October/November 2026
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EBRATIN
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20 YEARS
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U B OF LISHIN
Listening Beyond Language in Adolescent Mental Health Dr. Tanvi Gandhi, ND, LAc
What Does Holistic Dentistry Really Mean? Dr. Mark Breiner, DDS
The Hidden Link Among Mental Health, Physical Pain, and Financial Well-Being
Jacqueline Kane, LMT
Contrast Therapy: Why Hot and Cold Work Better Together Morgan Whitney
Oh! My Silently Aching Heart
Sharon Sklar, BFA, LMT, CAR
Breaking Trauma Patterns to Change Your Life Marcel Touponse
Health
Purpose
Spotlight
Spirituality
+ Less Stress,
+ Anxiety? > 28 + Somatic
+ Emily
+ Season of Less > 22 + Safe Enough
Better Health > 38
+ My Tests
Are Normal > 54
Hypnosis > 50
Breno, LCSW > 12 + Brittany Quinn, LPC > 15
to Grow > 44
FIND THE ROOT CAUSE OF YOUR SYMPTOMS
Natural Nutmeg 10BEST APRN 2025 & 2026 Winner!
Still Searching for Answers?
Have you exhausted every medical professional seeking help for your symptoms? Did you know tick-borne diseases and mold toxicity may be the hidden cause of your chronic urinary tract infections?
Meet Dr. Pamela Cipriano
A nationally recognized Lyme disease and functional medicine expert, Dr. Cipriano goes beyond symptom management to find and treat the root cause of complex health issues. She is an ILADS member, researcher, and speaker. She is also on the Task Force with the World Health Organization for Research on Long Covid.
CALL TODAY! The Practice of Health and Wellness
DR. PAMELA CIPRIANO NURSE PRACTITIONER
860-880-2525 dr.pamela.cipriano@gmail.com thepracticeofhealthandwellness.com
We Offer: Free Seminars • IV Therapy • Infra-red Sauna • Red Light Therapy THE PRACTICE OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS, THOMASTON, CT 130 S MAIN STREET, SUITE 1C, THOMASTON, CT 06787 • 860-880-2525 DR.PAMELA.CIPRIANO
@DR.PAMELACIPRIANO1329
THEPRACTICEOFHEALTHANDWELLNESS.COM
CONTENTS
October/November 2026
Features
32 The Hidden Link Among Mental Health, Physical Pain, Your Nervous System, and Financial Well-Being
36 What Does Holistic Dentistry Really Mean? By Dr. Mark Breiner, DDS
By Jacqueline Kane, LMT
Departments LETTER
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BUZZ The Happiest Humans Are Lifelong Learners and Explorers!
38 Less Stress, Better Health: Simple Ways to Support Your Mental and Physical Well-Being By Dr. Tracy L. Cormier, DNP
Bluebird Natural Healing: Natural Therapies for Mental Health and Stress Reduction
40 Reclaiming Your Freedom: Reverse the Stress of Bladder Leaks
A New Kind of Wellness Store Is Coming to Cromwell
46 Need Help Relaxing? Try Massage Therapy
Humankind: A Conscious Community Without Borders Dr. Dana Lapointe, ND, Opens New Naturopathic Wellness Center in Unionville Cool Cookster: Empowerment on a Plate 11
By April Beaman, RDH, CTT
SPOTLIGHT
58 COMMUNITY RESOURCES
By Dr. Dana Lapointe, ND, LMT, CHt, CMWC
By Kevin Ramsey
48 Beyond Antioxidants: How Polyphenols Connect the Gut, Brain, and Healthy Aging By Dr. Tamara Sachs, MD
51 Contrast Therapy: Why Hot and Cold Work Better Together By Morgan Whitney
52 Stress Management: A Practice of Returning to Self By Melissa Wooldridge Breton, APRN
Health 18 Listening Beyond Language in Adolescent Mental Health By Dr. Tanvi Gandhi, ND, LAc
24 Beyond the Test Results: Listening to the Nervous System By Kerry Martin, RN-CHC
26 For Change to Happen, Psychological Safety Matters By Michal Klau-Stevens, LCSW, MPH
54 My Tests Are Normal; Why Do I Feel So Terrible? By Dr. Pamela M. Cipriano, DNP, ACNP
Purpose 20 Safe Enough to Be Honest: Why Mental Health Requires More Than Inclusion By Ray Beyor
28 Anxiety? 3 Easy Ways to Turn the Tables
5
By Katie Cavenagh
39 From Survival Mode to Self-Trust: Breaking Trauma Patterns to Change Your Life By Marcel Touponse
50 Somatic Hypnosis: Beyond the Story By Erin Touponse
Spirituality 17 Oh! My Silently Aching Heart By Sharon Sklar, BFA, LMT, CAR
22 The Season of Less By Rev. Joy M. Perugini
35 Every Ceremony I Design Starts with One Question By Lauri Ingram
42 When Stress Isn't Really Yours: Understanding Ancestral and Inherited Emotional Patterns By Agnes Daddona, Psychic Medium Counselor
44 Safe Enough to Grow By Susan Cote, CLC
56 What if Your Anxiety Isn't the Enemy? By Dr. Brian Ruggiero, DC
2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
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30 When Was the Last Time You Exhaled?
NATURAL Nutmeg
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LETTER NATURAL Nutmeg OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
6
Hey, I’m Dr. Diane!
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“But shifting our perspective lets a different thought come into view, and I’m focused on what becomes possible when we stay curious about our grief.” —Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD
all is here, and it’s time for everything pumpkin, apples, cider, spices, and of course my favorite holiday—Halloween. While I am normally so excited to decorate my entire house and yard in a spooky and macabre Halloween display and pick out my costume for the 10BEST Gala and our annual Halloween party, this year is bittersweet. It will be the first of many holidays without my mom. She loved Halloween as much as I did. In fact, she was probably the reason it’s my favorite holiday, as she still dressed up in costume even at 91 years old. It was an annual tradition to get into my costume, wrangle a few of my friends, and visit her—even at her assisted living—to show her the elaborate makeup I had done or the character I was dressed as. One year we were witch doctors and went to her house with a special potion that she had to drink out of a plastic syringe (pictured above)—she loved it! I really cherished those last few years of doing that, knowing the day would eventually come when I wouldn’t be making that annual visit. This issue focused on Mental Health and Stress Reduction couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Reading these amazing articles has really helped me keep prioritizing self-care and self-love during this difficult time. Recently, I came across an article on grief and losing a loved one that gave me pause and shifted my perspective a bit, so I thought I would share it here. The author wrote, “You may not have gotten to spend the rest of your life with them, but they got to spend the rest of theirs with you. Every day that passes is one day closer to being with them again.” The second sentence may not resonate with everyone. But it changed how I think about time and gives me something to look forward to instead of focusing on the past and what I’ve lost. I guess neither is a better way to think about loss, and they don’t change the truth of what happened or make it hurt less. But shifting our perspective lets a different thought come into view, and I’m focused on what becomes possible when we stay curious about our grief. Wishing you health and happiness,
Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD Publisher & Owner, ELM Publishing
Our mission is to provide valuable insight, information, and resources that will allow our readers to maintain a healthy, active, sustainable lifestyle. Natural Nutmeg contains timely information on natural health, complementary and alternative medicine, nutrition, fitness, personal growth, green living, and the products and services that support a healthy lifestyle. PUBLISHER/OWNER
Dr. Diane Hayden, PhD Diane@naturalnutmeg.com DIR. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY/OWNER
Christopher Urso Curso@naturalnutmeg.com
Lori Hubbard lori@naturalnutmeg.com DESIGN DIRECTOR
Ashley Frament layout@naturalnutmeg.com MARKETING DIRECTOR
Colleen Lee ADVISORY BOARD
Frank Aieta, ND Adam Breiner, ND Mark Breiner, DDS Deanna M. Cherrone, MD DISTRIBUTION
Greater Hartford and surrounding counties, please contact Natural Nutmeg. FFC—Tom Cossuto, Man In Motion, LLC In keeping with our concern for the environment, Essential Naples is proudly printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks. Natural Nutmeg is a free publication supported solely by our advertisers and distributed throughout Connecticut. Please call for a location near you. (860) 508-0894 or email to publisher@naturalnutmeg.com. © 2007—26 by Natural Nutmeg, LLC. All rights reserved. Parts of this publication may be reproduced and reprinted, with permission. We do not necessarily endorse the views expressed in the articles and advertisements, nor are we responsible for the products and services advertised. We welcome your feedback.
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2027 10BEST/ Essential Living Guide
2027 Editorial Calendar January/February The Balanced Hormones & Fat Loss Issue
March/April
The Gut & Brain Connection Issue
May/June
The Lyme & Autoimmune Disease Issue
July/August/September The Healing Your Body with Energy Medicine Issue
October/November The Mental Health & Stress Reduction Issue
December
2028 10BEST/ Essential Living Guide
Contact diane@naturalnutmeg.com to feature your business in Natural Nutmeg!
7 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
colleen@naturalnutmeg.com
December
NATURAL Nutmeg
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Here’s What’s In Store for Natural Nutmeg!
