A new health clinic in Morden aims to offer an integrative and collaborative approach to care with a focus on sustainable long-term health.
The Everyday Method Health Collective is currently offering naturopathic medicine, including acupuncture as well as mental health counselling and holistic nutrition.
“We had this vision to create an integrated wellness centre … and Morden felt like the right fit to do that,” shared Abbie Gardiner, who is a certified naturopathic doctor. “And I thought it was good timing.
“I wanted to create that space where patients could come to one clinic and receive all the treatments or at least as many of the treatments as they could,” she added.
The Everyday Method Health Collective is holding a grand opening and ribbon cutting this Friday, Feb. 20, in its space at Unit B – 353 Thornhill Street in the back of the St. Paul’s United Church building.
Gardiner’s focus is on naturopathic medicine, which is a regulated health profession that blends modern scientific knowledge with traditional and natural therapies. Treatments may include diet and lifestyle recommendations, supplementation (vitamins, minerals and botanical medicines), acupuncture and physical medicine such as soft-tissue techniques and manual therapies.
With a wide range of treatment options, naturopathic care is highly individualized and designed to support the body’s ability to heal and function optimally, she stressed.
“We believe that health is built through small, sustainable actions taken daily and that the best care comes from looking at health from multiple perspectives. A collaborative multidisciplinary approach allows us to address the whole person.”
Gardiner says she practices with an evidence-informed approach, combining current research with clinical experience to guide treatment decisions.
Like medical doctors and nurse practitioners, naturopathic doctors can order laboratory testing and complete blood work through Dynacare to help assess progress and guide care.
Gardiner strongly believes patients receive the best outcomes through integrative, collaborative care. This often involves co-managing patients with medical doctors, nurse practitioners and other allied health professionals.
Also involved at the collective is Lesley Steppler, who is a holistic mental health counsellor and is a registered social worker and holistic nutritionist who offers an integrative, whole-person approach to mental health care.
Common concerns Steppler supports include anxiety, depression, burnout, nervous system dysregulation and overwhelm, nutrition confusion and its impact on mental health and processing and healing from past trauma.
“She and I work really closely together with our shared patients, and the goal is to slowly grow, and we want to make sure we get the right team,” said Gardiner, noted they are looking at potentially adding a chiropractor, osteopath and physiotherapist.
“The practitioners will work collaboratively on the care for the patients,” she emphasized. “It’s just so that we can provide the best care for the patients, and that is my ultimate goal.”
She believes an increasing number of people are looking for these kinds of care options or alternatives, but she sees it as being more like ‘complementary care’ where they will work with family doctors.
“I think it’s really important that we all really work together,” said Gardiner, citing her emphasis on having an overall care approach that is all inclusive.
“At The Everyday Method, our mission is to create a collaborative health collective where patients can access a team of trusted practitioners under one roof. By working together, we aim to provide thoughtful, coordinated care that supports better patient outcomes.
“As our clinic grows, our goal is to expand our team to meet the evolving needs of our patients.”
You can find more information online at www.everydaymethod.ca.
