Collaborative Well-Being, Almarielsa Stephanie Cansino R.M.T

Did you know that 80% of vagal fibers are afferent, Body to brain. The remaining 20% are efferent fibers, Brain to body.

What does that mean? Well I like to give the analogy of a highway. Imagine four lanes are going north (body to brain) and only one could lane is going south (brain to body).
This means that the body has the capacity to send more information to the brain then it does from brain to body.

This is why it's not always easy to change thinking patterns or behaviors especially when dealing with cptsd, ptsd, intergenerational trauma, developmental trauma. Your mind can forget but your body will always remember. Once the body is able to find safety and co-regulate then the brain has the capability to change your thinking and behaviors.

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What does being a trauma informed Registered Massage Therapist mean.

Trauma-informed care fosters trust, safety, clear communication and collaborationbetween client and practitioner.

It is understanding the physiological effects of how trauma can be held in the body through understanding the anatomy, the nervous system, pain and helping the body navigate while not retraumatizing the system.

Utilizing a trauma-informed care does not necessarily require disclosure of trauma. Rather, treatment is provided in ways that recognize the need for physical and emotional safety, as well as choice and control in decisions affecting one’s treatment. Trauma-informed practice is more about the overall essence of the approach, or way of being in the relationship, than a specific treatment strategy or method.

When our bodies are put in a chronic state of stress mentally, emotionally, physically or has dealt with trauma a myriad of cascading physiological effects happen within the body if not processed through safely.

If not processed safely and moved through within the body, the body produces biological, physiological, musculoskeletal and behavioural patterns to protect itself from the threat. Once the event is over and if the body has not been able to process it safely these sensations become incomplete and the body then begins to put protection mechanisms in place to create safety. Remember the only thing the body is meant to do is to keep you alive and safe.

Next week I will be posting on my blog what it means to be a trauma- informed RMT/ bodyworker. You can cath the blog here at https://www.collaborativewellbeing.com/

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This is our nervous system a complex network of nerves that run through the body.
It sends electrochemical messages to and from the brain to the body.

Central nervous system = Brain & Spinal Cord

Peripheral Nervous system = Network of nerves throughout the entire body

Enteric Nervous System = is a quasi autonomous part of the nervous system and includes a number of neural circuits that control motor functions, local blood flow, mucosal transport and secretions, and modulates immune and endocrine functions

Autonomic nervous system = This system is the primary mechanism in control of the fight-flight-freeze response and in trauma cases fawn. This is the nervous system that controls the acts largely unconsciously and regulates bodily functions, such as the heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary response, urination, and sexual arousal.

You can find more information in my blog post below

https://www.collaborativewellbeing.com/post/introduction-to-the-nervous-system

I'm back!

In T-Minus 2 days my online booking system will open to take appointments for March 1st. I will be coming back with part time hours.

Mondays from 11am -4pm
Wednesdays from 2pm - 6pm

So Save the date Feb 22nd @ 12pm and reserve your appointment before spots are taken. All appointments are by first come first serve basis.

Cant wait to see everyone!!

This is the biopsychosocial model of health and illness developed by George L. Engel that states that interactions between biological, psychological, and social factors determine the cause, manifestation, and outcome of wellness and disease. As a bodyworker we can play an integral role in mental health with studies showing a decrease in stress hormones and an increase in the parasympathetic state aka relaxation state helping to bring the body back to homeostasis. Working in this field I've realized that most physical pain and tension patterns are most often related to our emotional patterns. How we present and move ourselves in the world.

It's only natural to go through lifes hardships but its how our body navigates these ups and downs in life that's important this is why it's not selfish to take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. I always say you can't give too yourself or anyone else if you're pulling from an empty cup.
Finding the right people who can hold space for us and creating a support system is vital to human life.

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The very possibility of human life starts with touch, the intertwining of fingers as a couple walks out of a movie, the profound wordless communication of safety between a mother and a child, and the basic building blocks of love & trust are all rooted in simple human touch.

Swimming in the womb, an infant explores the extent of its own body through touch, motion and the swirls of amniotic fluid against its skin. Infants who receive regular touch from their parents or caregivers are cognitively more mature than infants who do not. Infants who do not have enough holding, touching, and play can die from a disease called "wasting". In effect, without touch, the child loses its will to live.

The first true connection with a parent or caregiver is the skin to skin contact of being held, Teenagers who are touch deprived have an increased risk of violence. Supportive touch can be healing for a marriage, and can reduce the inevitable stresses of adult life.

For older adults, touch can be a lifeline of connection and communication between family members when no words no longer come easily. From birth to death, touch plays a vital role in human development and living a happy, engaged life.

Touch can be profoundly damaging to the body and psyche, or it can lead to health, safety and healing. Both torture and kindness happen through touch. Lack of human contact can be as damaging as experiencing some of the violent and aggressive acts. The type, quality, and quantity of human touch can change the course of a life. Touch affects brain development, the expression of neurochemicals, childhood behaviour, marital satisfaction, infant-parenting bonding, and mental health over a lifetime.

Despite the wealth of data about its importance to human health, touch has been an understudied and at times even a taboo topic for physical and mental health providers. People in hospitals are often touch- deprived, and most touch they receive comes in the form of medical and often painful intervention. The isolation people feel at these times can be profound. Unfortunately, therapists often do not realize and address the impact of touch deprivation has on their clients without effectively using touch as an intervention in treatment, psychotherapists are literally leaving people out of touch with their world. This isn't a knock on psychotherapy as it's vitally important to guide a narrative. But as we see now, touch aids in guiding the internal narrative of our physiology and it's important to recognize touch for mental well - being.

Michael Charyangis, PsyD

No system ever works alone, gets injured alone and never heals alone.

All these systems speak to each other like a well oiled machine. If apart of the system gets injured these systems will step up to help with your recovery/ healing but its important to know that if you go aggressively to make the pain or injury go away. Another system will have to compensate for the drastic change in environment.

This is why its important to go gentle with the body when dealing with recovery/ healing and only treating with what the body can handle. Rest and observation is just as important as treatment. Understanding how these systems interact and support each other is vital in a person's recovery.

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NOTICE OF MATERNITY LEAVE

Dear Patients:
Please be advised that I will be on a short maternity leave.
I plan to return to part-time hours in March 2021, and will notify you when I’m ready to take bookings again, in advance of my start date.

I am currently referring my patients to multiple RMT's around the GTA dependent on your treatment plan and location. If you would like to get a referral while I am on leave Please email me directly at [email protected]

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Thank you for allowing me this important time away. I look forward to seeing you in the spring!

Almarielsa Stephanie Cansino