BUZZ
Bluebird Natural Healing: Natural Therapies for Mental Health and Stress Reduction
NATURAL Nutmeg
The Happiest Humans Are Lifelong Learners and Explorers!
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
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believe the happiest humans are lifelong learners and explorers! When we open ourselves to exploration and discovery, we open ourselves to the power of unlimited possibilities. As adults, we often feel that our educational requirements end once we have the education or experience needed for our jobs. I wholeheartedly disagree—learning opportunities are limitless! We should be blossoming in our spiritual lives as much as in our professional lives. Learning in a group setting, in person or virtually, provides far greater stimulation than solo learning. Collective experiences create more powerful energies than personal experiences. Enthusiasm is multiplied. I call this phenomenon “popcorning.” One person in the group shares a thought, idea, or experience, and other “kernels” pop and expand! Spiritual growth is a natural field for personal expansion. Cultivating a nourishing spiritual practice connects us more deeply to the world around us. It builds connections where none existed, fostering a sense of belonging. When these learning opportunities are light-hearted, playful, and experiential, the teachings become a natural part of everyday life. I invite you to join our monthly “Psychic/Spiritual Development” or “Shamanism” study groups, or Past Life Regression, Spirit Guides, or Crystals and Gemstones workshops. What are you ready to explore? For more info, contact Joyce St. Germaine, M. Ed., CHt. RYT-200. Text/Call: 860.675-9706: email jsgermaine@aol.com, or visit www.thesacredjourney.biz.
Joyce St. Germaine, M.Ed, CHt, and RYT-200 is an award-winning Teacher, Artist, Certified Shamanic Practitioner, Certified Shapeshifting Practitioner, Registered Yoga Teacher, Spiritual Counselor, Paranormal Investigator, Sacred Sound/Energy Healer and Certified Hypnotherapist/Past Life Regressionist. She conducts monthly study groups in Psychic/Spiritual Development, Shamanic Studies, and Spirit Detachment Training. She offers other workshops in the Spiritual Arts. Individual sessions and group activities may be in-person or zoom, and include study groups, workshops, hypnotherapy, soul retrieval, extraction, spirit detachment, cord-cutting, and intuitive readings. Energy healing sessions may include shamanic techniques, work with stones an crystals, and sacred sound healing. Joyce has taught Shamanism, Yoga, Art and Spiritual Studies throughout the US, in Canada, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica and Italy. Highly trained in various Shamanic traditions, she blends the teachings of many cultures in traditional and non-traditional ways. International and domestic retreats and cruises are lovingly designed and held around the world. She is Owner/Director of The Sacred Journey Center for Spiritual Studies in CT, USA. See ad on page 29 >
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n a world where chronic stress has become a constant companion, many individuals are seeking natural therapies that support emotional balance, nervous-system resilience, and overall mental well-being. At Bluebird Natural Healing, we combine traditional herbal wisdom with modern orthomolecular insights to help clients understand and support their unique stress patterns. One of our most valuable tools is orthomolecular facial analysis, a noninvasive assessment that identifies nutritional and biochemical imbalances reflected in facial markers. These patterns often correlate with stress susceptibility, adrenal strain, emotional overwhelm, and mood-related challenges. Once identified, we pair these findings with orthomolecular homeopathic formulas designed to gently support the body’s regulatory systems. Clients frequently report improvements in emotional steadiness, clarity, and their ability to cope with daily stressors. Herbal medicine also plays a meaningful role in mental health support. Our small-batch herbal tinctures—including nervine, adaptogenic, and grounding botanicals—offer targeted nourishment for the nervous system. Likewise, our handcrafted herbal tea blends provide daily rituals that calm the mind, soothe the body, and encourage restorative pause. These plantbased therapies work synergistically with orthomolecular support to create a holistic, individualized approach to stress reduction. Whether someone is navigating chronic stress, emotional fatigue, or seeking deeper balance, natural therapies can offer gentle yet profound support. At Bluebird Natural Healing, our goal is to help clients understand their internal landscape and provide tools that bring the mind and body back into harmony.
To learn more about our services and handcrafted remedies, visit www.bluebirdnaturalhealing. com or explore our herbal offerings at bluebirdnaturalhealing.com/category/public. See ad on page 43 >
Humankind: A Conscious Community Without Borders
A New Kind of Wellness Store Is Coming to Cromwell
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Learn more and create a free account at https://humankind.center/.
9 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
Dr. Sara B. Frawley, ND, founder of Willowbrook Health Center, is currently accepting new patients. Visit willowbrookhealthct.com or call 860.840.7337 to learn more.
hile technology can leave us feeling more isolated than connected, Humankind is exploring a different possibility: What if technology could bring people together to heal, cultivate consciousness, foster creativity, and deepen meaningful human connection? Rooted in the transformative landscape of Sedona, Arizona, Humankind is a conscious community center and global media platform created for seekers, teachers, healers, artists, innovators, and anyone interested in exploring the greater potential of being human. The physical center is located at 1730 W. State Route 89A, Suite 7, in West Sedona. Visitors to Humankind can experience an evolving calendar of events that support the body, mind, and spirit. Depending on the week, the center may host meditation, sound healing, energy experiences, conscious dance, workshops, conferences, live music, spiritual teachings, podcasts, and conversations on consciousness and human potential. What makes Humankind distinctive is its willingness to bring new and innovative ideas to the forefront. The center creates space for emerging teachers, transformational practices, ancient wisdom, new technologies, and thought-provoking perspectives that may not always be represented in traditional media. Each experience offers an opportunity to learn, connect, and discover something new. Yet you do not need to live in Sedona—or even travel to Arizona—to participate. Humankind is also building an online community that lets people around the world experience its programming. Creating a free account provides access to selected complimentary content, public programming, event discovery, the Humankind broadcast, and opportunities to connect with the growing community. Free content is always available, making it easy to explore the platform before choosing a deeper level of involvement. For those who want more, optional memberships provide access to expanded member content, livestreams, event replays, exclusive broadcasts, and additional community experiences. This makes it possible to participate in a Sedona-based conscious community from home and return to meaningful programs whenever they fit into your life. Humankind is available through its online app and on connected television platforms, including Roku, Google TV, and Amazon Fire TV. Rather than confining transformational content to a single event or location, Humankind brings teachings, conversations, and experiences directly into people’s homes. The Humankind Podcast extends that connection through interviews and discussions with practitioners, researchers, spiritual teachers, creators, and visionary thinkers. Episodes invite listeners to consider new ideas, deepen their awareness, and explore practical and expansive approaches to personal and collective transformation. At its heart, Humankind is about belonging. It is a place to arrive with curiosity, meet others who are asking meaningful questions, and experience practices that may support greater awareness and well-being. Whether visiting Sedona, joining a livestream, listening to the podcast, or exploring free content online, Humankind extends an open invitation: connect, experience, and discover what becomes possible when humanity gathers with intention.
NATURAL Nutmeg
omething exciting is growing at Willowbrook Health Center! This fall, Willowbrook Health Center in Cromwell will open the doors to a brand-new retail space designed to make high-quality, practitioner-selected wellness products more accessible to the community. Forget the overwhelming supplement aisle where you’re left wondering, “Which one do I actually need?” Willowbrook’s new store takes a different approach. Every product is thoughtfully selected by experienced healthcare practitioners, with an emphasis on quality, professional-grade ingredients, third-party testing, and products that have a meaningful place in an integrative approach to health. The store will feature a curated selection of vitamins, professional-grade supplements, natural personal care products, and other wellness essentials —all selected with the same care and clinical perspective Willowbrook brings to patient care. Founded by naturopathic physician Dr. Sara B. Frawley, ND, Willowbrook Health Center is a women-led, collaborative wellness community offering naturopathic medicine, chiropractic care, personalized nutrition, acupuncture, energy healing, infrared sauna, and other holistic services. The new retail space is a natural extension of that mission: a place where people can find trustworthy products and knowledgeable guidance. Whether you are already part of the Willowbrook community or simply looking for a more thoughtful way to shop for your health, we invite you to stop in, explore, ask questions, and discover something new. Grand Opening this fall! Willowbrook Health Center 4 Willowbrook Road Cromwell, CT 06416 Follow Willowbrook Health Center on social media for the official grand opening date, special events, and opening-day surprises!
