share with all a path to healing which embraces living life to its fullest expression!

Balancelife Traditional Health Clinic @ Cool Water Day Spa
Reduit Orchard, Rodney Bay,
Gros Islet, St. Lucia W.I.
Tel: 758-720-5406
Email: zhulynn.jo@gmail.com
Facebook: @blife.guru

Complimentary Holistic Practitioners

Kylie Ward

Kylie Ward, BFA, Hom, CCH (Cand)

As a homeopath, Kylie is focussed on the individual’s susceptibility and human expression of subtle energies. She attended Western College of Homeopathic Medicine to acquire her certification. During her education, she spent time studying in Pune, India where homeopathy is commonly used alongside with modern medicine. Homeopathy has defined a healing process for her in a way that makes sense. The personal integration of homeopathy in her life is what prompted the desire to study and pursue a career in the healing art. Her goal with her practice is to share homeopathy with others in a way that resonates with their unique needs allowing them to integrate it seamlessly into their lives.

www.thisremedy.com

Instagram: @thisremedy

587-899-3070

Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed

Latifa Pelletier-Ahmed
MSc Herbal Medicine, AHA

Areas of Focus: Connecting local people with the healing power of local plants

Latifa is an instructor of Phytotherapy at Pacific Rim College of Holistic Medicine and Sustainable Living in Victoria, BC. She is qualified with a Master’s of Science in Herbal Medicine from London, UK and a Bachelor of Science in Botany from the University of Calgary. Phytotherapy or herbal medicine is the oldest form of medicine and involves using plant-based medicines to restore balance and health to the human body, mind and spirit.

Latifa sustainably harvests plants and mushrooms from the Canadian wilds, which she processes by hand to ensure unique, high-quality medicine made with the highest ethical and environmental integrity. She is particularly interested in reconnecting people to nature to create well-being in individuals and communities. She regularly runs retreats, workshops and plant walks to teach people how to safely identify and use wild plants as food and medicine.

To ensure health access to people with a range of abilities and resources she runs a sliding-scale, mobile clinic part-time in Victoria and Calgary. On-line consultations are also available.
Latifa’s Herbs
latifasherbs.com 
info@latifasherbs.com
587-703-7314

Based out of Victoria, BC & Calgary, AB

Dawn Ross

Dawn Ross
IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist

Areas of Focus: Hip & Knee Pain // Joint & Muscle Stiffness // Back Pain // Sciatic Pain // Migraines & Headaches // Neurological Conditions // Auto Immune Conditions

Bit By Bit Bodyworks is led by Dawn Ross, IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist and self-professed biomechanics, movement and body nerd. Dawn believes the body and how we move is a barometer for how the nervous system, our conscious and subconscious and neuromuscular systems coordinate with each other to manage the load and demands of life. When their timing and or coordination is off or out of sync it will express via the physical body.

If you haven’t found lasting relief or a solution to your problem or pain, it is not because it is unsolvable. “You are not defective or beyond the point of repair. Your body is not “just the way it is,” without hope of change. You simply haven’t found a process that works for you, yet.” Dawn teaches, very simply, how to improve movement patterns, which, no matter the context of illness or disease, can happen, and will result in feeling better.

Using the 8 limbs of Yoga, Therapeutic Principles of Movement, and Neuromuscular Re-patterning techniques Dawn helps people, help themselves resolve pain, improve posture, balance, cognitive function, core stability, strength and much more. Dawn offers one-on-one sessions, small custom group classes and workshops in SW Calgary as well as one on one virtual sessions, for those not in the area.

