Heidi Willms B.A. (Hons), N.D.
Heidi is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She has been in practice as a Naturopathic Doctor since 2004. Prior to becoming a Naturopathic Doctor, Heidi received a Joint Honors Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religious Studies and Anthropology from McGill University.
As a primary care practitioner, Heidi is committed to working in conjunction with a broad team of health professionals. With an understanding of healing according to the philosophy of Naturopathic Medicine, she works to provide access and direction to people seeking current, evidence-based, complementary and alternative health care options.
In her family practice, Heidi integrates a broad spectrum of healing therapies including Herbal Medicine, Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Clinical Nutrition, Orthomolecular Medicine, Lifestyle Counselling and Classical Homeopathy. She has received advanced training in Biotherapeutic Drainage and Bowen Therapy. She provides access for her patients to a large number of laboratories offering comprehensive diagnostic testing methods.
Heidi enjoys all aspects of family medicine and her patient base includes people seeking help for many of the following concerns: women’s health conditions, rheumatism, chronic infections, endocrine disorders, respiratory concerns, asthma and allergies, stress management, skin diseases, chronic pain, cardiovascular disease, conditions of the urinary tract, migraine headaches and disorders of the nervous system. Heidi has developed a special interest in autoimmune disorders, autism and ADHD, fertility, mental health conditions, and diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract.
Heidi holds a part time position as Clinic Supervisor and Clinic Faculty at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic – the teaching clinic at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is an active member of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors.
NATUROPATHIC SERVICES OFFERED
Each client receives an individualized treatment plan that often involves more than one of the following therapies. A brief perspective of each modality is provided.
Clinical Nutrition: Diet is one of the cornerstones of optimal health. Individualized nutritional recommendations are based upon a client’s health concerns goals, and naturopathic evaluation. Food intolerances, imbalances and deficiencies are identified. Dietary modification and nutritional supplementation are often the foundation of a treatment plan.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture: According to the philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Qi (“chi”) is the vital energy that flows in all living and inanimate objects. TCM aims to regulate the flow of Qi throughout the body and specific organ systems. Diet, herbs, acupuncture and lifestyle counselling from a TCM perspective help to restore Qi where it is deficient, calm Qi where it is excessive and move Qi where it is blocked in order to establish a harmonized balance of energy flow.
Botanical Medicine: Medicinal plants have been used for centuries across all cultures. Knowledge about their efficacy and safety has been passed down for generations. In modern times, the medical efficacy of many of these plants is progressively being studied and validated through the scientific process. When prescribed appropriately, botanical medicine can be effective in addressing both acute and chronic health concerns. Plants are prepared as medicine in the form of tinctures, teas or encapsulations and can also be applied externally in the form of creams, salves, fomentations and poultices.
Lifestyle Counselling: Evaluating lifestyle involves consideration of physical activity and exercise levels as well as the social and environmental dimensions of health. The pursuit of balance between work and rest as well as personal and social activity is paramount to the management of stress. Social and community support is also an important indicator of a healthy lifestyle. Exploring individual life stories reveals beliefs, motivations, hopes and wounds. Attention to the connection between body, mind and spirit is initiated. Deepening our understanding these relationships leads to a greater appreciation of disease and offers steps towards making desirable life changes.
Hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy has been validated within the medical community since its formal inception in the 19th century. This technique involves bringing a client into a state of hyper-suggestibility. In this state, the subconscious mind is open to receiving information. These suggestions are related to client goals, centred around a desire to modify a specific behaviour. During the entire process, the client is a conscious and willing participant. Some of hypnotherapy’s common applications are in weight loss plans, quitting smoking and pain management.
Physical Medicine: This group of therapies addresses a wide range of health concerns. It includes hydrotherapy (hot and cold applications), soft tissue work (massage), naturopathic manipulation (structural adjustment) and trigger point therapy (acupuncture).
Homeopathy: Although controversial in its efficacy, homeopathy has been a part of medicine for more than 200 years, and is widely accepted in many countries. The remedies are prepared from plant, animal and mineral substances. When applying a remedy based on the “like cures like” principle, it acts to stimulate the body’s innate healing response on physical, mental and emotional levels.
Bowen Therapy: Bowen Therapy is a muscle and connective tissue therapy that is gentle to the patient and respectful of the body’s innate ability to heal itself with minimal intervention. It is a holistic therapy that may be used for a broad range of conditions from sports injuries to chronic health complaints. The work consists of a series of precise and gentle moves on specific points of the body. Muscle, tendon and nerve sheaths are put into traction and challenged with gentle pressure as each move is performed. While providing substantial relief from pain and swelling and allowing the body to reset its own structure, Bowen produces an integrated body response, improving circulation, lymphatic and venous drainage and helping assimilate nutrients and eliminate toxins. It is therefore, corrective, rather than palliative care. Bowen Therapy is safe for use on anyone from neonates to the elderly and produces lasting relief from pain and discomfort. For more information and for a list of conditions that The Bowen Technique can be used for, please refer to www.Bowtech.com
Laboratory Testing: Naturopathic doctors provide access to most routine blood tests. As primary care practitioners, Naturopathic Doctors work together with the patient’s team of health professionals to gather diagnostic information. In addition to standard medical tests, clients may be recommended to undergo functional laboratory testing. Some examples of such tests recommended may include salivary hormone analysis, blood testing for food or environmental allergy screening, liver detoxification profiles and hair element analysis. All affiliated laboratories are accredited facilities.