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BUZZ NATURAL Nutmeg
Dr. Dana Lapointe, ND, Opens New Naturopathic Wellness Center in Unionville
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
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y practitioner journey has always been deeply personal, blending my years as a naturopathic physician, massage therapist, esthetician, and certified mental wellness coach with a lifetime of mentorship from gardeners, master herbalists, and intuitive healers. Over my 17 years practicing as an ND, I’ve experienced the sometimes subtle, sometimes not-so-subtle, and often surprising effects of “getting older.” Those changes sparked a deep passion within me, and it has become my primary naturopathic mission to help other middle-aged women defy the typical trajectory of aging and instead thrive through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. To better serve you, I am thrilled to welcome you to my beautiful new naturopathic wellness center at 218 River Road in Unionville. In this new space, I am bringing together my professional experience and expanding my clinical services to provide even more of what we need most as we age: deep joint repair; deep core, bladder, and pelvic floor tone; vibrant bone health; digestive resilience; skin renewal; stubborn weight loss; and mental and metabolic wellness. To accelerate healing and sometimes avoid invasive surgeries altogether, I’ve brought in next-level, noninvasive technologies. With advanced certification in StemWave acoustic shockwave therapy, I can help with regenerative, cellular-level repair of joints, ligaments, and soft tissues for chronic or acute musculoskeletal issues in quick, 15-minute sessions. I’ve also just launched our brand-new ReStora EMS chair to help you effortlessly restore bladder control, pelvic floor strength, and physical “core” integrity during fully clothed, relaxing, 30-minute sessions. This new location also marks the long-awaited relaunch of my deeply transformational, 16-week “Optimal Weight Loss” program as a viable alternative to GLP-1 therapy, as well as my newest, transformational “Bone Builder Blueprint” program. To celebrate our grand reopening at our new location, I invite you to step into this next chapter of vitality with me. I am offering a limited number of complimentary ReStora Chair Demo Sessions, each paired with a discounted private wellness consultation. Let’s map out your goals together. Call 860.217.1171 or visit SustainableHW.com to reserve your slot. I can’t wait to welcome you here.
Dr. Lapointe, “The Lifestyle Doc,” is a licensed naturopathic physician with over 17 years of experience and a three-time winner of the reader’s choice “Top Ten NDs” award. Call 860.217.1171 or visit sustainablehw.com for your invitation to an exclusive Grand Re-Opening Celebration in the new space and to join the VIP Waitlist for early access to complimentary ReStora and StemWave demonstrations, package promotions, and priority scheduling. See ad on page 19 >
Cool Cookster: Empowerment on a Plate
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ool Cookster, LLC is a functional nutrition and culinary instruction company located in Brookfield, CT. The company is dedicated to helping individuals understand the root causes of their health concerns and make sustainable dietary and lifestyle changes through personalized guidance and practical cooking skills. What if changing the way you eat could change the way you feel? For Janet Townley, it did. As the woman behind Cool Cookster, Janet brings a personal perspective to functional nutrition and culinary guidance. Her approach combines personalized nutrition counseling, practical cooking instruction, and hands-on culinary experiences to help people build healthier habits that fit their lives. But Janet’s story is what truly sets her apart. Janet lost 140 pounds, improved her type 2 diabetes, eliminated asthma, and significantly reduced high blood pressure. Her own transformation inspired her to help others discover what is possible through food, education, and lasting lifestyle changes. Through Functional Nutrition Counseling, clients receive personalized guidance tailored to their health goals and lifestyle. Cooking Instruction provides practical skills and simple, nourishing recipes to make healthy eating easier at home. For groups, Cooking Parties & Team Building offer fun, interactive culinary experiences designed to create connection and community. Whether you’re looking to make meaningful changes to your health, become more confident in the kitchen, or bring your team together around food, Cool Cookster offers a personalized approach to wellness. Nourish your body. Transform your health. Thrive.
Janet Townley is a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor and founder of Cool Cookster. Visit CoolCookster.com, email Janet@coolcookster.com, or call 203.837.6872 to learn more!
Melissa Wooldridge Breton, APRN ECLIPSE Holistic Living, Glastonbury 10Best Holistic Center/School
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11 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
Melissa Wooldridge Breton, APRN, FNP-BC, AHN-BC, HWNC-BC, MSN, RN • ECLIPSE Holistic Living 30 Hebron Avenue, Glastonbury, CT • 860.614.7588 • ECLIPSEholisticliving.com
NATURAL Nutmeg
am Melissa Wooldridge Breton, a boardcertified family nurse practitioner, advanced holistic nurse, functional medicine nurse consultant, integrative health and wellness nurse coach, yoga instructor, Reiki Master, and sound emissary. I have dedicated my life’s work to the art and science of nursing. My gift is caring personally and caring professionally. Listening with heart, having compassion, and by combining advanced holistic nursing with ancient wisdom traditions, I am able to meet you wherever you are on your healinggrowth-recovery journey, heart-mind-body-spirit. As a board-certified nurse practitioner, I partner with you to navigate the root causes of your imbalances through alternative and complementary healing modalities, embracing holistic assessment, functional medicine nursing, sound immersion, energy healing, and mindfulnessbased coaching strategies. I guide you in connecting deeply with your own innate healing intelligence. My approach models whole-person-centered care, attending to your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions of what health, wellness, and healing mean for you. My private practice, ECLIPSE Holistic Living, Glastonbury, is the container that holds space for this mission and vision. ECLIPSE is a co-creative healing arts studio, a sacredness of place for you to come and enter in your most authentic form to join in community with other women, like-minded practitioners, artists, and luminaries. My door is always open at ECLIPSE, which has been purposefully curated using a neutral color palette, raw materials, and hardwoods to bring the outdoors inside. Every detail invites grounding, expansion, and belonging. You are welcome here to explore, discover, heal, restore, renew, repattern, learn, and grow. My intention is to embrace you in a nurturing, compassionate environment where you feel seen, heard, and power-FULL! Healing is not linear; it is a spiral dance of remembering who we are. Supporting you on your path, I approach each moment with gratitude, reverence, and an open heart. I look forward to walking alongside you as we both evolve in our human-becoming!
SPOTLIGHT NATURAL Nutmeg OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
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Jenny Alzate, LPC, LLC Integrative Psychotherapist
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Emily Breno, LCSW Anchored Point Wellness
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’m Emily Breno, LCSW, owner of f you have spent years trying to feel Anchored Point Wellness, where I work better but still find yourself anxious, with adults and teens 14+ in person in overwhelmed, emotionally stuck, or Madison and throughout Connecticut via caught in the same patterns, you are not telehealth. alone. You may understand intellectually Many of the people I work with come why you feel the way you do, yet still feel to therapy already with a strong sense tense, exhausted, disconnected, or of self. They know where their anxiety unable to fully relax. comes from, yet they still find themselves With more than 25 years of experience in mental health, I combine evidence-based psy- thinking, “I know I’m okay, so why does my body still react as if chotherapy with holistic mind-body approaches. Our work is something is wrong?” The gap between what you know and what tailored to your history, needs, goals, and readiness for change. you feel can be frustrating. You may find yourself avoiding things When anxiety becomes a way of life: You may appear to be you used to do without thinking, overthinking conversations, or functioning well on the outside. Inside, however, you may feel feeling overwhelmed by situations that shouldn’t be this hard. constantly “on,” overwhelmed by ordinary demands, or unable You might even wonder why you can handle so much in other to quiet your thoughts. You may struggle with sleep, tension, re- areas of your life yet still struggle with this. For one client, anxiety had gradually taken away the freedom activity, concentration, confidence, or the ability to enjoy your life. Treatments like weekly therapy, medication, and CAM may to drive independently. Bridges triggered intense fear, a racing have provided insight or temporary relief, but your body and heart, muscle tension, and an overwhelming urge to turn around. She knew logically that she was safe, but that knowledge wasn’t nervous system may still respond as if you are under threat. Moving beyond survival mode: When chronic anxiety and enough to stop the reaction. Over time, she began changing nervous system dysregulation persist, they can affect your rela- routes and relying on others to avoid driving over bridges. This is where people may wonder why talking about anxiety tionships, work, physical well-being, decision-making, and your sense of connection with yourself. My approach helps you work hasn’t been enough to change it. Approaches such as EMDR and with the unresolved, underlying trauma, emotional patterns, Brainspotting allow us to work differently with experiences and reand nervous system responses, and considers the whole you: sponses that still feel stuck, even when you understand them intelyour mind, body, emotions, nervous system, history, and inner lectually. We explore not only why you feel the way you do, but also experience. The goal is to help you feel safer within yourself, what might help your mind and body begin to respond differently. Therapy with me isn’t about constantly analyzing yourself or understand your responses with greater compassion, and develop greater flexibility, regulation, and choice in your daily life. trying to “fix” everything. It’s a place to slow down and underWhat you can expect from an Integrative Psychotherapy stand what’s happening with curiosity rather than judgment. We Intensive: An Integrative Psychotherapy Intensive offers extend- may work through difficult experiences, but there’s also room ed, focused time for therapeutic work beyond the structure of a for humor, connection, and noticing the changes that are easy to traditional 50-minute weekly session, helping you slow down, overlook when you’re focused on what still feels hard. My hope is that over time you begin to trust yourself more. That explore important patterns more fully, and work through experiences that may be difficult to address in shorter appointments. you can recognize anxiety without automatically following where Your intensive will be tailored to your needs and goals and it leads. That situations that once felt overwhelming begin to feel may include traditional psychotherapy, Somatic Experiencing, manageable, and that you have more freedom to make choices nervous-system regulation, mind-body medicine, parts work based on what you want rather than on what fear tells you to avoid. For the client who struggled with bridges, that eventually and IFS-informed approaches, inner-child and trauma work, mindfulness, and intuitive or spiritual support. Restorative and meant driving across one independently. Something that had once felt out of reach was possible again. holistic supports may also be incorporated as appropriate. Healing isn’t about never feeling anxious. It’s about getting to An intensive is not about forcing breakthroughs or rushing healing. It is an opportunity to receive focused support, deepen your self- a place where anxiety no longer gets to make so many of your understanding, and begin practicing new ways of responding decisions. I’m currently accepting a limited number of new clients for with greater safety and self-trust. Intensives are done in 1- 3 day increments. 3-6 hours a day. Fall 2026 intensive appointments in-person therapy in Madison and for telehealth across Conare now open. If you are interested in exploring whether an Inte- necticut. I invite you to schedule a complimentary 15-minute grative Psychotherapy Intensive is right for you, please reach out consultation to see if working together is the right fit. to inquire about availability for the fall. Client details have been changed to protect confidentiality. Individual experiences and treatment outcomes vary.