Bit By Bit Bodyworks Inc.
bitbybitbodyworks.com
info@bitbybitbodyworks.com
403-478-4904

Creative Team

Evolve Acupuncture
2017-03-09T21:39:41+00:00
Graphic Designer Areas of Focus: Website Design // Print Design // Branding Eva has a wide variety of design experience including work within the real estate, oil and gas and media sectors. She enjoys working with entrepreneurs to create and maintain their brand identities.In addition to her background in graphic design, Eva also has worked in gaming UX, animation graphics, website design and photography.Eva kicked off her career by earning a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Design and Visual Communications, from the University of Alberta. Eva is an avid traveller and she brings much of her life experiences to her work, which enriches every design she touches. Websites: www.evawan.ca Email: design@evawan.ca

Jennifer Allyson


Photographer
Areas of Focus:
Inspiring Femininity

Jennifer Allyson captures the beautiful souls of the people around her. Using digital and traditional film photography, Jennifer’s photographs involve a strong sense of nostalgia for purer, more unencumbered lives, when we stop to smell the roses and relish every moment as a treasure. Her latest series, “Inspiring Femininity” is an exploration of the unique feminine essence.

The images captured for Inspiring Femininity are a mixture of digital and film. Taken from 2010 — 2016, these photographs incorporate women residing in Australia or Canada who have undergone a process to unravel their unique female essence. The images question the real essence of femininity and inspire an alternative view to a “one size fits all approach” or prescribed recipe of beauty. The experiences captured for Inspiring Femininity invite the visiting observer to witness the female experience and acknowledge the beautiful and unique powers within all women.

Websites: www.jenniferallyson.ca, www.inspiringfemininity.com
Email: jennifer@allofustogether.ca
Flickr: @jenniferallyson
Evolve Acupuncture
2017-03-13T05:15:29+00:00
Photographer Areas of Focus: Inspiring Femininity Jennifer Allyson captures the beautiful souls of the people around her. Using digital and traditional film photography, Jennifer’s photographs involve a strong sense of nostalgia for purer, more unencumbered lives, when we stop to smell the roses and relish every moment as a treasure. Her latest series, “Inspiring Femininity” is an exploration of the unique feminine essence. The images captured for Inspiring Femininity are a mixture of digital and film. Taken from 2010 — 2016, these photographs incorporate women residing in Australia or Canada who have undergone a process to unravel their unique female essence. The images question the real essence of femininity and inspire an alternative view to a “one size fits all approach” or prescribed recipe of beauty. The experiences captured for Inspiring Femininity invite the visiting observer to witness the female experience and acknowledge the beautiful and unique powers within all women. Websites: www.jenniferallyson.ca, www.inspiringfemininity.com Email: jennifer@allofustogether.ca Flickr: @jenniferallyson
0
0
Evolve Acupuncture

Books - Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine

“The Web That Has No Weaver”

“The Web That Has No Weaver”

by Ted J. Kapchuk, O.M.D
This book is a lighter read than a textbook but still packed with information. It would be good for anyone with an interest in Chinese Medicine to those of us that have been practicing for years to have a bit of a refresher.

“The Infertility Cure”

“The Infertility Cure”

by Randine Lewis, Ph.D

I refer to this book often in fertility cases and also recommend clients and anyone thinking about their fertility and getting pregnant, to invest in this book. It is laid out as an easy to follow  program to be able to take charge of your body and create the best possible environment to get pregnant and have a healthy baby.

“Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen”

“Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen”

by Yuan Wand, Warren Shier, and Mika Ono

I love cooking and creating healthy, healing meals for me and my family; this book has been a great help in the kitchen! Along with the recipes are TCM tips and what the recipes are especially good at treating. You may need to come up with some ingredient substitutions if you are not able to make it to Chinatown or a Chinese Market.

Live Well Live Long

Live Well Live Long

Teachings from the Chinese Nourishment of Life Tradition

-by Peter Deadman

This is a fabulous book for anyone who has an interest in their own health and well-being or anyone who is curious about the evolution of Eastern medicine and how it pertains to life today. Deadman does an extraordinary job of bringing current views and studies on health and blending them with ancient texts, stories and quotes. This book reads almost like story and not at all like a text. It is thought and conversation provoking on all the topics ranging from diet and exercise, sleep, sex, and dying and death.

 

Books - Health and Science

“Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth”

“Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth”

by Ina May Gaskin

A beautiful  book with some inspiring stories of birth; for anyone who is expecting, or in a pregnancy caretaking role. I read this after I took my doula training and it was one of my favourite reads.