Jenny Alzate LPC LLC • Integrative Psychotherapist 998 Farmington Ave., Ste. 125, West Hartford, CT 06107 jenny@jennyalzatelpc.com • jennyalzate.com Socials: @jennyalzatelpc • Referrals/Contact: 960.729.6138
Emily Breno, LCSW • Anchored Point Wellness, LLC Madison, CT • 203.318.6029 • contact@anchoredpointct.com anchoredpointct.com
Susana Padilla, CHt Hypnosis Haven
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’m Tesa Baum, a Reiki Master Teacher, Quantum Healing Hypnosis Practitioner, and Akashic Field Healing practitioner. I work with people who feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or caught in patterns they are ready to understand and transform. My approach integrates energy healing, subconscious exploration, and spiritual guidance to help clients reconnect with their inner wisdom and a deeper sense of self. When you feel stuck: Sometimes we keep moving, searching, and trying to figure things out, yet something within us knows there is more. Stress, self-doubt, emotional exhaustion, and recurring patterns can leave us disconnected from ourselves and uncertain about what comes next. A different way forward: I offer a compassionate space to slow down, listen inwardly, and become curious about what lies beneath the surface. Through Reiki, Akashic Field Healing, and Quantum Healing Hypnosis, I intuitively meet each person where they are, supporting deeper awareness, release, and connection with the wisdom already within. Beyond individual sessions, I offer Reiki certification classes for all levels, ceremonial events, workshops, and women’s retreats created for connection, reflection, learning, and spiritual exploration. My work can complement traditional medical or mental-health care as an additional pathway for self-discovery. Spotlight Special: Schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation with me to explore whether my approach is right for you.
Tesa Baum • Ridgefield, CT • 917.696.9095 tesa@tesabaum.com • tesabaum.com
Sil Rossini Life and Spiritual Coach
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ou learned young to keep the peace by staying quiet. At the family table, someone says the thing that stings, and you smile and let it pass. At work, another task lands on you, and you take it because saying no feels harder than carrying it. One silence at a time, you lost the woman you are until you almost forgot her. I’m Sil Rossini, a life and spiritual coach, ICF PCCcertified and an IFS practitioner. All my work is online, one-to-one, and in small groups. I open my heart and meet you as you arrive, so you feel seen, heard, and welcome. Then, gently, we go inside together. For 15 years, I have walked women home to themselves. You have tried to understand it, yet it keeps returning, and you wonder why. Understanding lives in the mind, while what needs healing lies deeper in the body. That is where we go, with presence and compassion, until it softens. Your essence was never lost, only waiting. In your essence, there is only love, the love you stopped giving yourself to fit into others. It is already there, and together we reach it. You reclaim your voice, your power, your identity. I invite you to schedule a 30-minute discovery session. Visit silvanarossini. com and use the code GIFT, my courtesy to you. Your journey begins here. You will never return to where you are today.
Silvana Rossini Holistic Lifestyle LLC (find me as Sil Rossini) Farmington, CT • 860.967.6744 sr@silvanarossini.com • silvanarossini.com Online only, one-to-one and group Offer: Free 30-minute discovery session with code GIFT
13 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
Hypnosis Haven Litchfield County, CT—private office location 949.534.2836 • Susana@Hypnosis-Haven.com hypnosis-haven.com
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NATURAL Nutmeg
’m Susana Padilla, CHt, founder of Hypnosis Haven, a private hypnotherapy practice serving everyday people as well as physicians, therapists, executives, artists, and other professionals seeking support for themselves. I help clients address subconscious patterns related to anxiety, chronic stress, trauma responses, sleep difficulties, unwanted habits, and medical recovery. My ideal client understands the problem intellectually but still feels unable to change the automatic emotional or physical response. This September, Hypnosis Haven opened a new Litchfield County office while continuing to serve clients throughout Connecticut, across the country, and worldwide. One issue I frequently address is persistent anxiety that has not fully responded to reasoning, reassurance, or traditional coping techniques. Clients may understand why they feel anxious and possess tools, yet still experience racing thoughts, disrupted sleep, physical tension, panic, avoidance, or an inability to feel settled. If left unresolved, anxiety can gradually shrink a person’s life, affecting relationships, work, health, confidence, sleep, and decision-making. Traditional medical and therapeutic care can be invaluable, but insight alone may not change a deeply conditioned automatic response. My work is highly individualized. Through focused hypnosis, therapeutic imagery, and subconscious change work, I help clients reach the point where automatic responses are formed and maintained. Known as the hypnotherapist professionals seek, I bring the same attentive, personalized care to every client. The goal is not simply to manage symptoms, but to help clients feel more at ease in the situations that once triggered automatic stress or fear. Sessions are designed to be collaborative, practical, and tailored to each person’s needs, creating lasting change that feels natural rather than forced. Readers who reserve Hypnosis Haven’s threesession 10th Anniversary Package by November 30, 2026, will receive one comprehensive establishment session, two 60-minute follow-up sessions, and a complimentary personalized reinforcement recording for $575.
Tesa Baum
SPOTLIGHT NATURAL Nutmeg OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
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Center for Natural Medicine
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ou wake up tired—even after a full night’s sleep. Your stomach is bloated, your digestion is unpredictable, and you’re starting to wonder whether that afternoon brain fog, low mood, food cravings, or hormonal symptoms are somehow connected. You’ve tried eliminating foods, adding supplements, and searching for answers online. You become increasingly frustrated at every turn by being told what’s wrong without understanding what you can do to heal, not just medicate your symptoms. At the Center for Natural Medicine in Watertown, we understand that digestive health is about far more than what happens in the bathroom. Our family-run, Connecticut-licensed naturopathic clinic takes a collaborative, whole-person approach to identifying the factors that may be contributing to persistent digestive concerns. We work with individuals who are tired of chasing symptoms and ready to explore how their gut health affects—and is affected by—the rest of their bodies. The gut is in constant communication with the brain, nervous system, immune system, and hormones. When digestion is struggling and unaddressed, the effects extend beyond bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or abdominal discomfort. Nutrient absorption, energy, mood, sleep, stress response, appetite, and metabolism are all part of the bigger picture. The relationship works both ways: chronic stress and emotional distress can influence digestion, while persistent digestive symptoms can heighten stress and anxiety, creating a frustrating cycle. This is why a single solution doesn’t always fit a complex problem. Our approach to digestive health may include naturopathic evaluation, acupuncture, food-sensitivity testing, collaboration with outside providers, and Functional Medicine Health Coaching to address nutrition and lifestyle changes; hypnotherapy to help calm the nervous system; or colon hydrotherapy to reset the digestive tract through detoxification. Holistic psychotherapy helps deepen insight into your relationship with food. The goal is not simply to chase symptoms but to understand the individual and create a personalized path to healing. That is where the Center for Natural Medicine offers something different. Rather than sending you from one office to another, we bring a collaborative care team together under one roof. Our practitioners can draw on their diverse expertise and work toward a more integrated understanding of your health. Medical care, acupuncture, colon hydrotherapy, hypnotherapy, nutrition, health coaching, and holistic psychotherapy can complement one another — supporting not only your digestive symptoms but also the person experiencing them. We believe better health begins with asking better questions—and sometimes the first step is to listen to what your gut has been trying to tell you.
Celeste Emelia Mattingly, LCSW Psychotherapy Healing Services, LLC
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or more than four decades, I have had the privilege of helping people step back from the immediate challenges of their lives to discover the larger patterns through which healing, meaning, and be~coming emerge. At 75 years young, I am more excited about my work than I have ever been. In fact, I stated in a recent podcast that I am living the motto I teach and aspire to: “Every day, in every way, I am be~coming better, brighter, and wiser, on purpose and with purpose.” Until last year, even I, with decades of personal recovery, years of providing and receiving psychotherapy, and over 10,000 hours of metaphysical study—was caught in an identity that no longer fit the future I was struggling to inhabit. I kept searching for another explanation, another modality, another technique, but what I really needed was to ask myself another question: How do I participate more intentionally in my own development? I now have a living framework for Intentional Human Development that answers that question. Writing the Kaleidoscope for the Be~coming Living Field Guide Series has brought the Twelve+ Codes of the Evolutionary Trajectory to life, with archetypes, sigils, and affirmations. The work includes advanced practices in discernment, archetypal and poetic exploration, subtle-energy approaches, and an invitation to participate consciously in personal and planetary ascension and transformation. If you’ve been doing the inner work and still find yourself wondering, “What’s next?” or settling for familiar choices, feeling disconnected from purpose, or uncertain about the future, Intentional Human Development offers a framework for reaching new heights of be~coming. Through psychotherapy, coaching, teaching, and immersive experiences, I help people move from simply knowing themselves toward consciously participating in who they are be~coming—better, brighter, and wiser—on purpose and with purpose. Please visit my website, where you’ll find a free e-book on the Kaleidoscope page, my curriculum vitae, a playful spiritual résumé, and opportunities to join my growing community. Be sure to sign up for my YouTube channel and newsletter to stay connected to the latest offerings, events, podcasts, and evolutionary musings.
Celeste Emelia Mattingly, LCSW Creator of Celestial Psychology®, Cosmic Metaphysician Psychotherapy Healing Services, LLC Center for Natural Medicine • Watertown, CT • 860.945.1004 1533 New Britain Ave, Ste. 1, Farmington, CT • 860.798.6176 Cmattingly100@comcast.net • celestialempowerment.com reception@centerfornaturalmedicine.net centerfornaturalmedicine.net
Michal Brittany Quinn, LPC, ATR-BC, PMH-C Klau-Stevens, LCSW Green Lotus Creative Azure Psychotherapy Healing Center LLC
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’m Brittany Quinn, a perinatal art therapist, clinical supervisor, and proud owner of The Green Lotus Creative Healing Center LLC in Berlin, Connecticut. My group practice is primarily composed of registered art therapists (ATRs), and we call our space “the studio” because we promote the arts, whether through drawing, painting, sculpture, or miscellaneous objects, to express thoughts and feelings that may otherwise be difficult to communicate verbally. Individuals, including children, adolescents, adults, and families, seek us out when they are eager and motivated to focus on their well-being and to use a more creative outlet to explore and discover their healing journey. Combining perinatal mental health with art therapy has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my life. The perinatal period encompasses fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. This is a time when individuals and families benefit greatly from specialized support, especially when facing infertility, loss, and birth trauma. As a certified perinatal mental health professional (PMH-C) and a parent, I understand firsthand the challenges of this transition. The isolation, rage, worry, and self-doubt are all too familiar, yet they often go unnoticed in the public eye during a time that is supposed to be beautiful, magical, and a blessing to families. My work is dedicated to bringing those unseen experiences into the light with compassion and understanding. When left untreated, perinatal mental health concerns can progress to postpartum depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or psychosis. Parents deserve care that prioritizes their well-being, not only the needs of their children and families. Without appropriate support, guilt, shame, resentment, and relationship strain can intensify, and severe conditions such as postpartum psychosis can have devastating consequences. Early screening, specialized treatment, and access to trained providers are essential to improving outcomes for parents and families. To my knowledge, I am the only perinatal art therapist in Connecticut certified by both Postpartum Support International (PSI) and the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB). My approach integrates evidence-based perinatal mental health care with creative expression, helping clients process complex emotions and experiences through visual art, writing, and naturebased practices. Art often becomes a language when words are not enough. I am proud to lead a practice that values excellence, lifelong learning, and compassionate care. I remain committed to growing as a clinician and to encouraging the therapists I supervise to do the same. No matter where we are in our lives, there is always room to learn, evolve, and help others discover their capacity for healing.
Brittany Quinn, LPC, ATR-BC, PMH-C Green Lotus Creative Healing Center LLC Berlin, CT • 860.470.4304, ext. 1 GreenLotusCenterLLC@CounselingSecure.Com GreenLotusCenterLLC.com
15 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
Michal Klau-Stevens, LCSW Azure Psychotherapy • West Hartford, CT 860.233.6914 • azure@klau.net azure-psychotherapy.com
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NATURAL Nutmeg
use “Less Talk” therapies to create quick changes in people’s lives, helping them improve relationships, move forward from challenges, and live with less stress and more joy. Trauma treatment for women and men is a focus of my practice, and I have over two decades of experience working with women around pregnancy, birth, and parenting. People come to me when they feel they are “spinning their wheels” in talk therapy. Either they feel it isn’t helping, or they are happy with their current therapist but are stuck on an unresolved issue. Alternatively, some people don’t want to share their deeply personal stories but recognize they need help. Talking about the problem hasn’t stopped their triggers or negative reactions. As trauma responses persist and problems fester, relationships deteriorate, life feels overwhelming and stressful, and relief seems elusive. Some turn to cannabis, alcohol, or other unhealthy coping mechanisms to ease the existential pain. These are temporary solutions that can compound the depression, anxiety, or overwhelm from trauma. Life can feel like a downward spiral. The person is trying to make changes by going to therapy, but the traditional path is not working. With me, people find a distinct and highly effective approach to their challenges. Accelerated Resolution Therapy limits talk and harnesses the brain’s natural ability to visualize and imagine solutions. Ketamine-Assisted Therapy uses medicine to expand consciousness and create new thinking pathways. Combined with skill-building and action-oriented strategies, these modalities lead to breakthroughs in healing. Whether you are looking for a new experience or want to stay with your current therapist but would like a brief intervention to jump-start progress, I am happy to accommodate your needs. Don’t delay feeling better. Call today for a free consultation to start making progress toward a new outlook on life.
SPOTLIGHT NATURAL Nutmeg OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
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Christine French Guided Insight, LLC
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ometimes life looks perfectly fine from the outside, yet something inside feels off. You may feel stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself, or notice the same patterns recurring. You know something needs to change—you’re just not sure where to begin. I’m Christine French, founder of Guided Insight LLC. I help my clients explore what may be happening beneath the surface. By combining energy awareness with practical, integrative support, I help people recognize patterns, stressors, and areas of imbalance that may be influencing how they feel, respond, and move through their lives. When we simply keep pushing through, we can spend months—or even years—trying to change how we feel without understanding what may be contributing to it. Sometimes the first step toward meaningful change isn’t trying harder. It’s seeing more clearly. An Energy Insight & Clarity Session provides a starting point. Rather than telling you what you should do, I work with you to explore what you’re experiencing, identify patterns that may deserve attention, and gain clarity around your next steps. Continued support may include integrative wellness coaching, Biofield Tuning, Reiki, or other energy-based approaches tailored to you. Not sure what’s keeping you stuck? Start with clarity. Natural Nutmeg readers: Experience your first Energy Insight & Clarity Session for $90 (regularly $115) with code NUTMEG26. Book by January 31, 2027. Christine French • Guided Insight LLC East Granby, CT • Call/Text 860.805.1208 guidedinsightllc@gmail.com • guidedinsightllc.com
Tanja Labisch TLA Health Coaching
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’m Tanja Labisch, a Metabolic Health Coach helping adults reverse metabolic dysfunction and build a healthier metabolism for life. Many of my clients are doing so many things “right”—eating well, exercising, and trying to maintain a healthy weight—yet struggle with stubborn abdominal fat, low energy, cravings, declining muscle mass, or a body that simply doesn’t respond as it used to. These can be signs of metabolic dysfunction. Visceral fat, insulin resistance, blood sugar dysregulation, and loss of skeletal muscle can develop gradually, often long before someone receives a diagnosis. Left unaddressed, metabolic dysfunction can worsen and increase the risk of prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. My program is designed to reverse metabolic dysfunction by targeting its root causes. Through structured, protein-forward nutrition, blood-sugar stabilization, movement, sleep, hydration, preserving lean muscle and reducing visceral fat, and personalized coaching, we work to restore healthier metabolic function. This isn’t just about losing weight—it’s about improving what’s happening inside your body and creating results you can sustain. Could metabolic dysfunction be keeping you stuck? I offer a complimentary Metabolic Health Assessment to help you understand where you are today and what your next steps might be. TLA Health Coaching • West Hartford, CT 860.849.4302 • Tanya.labisch@iCloud.com
Jennifer Rizza, RYT-500 Hummingbird & Dragonfly Restorative Wellness
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f you feel stressed, exhausted, tense, or disconnected from your body, you are not alone. Many people move through their days bracing for life, unsure how to find steadiness or ease. Blending yoga therapy and integrative wellness, I offer personalized, whole-person support for those seeking more grounding and balance. This is much more than a yoga class! Clients often come to me because chronic stress has taken root in their bodies and minds. They may feel overwhelmed, tense, fatigued, emotionally drained, or unsure how to regulate their nervous systems and reconnect with themselves. Yoga Therapy combines mindful movement, breathwork, somatic awareness, and reflective inquiry to gently unwind these patterns, rebuild resilience, and restore balance. When chronic stress goes unaddressed, it can contribute to persistent pain, anxiety, disrupted sleep, heightened emotional reactivity, or disconnection from daily life. As a complement to traditional medical and mental health care, Yoga Therapy addresses the whole person and supports deeper healing. These practices can interrupt stress habits and invite clarity, resilience, and greater ease. Unlike a general class, Yoga Therapy is a collaborative process tailored to your unique needs, experiences, and goals. My approach integrates yoga, somatics, breathwork, integrative wellness, and mindful awareness in a grounded, compassionate space. Together, we explore what is happening in your body and daily life and develop practical tools that improve overall life satisfaction. Through November 30, 2026, I’m offering a limited-time package of four Yoga Therapy sessions, online or in person. It includes a thorough intake, co-created goals, and individualized practices to support healing, ease the effects of chronic stress, and help you feel more at home in yourself. Jennifer Rizza, Therapeutic Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master, Wellness Coach Hummingbird & Dragonfly Restorative Wellness Newtown, CT 06482 203.437.7999 • hdrestorativewellness.com
Spirituality
Oh! My Silently Aching Heart By Sharon Sklar, BFA, LMT, CAR
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tests to find out why. He explained I could have had a heart attack, a blood clot, a stroke, and would experience extreme fatigue. I was immediately put on meds while I awaited the test results. When the results came, they showed that my heart was strong and healthy, and my blood tests showed no abnormalities. However, the sleep study unveiled the issue: severe obstructive sleep apnea.