“The Brain That Changes Itself” and “The Brain’s Way of Healing”

“The Brain That Changes Itself” and “The Brain’s Way of Healing”

by Norman Doidge, M.D.

These books have made a huge impact on me and how I treat my brain. I am fascinated by the brain and after reading these books I felt like I wanted to become a neuroscientist. As you will see, this is how I feel after reading every interesting book. The amazing thing about acupuncture is that we can affect the brain with our treatments!

“The Emperor of All Maladies”

“The Emperor of All Maladies”

by Siddhartha Mukherjee

What a great read for such a dark topic. This book not only tells the story of cancer as we have known it through the ages, but describes how we have waged war on it, the media presence and importance relating to it, as well as the research and treatment developments and advancements.

“Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers”

“Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers”

by Robert M. Sapolsky

For a serious topic, this book is light and at times, quite funny. The ways that Sapolsky refers to stress and its effect on the body are unique and poignant. I am forever using analogies from this book with my clients.

“Stiff”

“Stiff”

by Mary Roach

Can you believe that my medical doctor referred this book to me? Do not read this while you are eating! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, a bit for the information that Mary Roach shares, but for the countless fun facts. She takes a grim topic and really dives right in and you are drawn all the way in with her. It will give you many conversation starters and, I suspect, conversation finishers.

“Being Mortal”

“Being Mortal”

by Atul Gawande

I loved this book. I was taken by how moved I was to help people to age in the best way possible and to be an advocate for our seniors. This book will make you question how you want to spend the rest of your days. Who do you want to be surrounded by? What makes life worth living? Especially when there is pain, lack of mobility, cognition, and the likes.

Mental Health Support

Evolve Acupuncture
2017-03-24T18:14:24+00:00
500-1509 Centre Street SW (Admin Office) Calgary AB (403) 234-SAFE (7233) - 24 Hour Family Violence Helpline www.calgarywomensshelter.com We are here to support individuals, families, and communities to live free from family violence and abuse.

CUPS Calgary

10001 10th Avenue SW
Calgary AB
(403) 221-8797

https://www.cupscalgary.com/

The CUPS Mental Health Clinic is for people who use CUPS Health Services and need extra support, such as: counselling services, psychiatric assessment, medication support and prescriptions, as well as referrals for: addictions counselling, occupational therapy assessments, other mental health support agencies and programs, and hospitals and hospital programs.
Evolve Acupuncture
2017-03-24T19:42:37+00:00
10001 10th Avenue SW Calgary AB (403) 221-8797 https://www.cupscalgary.com/ The CUPS Mental Health Clinic is for people who use CUPS Health Services and need extra support, such as: counselling services, psychiatric assessment, medication support and prescriptions, as well as referrals for: addictions counselling, occupational therapy assessments, other mental health support agencies and programs, and hospitals and hospital programs.

Men &

500-1509 Centre Street SW (Admin Office)
Calgary AB
(833) 327-MENS (6367)
www.menand.ca

Committed to helping men strengthen their lives. Following years of research and hundreds of interviews and conversations with men, the Men& initiative was launched with the support of community organizations aligned with our mission of improving lives and helping others. Through our website resources and content pillars, we are connecting with men across Alberta and Canada who are looking for help to improved their mental health and relationships.
Evolve Acupuncture
2022-09-07T18:02:07+00:00
500-1509 Centre Street SW (Admin Office) Calgary AB (833) 327-MENS (6367) www.menand.ca Committed to helping men strengthen their lives. Following years of research and hundreds of interviews and conversations with men, the Men& initiative was launched with the support of community organizations aligned with our mission of improving lives and helping others. Through our website resources and content pillars, we are connecting with men across Alberta and Canada who are looking for help to improved their mental health and relationships.
0
0
Evolve Acupuncture

+403.606.3372
2136 33rd Ave SW, Calgary AB T2T 1Z6
jessica@evolveacupuncture.ca

©2023 Evolve Acupuncture