Diagnosis
—Sharon Sklar, BFA, LMT, CAR
17
Sharon Sklar is in her 45th year of private practice as a Certified Advanced Rolfer. For the past seven years, she has been voted one of Natural Nutmeg’s 10BEST Bodyworkers—an honor for which she is deeply grateful. Sharon combines direct manipulation of the body’s soft tissues with movement re-education through a ten-session series. Her work is designed to help clients feel freer, become more balanced, and reduce chronic pain. Rolfing® can support athletes, children, and adults as they recover from life’s stresses, injuries, or traumas. Inquiries are encouraged. State-licensed. Call 860.561.4337 for more information or to schedule a consultation. Visit SharonSklarRolfing.com. See ad on page 45 >
2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
In the 80s and 90s, it seemed everyone with pain was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. In the 2000s, everyone seemed to have sleep apnea. Is this a trend? Is it real? My pulmonologist reviewed my sleep study. Warrior Queen I stopped breathing twenty-nine times an hour. I have survived many life-altering traumas, always popping back up like those clown punching Anything over fifteen stoppages is considered severe, preventing restorative deep sleep. I was bags everyone had when I was growing up. Kids prescribed a CPAP machine. Getting used to it has would punch it hard, really smash it. It would fall been annoying, but it’s working for me. backward. It would then wobble back up. I have always had bad sleep hygiene. I go to I’m like that—I have wobbled back up bed late, wake up early, have tons of energy, and many times. used to sleep only four to five hours a night. Now, Last January I went to give blood. After initial on average, I sleep about six hours a night, and tests, they wouldn’t let me donate. My heartbeat was too irregular. I had a bit of anxiety, so the nurse on weekends I can sleep seven or eight hours. My had me sit quietly for ten minutes to calm myself. I sleep apnea numbers have lowered from twentyimagined I was sitting on the beach, reading a book nine stoppages down to one to two an hour. I now go into deep sleep. I dream again. I relax more. and looking out to the horizon. When she came I ask for help when I need it. My heart is back to back, I was calm and peaceful. My heart was not. It was worse than ten minutes normal rhythm and is considered healthy. For now, before. What to do? I had an appointment with my I will stay on the meds. If you notice changes in your well-being, energy osteopath five days later, so I chose to wait and levels, or strain to accomplish what you used to, deal with it then. My osteopath immediately did an EKG. My heart take action. Getting older doesn’t mean we deteriorate; it means we are changing and need to accommodate. was stuck in atrial fibrillation, which could cause I feel deeply grateful for recognizing what I needed damage to my heart, brain, and other vital organs. to change and for choosing more care, rest, and This was an issue to be dealt with NOW. So I saw ease in my life. Please take a look at yourself and a cardiologist, who confirmed that my heart was be honest. Your life depends on it. Really. dangerously stressed and scheduled a series of
“I imagined I was sitting on the beach, reading a book and looking out to the horizon.”
NATURAL Nutmeg
had a terrible winter of 2026. I refer to it as my health crisis. I didn’t feel like myself, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. My energy was extremely low, and I couldn’t stay upright easily. I used my energy for my work as a Rolfer and was in bed by 7:00 pm. All of that was not the Sharon I knew. I am like the Energizer bunny—always going, going, going. My immune system has always been strong. I don’t get sick. I don’t have allergies or food sensitivities. I don’t get headaches. I feel blessed to be alive, well, and in January, will celebrate twenty years breast cancer free.
Health
Listening Beyond Language
NATURAL Nutmeg
in Adolescent Mental Health By Dr. Tanvi Gandhi, ND, LAc
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
18 “Journaling, poetry, music lyrics, drawing, metaphor, nature imagery, and guided reflection can give shape to stress, fear, identity questions, or emotional overload.” —Dr. Tanvi Gandhi, ND, LAc
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medicine, aromatherapy, and nature therapy; and expressive modalities such as art, music, writing, and other creative practices. These approaches are most effective when tailored to the teen’s needs, sensitivities, health history, and treatment goals. Narrative medicine adds a reflective layer by helping teens communicate experiences that may be hard to describe directly. Journaling, poetry, music lyrics, drawing, metaphor, nature imagery, and guided reflection can give shape to stress, fear, identity questions, or emotional overload. A teen who says, “My brain is a storm,” or draws a bridge, a cave, or a locked room may be revealing important information about pressure, safety, resilience, and readiness for change. Together, these approaches invite clinicians to listen beyond symptoms and language. Rather than asking teens to explain everything verbally, inteIntegrative Psychiatry and Narrative grative psychiatry uses regulation-based care and Medicine creative expression to support the whole person. This is where an integrative approach can help: rather than treating behavior as isolated symptoms, The goal is not to replace counseling, medical care, it looks for patterns underlying stress, regulation, accommodations, or crisis support, but to strengthen safety, embodiment, emotional balance, and selfexpression, and support. advocacy within an individualized treatment plan. Integrative psychiatry combines evidenceinformed mental health care with naturopathic, lifestyle, expressive, and body-based approaches A Whole-Person Clinical Lens that support regulation, self-awareness, and resilA whole-person clinical lens extends this approach ience. For adolescents—especially neurodivergent by looking beyond symptoms to the conditions teens—care may include regulation practices such that shape a teen’s nervous system over time. as guided meditation, breathwork, sound healing, For naturopathic and integrative mental health yoga therapy, and biofeedback; body-based therclinicians, factors such as sleep, nutrition, blood apies such as craniosacral therapy, acupuncture, sugar balance, movement, sensory load, school somatic therapy, and gentle movement; lifestyle fit, family communication, trauma history, gut supports such as nutrition, sleep hygiene, herbal health, inflammation, ADHD supports, and digital
dolescence is a period of rapid growth, identity formation, and nervous-system development. For neurodivergent teens—especially those with ADHD, autism, anxiety, or sensory processing differences—everyday pressures can escalate quickly. Social expectations, disrupted sleep, family stress, school demands, and a constantly connected digital world can all contribute to overwhelm. Digital tools can be especially compelling for teens with ADHD, whose brains often seek novelty, reward, and rapid stimulation. Algorithm-driven apps, gaming, endless scrolling, and frequent notifications may reinforce compulsive use. Behaviors such as withdrawal, irritability, shutdown, perfectionism, refusal, or excessive device use may reflect a stressed nervous system rather than defiance.
habits may all influence emotional regulation and mental health. Rather than focusing solely on “screen time,” families can consider what digital use may be displacing: sleep, movement, in-person connection, outdoor time, or attention to daily responsibilities. Regulatory practices such as breathwork, grounding, guided meditation, sound-based relaxation, time outdoors, gentle movement, mindfulness, yoga therapy, creative expression, somatic awareness, acupuncture, and craniosacral therapy may help teens notice bodily cues before stress escalates.
How Parents and Caregivers Can Help
Parents and caregivers can support regulation by listening before problem-solving, validating the teen’s experience, and establishing collaborative digital boundaries. • Keep bedrooms device-free or create consistent wind-down times. • Turn off nonessential notifications. • Use visual schedules and predictable routines. • Offer movement breaks during transitions or demanding tasks. • Replace “just stop scrolling” with one clear next step. • Use written agreements, reminders, or body doubling to provide external structure. • For teens with ADHD, external structure often supports follow-through more effectively than relying on willpower alone.
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These tools are supportive complements, not replacements for counseling, medical care, accommodation, or crisis support. When used thoughtfully, they can strengthen a teen’s capacity for regulation, self-advocacy, and participation in their own care. When clinicians and caregivers ask, “What is this teen’s body and story communicating?” they protect dignity and invite adolescents toward greater self-understanding. In that context, naming the storm, finding the bridge, and choosing the next step become more than metaphors; they become part of a shared, practical path toward regulation, stress reduction, and mental health.
Dr. Tanvi Gandhi, ND, LAc, is a Certified Integrative Psychiatry Provider at Shiva-Shakti Acupuncture and Ayurveda LLC, located in Stamford, New Canaan, and the Greater New York City area. Call 475.282.5817 and visit drtanvigandhi. com to learn more. See ad on page 21 >
DR. DANA LAPOINTE, ND
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Preserving Dignity and Building Self-Advocacy
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Safe Enough to Be Honest: NATURAL Nutmeg
Why Mental Health Requires More Than Inclusion By Ray Beyor
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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
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“Our history and social environment shape whether we believe there is truly space to refuse, question, or negotiate without risking rejection.” —Ray Beyor
ecently, I went to a new spa for a pedicure. I was placed in a small room with a single service provider. Thankfully, there was no door, but the setup left me feeling exposed, reclined in a position similar to a pelvic exam. I also could not get up until she moved the chair. The provider began pushing my ankle, foot, and leg into the positions she wanted. I grew increasingly uncomfortable, but I did not feel safe enough to tell her to stop. Fortunately, someone I trusted was nearby, and I had my phone. I asked them to help me leave by saying we had to go. Without them, I was already planning another way out. Many of us imagine we would simply speak up. Yet when an environment, unexpected touch, or power dynamic triggers the nervous system, we may freeze, comply, appease, fight, disconnect, or quietly plan an exit. This is where mental health, consent, and belonging intersect.
When Honesty Feels Risky
A 2024 study in Scientific Reports demonstrated the power of social pressure. Researchers asked participants to hand over their unlocked phones, even after explaining that they could refuse without penalty. Between 78% and 83% still complied. Permission alone may not be enough. Our history and social environment shape whether we believe there is truly space to refuse, question, or negotiate without risking rejection. Sometimes
the problem is not silence. Sometimes we become so focused on proving we deserve acceptance that we stop noticing whether a space has actually welcomed us. I experienced this at a salsa class in Hartford. I suspected the class expected participants perceived as female to follow rather than lead. I knew I wanted to participate only as a lead. Instead of asking whether I would be welcomed and treated equally, I announced that I planned to lead. The instructor never clearly said yes or no, so I stayed, treating the absence of refusal as permission. I became focused on proving I deserved to lead rather than noticing what I needed: a space that clearly welcomed me as a leader. By staying, I crossed my own limit. My boundary was not making the class accept me; it was leaving when the acceptance I needed was not there.
Connection Makes Honesty Possible
Today, I teach individuals and organizations how to build that capacity. Conflict itself is not necessarily harmful to mental health. What wears us down is the belief that honesty threatens our acceptance. While working in an art frame shop, a colleague and I created a connection journal for concerns, ideas, and gratitude. Gratitude was used most often. People wanted to know that they and their contributions were noticed.
The Gottman Institute’s relationship research found that stable couples tend to have about five positive interactions for every negative one during conflict. Although the research focused on intimate partnerships, the principle can also offer insight into families, workplaces, and communities. The 5:1 “Magic Ratio” is not a formula for giving five compliments before every concern. It reminds us that appreciation and accountability work better together. We hear difficult truths differently when we already know we matter.
WAKING UP AT WORK? Your career is not "it" anymore, now what do you do? I work intuitively with you to blend the modalities that will best support you moving forward in this next chapter of your life.
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Questioning the Rules We Inherited
Real belonging means having room to question, refuse, negotiate, change our minds, or leave. It also means noticing when fear has us frozen, complying, fighting to belong, or staying beyond our limits. The question is not only “Am I allowed to be here?” It is also “Can I remain whole while I’m here?” That is the question I help individuals, groups, and organizations explore through coaching, speaking, and workshops. Inclusion may open the door, but belonging makes it safe enough to speak up, choose, and leave when needed.
Ray Beyor (they/them) is the founder of RAY Life Coaching, LLC, a speaker, educator, and coach helping individuals, communities, and organizations, particularly those within LGBTQ+ and polyamorous communities, build confidence, boundaries, consent, communication, and authentic belonging. Their work helps people question inherited expectations, strengthen self-trust, and create relationships and cultures where honesty feels safer. See ad on page 23 >
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An integrative approach to mind, body, and spirit medicine. Mind-Body-Spirit • Alchemy • Acupuncture Sound Bath • Mindfulness • Meditation Naturopathic • Medicine • Mental Health Dr. Tanvi Gandhi @drtanvigandhi Tanvi Gandhi, ND, LAc. 475.282.5817 • Stamford, CT DRTANVIGANDHI.COM
21 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
What Belonging Requires
NATURAL Nutmeg
I am not going to pretend any of this is easy or that I always get it right. The pedicure surprised me because I wanted the experience, yet I struggled to stop it once I no longer felt safe. At the salsa class, I crossed my own limit differently, trying to change the situation rather than recognizing it might not be what I needed. I see versions of this in my work with LGBTQ+ and polyamorous communities. Old fears and societal messages can resurface even when we think we have already learned the lesson. Polyamory became a catalyst for questioning those inherited rules without shaming myself for falling back into them. It taught me to ask: Who created this expectation? Whom does it serve? Did I choose it? Do I still want it? Curiosity creates room for self-compassion. We do not have to be perfectly “healed.” We can notice when an old pattern returns and choose again.
Spirituality
NATURAL Nutmeg
The Season of Less
22 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
By Rev. Joy M. Perugini, Conscious Movement & Energy Medicine Practitioner and Shaman
“Perhaps there is medicine in that in-between space, too…a season when we don’t have to know what will grow next.” —Rev. Joy M. Perugini
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hat the trees know, and we seem to forget, is that there is a time to let go. Every autumn, the natural world begins a quiet retreat. The days grow shorter. Gardens that were overflowing just months ago begin to empty. Trees release the leaves they spent an entire season growing, without resistance or apology. There is no frantic attempt to hold on to what was. Nature simply responds to what the season requires. Humans, on the other hand, aren’t particularly good at this. We expect the same energy, productivity, and enthusiasm from ourselves year-round. Our calendars don’t change because the sun sets earlier. Deadlines don’t soften when daylight disappears. We keep working, exercising, socializing, caring for others, and moving through our endless lists as though November should feel exactly like June. But our bodies know the difference. Changes in daylight affect our circadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycles, and we may notice a natural pull toward more sleep, quieter evenings, or a slower pace as the seasons shift. Persistent changes in mood or energy deserve attention, but perhaps not every desire to turn inward is a problem to solve. What if we’re not supposed to feel exactly the same all year?
Release
There may be wisdom in allowing ourselves to become a little more seasonal. Fall offers an especially useful lesson because it isn’t simply a season of slowing down. It is a season of release. Trees don’t carry every leaf they’ve ever grown into winter, and yet many of us carry years’ worth of accumulated obligations, expectations, identities, and relationships simply because they once belonged to us. Sometimes what we’re carrying isn’t wrong. It’s just complete. That realization can be surprisingly freeing. We don’t always need a dramatic reason to move on. Sometimes recognizing that a season has ended is reason enough. A commitment may have made perfect sense when we made it. A habit may have helped us through a particular chapter. A relationship may have changed. An identity that once felt entirely authentic may no longer fit the person we’ve become. Completion isn’t failure, and letting something go doesn’t erase the value it once had. There is also a practical relationship between carrying less and experiencing less stress. Every unfinished
obligation, unwanted commitment, and internal “should” demands attention. Individually, they may seem small. Collectively, they become weight. Of course, releasing something creates another challenge: empty space. We humans aren’t terribly comfortable there, either. We want to know what comes next. We leave one job and immediately need a five-year plan. We end one chapter and rush to name the next. We clear something from the calendar and somehow fill the space before the ink has dried.
The Stillness of Nature
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Nature isn’t nearly as impatient. After the leaves fall, the branches remain bare for months. Nothing immediately replaces what was released. Winter comes before spring. Perhaps there is medicine in that in-between space, too…a season when we don’t have to know what will grow next. A little room to listen before deciding what deserves to enter. This feels particularly relevant as autumn begins its march toward the holidays. As the natural world grows quieter, our cultural world gets considerably louder. Invitations arrive. Traditions return. Shopping lists grow. Family expectations surface. We add and add, then wonder why, by January, so many of us feel depleted. What might happen if, before all of that begins, we asked a different question? Instead of “How will I manage everything?” perhaps we ask, “Does everything still need to come with me?” Maybe stress reduction isn’t always about adding another practice, supplement, meditation, or wellness ritual to an already crowded life. Sometimes the most therapeutic thing we can do is subtract. There are seasons for growth, movement, and expansion, and there are seasons when less is exactly what is called for. The trees seem to understand this instinctively. They release what they no longer need to carry. They become still. They spend an entire season looking like they’re doing very little at all, and they don’t rush to fill the empty branches. Perhaps this fall, neither should we.
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Health
Beyond The Test Results: NATURAL Nutmeg
Listening to the Nervous System
By Kerry Martin, RN, CHC
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
24 “Look around the room. Let your eyes rest on something pleasant. Feel your feet on the floor. Notice where your body is supported by the chair. Then become curious about one sensation in your body without immediately trying to change it.” —Kerry Martin, RN, CHC
F
or many of us, stress has become so normal that we don’t even recognize it anymore. We wake up thinking about what needs to be done. We move through our days taking care of everyone and everything. We push through exhaustion, override discomfort, and tell ourselves we should be able to handle more. Then one day, our body gets louder. Maybe it’s tension that never seems to leave. Trouble sleeping. Digestive issues. Headaches. Pelvic discomfort. A racing heart. Anxiety. Fatigue. Pain that moves around or persists even after we have done everything we were told to do. We go to the doctor, have the bloodwork, the imaging, the testing, and sometimes the answer comes back: everything looks normal. But you don’t feel normal.
Somatic Experiencing
As a registered nurse and practitioner studying Somatic Experiencing, I have become increasingly interested in the space between what we can see on a medical test and what a person is experiencing in their body. Medicine is essential. Symptoms should be appropriately evaluated, and physical causes should never be dismissed. But a normal test does not mean that a person’s pain or symptoms aren’t real. Chronic pain can persist without a clearly identifiable cause, and changes in the nervous system can make us more sensitive to pain and other sensations.
This is where I believe we need to expand the conversation about stress and mental health. Stress does not live only in our thoughts. It is felt throughout the body. The autonomic nervous system constantly gathers information and helps us respond to our environment. When something feels threatening, our physiology can mobilize us to fight or flee. At other times, we may shut down, freeze, brace, or disconnect. These are not character flaws. They are biological protective responses. Somatic Experiencing offers a useful lens for understanding this. Rather than focusing solely on the story of what happened to us, somatic work invites us to gently notice what is happening in the body now: tightness, warmth, trembling, pressure, movement, breath, an impulse to pull away, or perhaps an area that feels numb or difficult to access. Somatic Experiencing theory proposes that chronic stress and trauma can involve dysregulation of interconnected autonomic, emotional, motor, and arousal systems, and uses awareness of internal bodily sensations to help the system regain flexibility.
Practice Noticing
I sometimes describe this to clients as energy or activation that feels “stuck” in a part of the body. That is not a medical diagnosis or something we can necessarily see on an MRI. It is a way of describing the lived experience of a nervous system
Curiosity Changes the Conversation
Kerry Martin, RN-CHC, is a registered nurse and holistic health coach and the founder of Wise Concierge Wellness in Woodbury, Connecticut. She works one-on-one with clients to help them understand how they live, identify where they are out of balance, and gently recalibrate their lifestyle through nature-based practices, nervous system support, and personalized insight. Email kerry@ wiseconciergewellness.com, call 203.405.1616, and visit wiseconciergewellness.com to learn more. See ad on page 29 >
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Instead of immediately asking, “What is wrong with me?” try asking, “What am I noticing right now?” Instead of “How do I make this stop?” perhaps begin with, “What might my body need?” And instead of seeing your body as something that has betrayed you, consider that it has been trying very hard to protect you. Healing does not mean ignoring medicine, pretending pain is psychological, or blaming ourselves for our symptoms. It means expanding the conversation. It means recognizing that our physical and emotional health, environment, relationships, experiences, and nervous system are deeply interconnected. Your body is not the enemy. Perhaps one of the most powerful natural therapies available to us is learning to listen to it again, not with fear but with curiosity, compassion, and respect. Sometimes healing begins when we stop asking our bodies to be quiet and finally become willing to hear what they have been trying to say.
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that may still be bracing, protecting, or responding as if something has not fully ended. Think about how your shoulders rise when you are under pressure, how your jaw tightens when you hold back what you want to say, or how your stomach changes before a difficult conversation. Our bodies participate in our experiences. The beautiful part is that we can begin working with the body rather than fighting it. One of my favorite practices is simply noticing. Look around the room. Let your eyes rest on something pleasant. Feel your feet on the floor. Notice where your body is supported by the chair. Then become curious about one sensation in your body without immediately trying to change it. This ability to perceive internal bodily sensations is called interoception. Research increasingly examines the relationship between interoception, stress, and chronic pain, and preliminary evidence suggests that mind-body therapies may improve interoceptive awareness and some pain outcomes.
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Health
For Change to Happen, Psychological Safety Matters
26 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
By Michal Klau-Stevens, LCSW, MPH
“Internal safety allows new insights and perspectives to be explored, leading to openness to other possibilities and pathways to change.” —Michal Klau-Stevens, LCSW, MPH
R
esistance to change can stem from many sources, but a common reason is a lack of psychological safety. What is that? Psychological safety is the feeling that the change will be manageable and worthwhile, and that it is taking place in an environment where harm will not occur. People have a variety of defenses, both conscious and unconscious, to protect themselves from being overwhelmed. When working toward behavior change or altering internal beliefs to improve mental health, change will only happen when the person feels it is safe to use the suggested methods and that the changes will be positive and something they can follow through on. If the fight-or-flight response is triggered, the brain signals the body that the situation is not safe, and resistance is the outward manifestation of seeking protection. Safety factors come from both external environmental sources and internal sources within a person’s mindset and personality. Fostering psychological safety is an important component of supporting healing change.
External Safety Factors
External safety factors include good rapport with the practitioner or group, the physical setting, and a supportive family and community. The relationship with a therapist is widely recognized as one of the most important factors in healing, and when working in a group, there must be a clear sense that the group is a safe place to share. The room itself should be comfortable and inviting, sending cues to the nervous system that the place is safe. The environment you return to after the session is also important. Are family members supportive or dismissive of the healing work you are doing? Does the home and neighborhood feel safe, or does it raise stress levels or retraumatize? This wider view reflects the concept of “the matrix,” which holds that a person’s health is influenced by family, community, and society, not just personal decisions.
Internal Safety Factors
Internal safety factors include readiness for change, relaxed defenses, and flexible thinking. If a person does not feel ready to change, their defenses are likely up because change feels unsafe. Common defenses include denying that a
problem exists, blaming others, catastrophizing that the problem is too big to change, or shutting down. Attempts to force change feel like an attack, which further strengthens defenses. When safety is established, defenses relax and thinking becomes more open and flexible. Internal safety allows new insights and perspectives to be explored, leading to openness to other possibilities and pathways to change. This is why resistance should not always be treated as something to overcome. Sometimes it is useful information, signaling that part of a person does not yet feel ready, supported, or secure enough to move forward. Responding with curiosity instead of pressure can help reveal what is needed to make change feel safer.
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ADAM BREINER, ND
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In my work, I strive to provide as much psychological safety as possible for my clients. We address both external and internal safety factors as part of our ongoing work. The specific therapy I use, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, helps lower defenses by avoiding the retelling of traumatic or challenging events and using creative visualization to take a less confrontational approach to problem-solving. My new office, conveniently located in West Hartford Center, is easily accessible, inviting, and comfortable. Building trust and a positive relationship is at the heart of my practice. If you are trying to heal and feel resistance to making changes in your life, explore what feels unsafe about thinking or acting differently. Do you feel shame or embarrassment about talking about the problem? Will you have to give something up? Will an important relationship change? Will you have to take an action that feels unfamiliar? Once you’ve identified that fear or danger, build in supports that help you feel you can make changes in a way that feels meaningful, doable, and protected, or at least less vulnerable. Proceed at a pace that feels right for you. Work with providers you trust who make you feel well cared for. Attend to your external and internal safety needs, and change will feel possible.
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Purpose
Anxiety? 3 Easy Ways to Turn the Tables By Katie Cavenagh, Owner, Sacred Cocoon Healing
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
28
“Get curious. What story are you telling yourself about why you’re afraid? What do you not want to feel?” —Katie Cavanagh
W
hat do you do when your anxiety gets out of control? Many of us spiral, some of us shut down, others may even get sick. One common response we all have is nervous system dysregulation. Luckily, resolving this for good is easier than you think. Often when anxiety hits, we lose ourselves to the feeling. It takes over, causing us to repeat conditioned responses without any thought. Stop anxiety in its tracks by knowing the signs your body gives you. A little awareness goes a long way. These tips will help you hone in and regulate.
1.
Ask, “What’s happening in the body right now?”
Many people have no idea what’s going on in their body or what they’re truly feeling. We’ve been taught not to feel anything (through numbing or dismissing), so being in our body doesn’t always feel safe. Being aware of what’s happening in your body at any given moment is a key factor in nervous system regulation. When anxiety strikes, a survival pattern is activated. Maybe the body gets tense or the heart rate increases. Notice where you feel it and what the sensations are.
Perhaps an influx of thoughts triggers panic or intense fear, leaving you paralyzed. Remind yourself that thoughts are just thoughts, and focus on how your body physically responds to them. What really happens in your body when you get anxious? Have you stopped to feel, name, and sit with the sensations?
2.
Name the “Anxiety” Story for What It Is
Often, our anxious thoughts lead our emotions off the rails, causing us to lose control and fall victim to the spiral. We create the worst-case scenario in our mind, then pretend it’s real. The physical body reacts with what gets labeled as “anxiety.” What you’re reacting to is a story. The brain and body don’t differentiate between what’s real and imagined. This creates a physiological response. Stories typically center on a fear. If you fear being on stage, what’s really hiding beneath it? Get curious. What story are you telling yourself about why you’re afraid? What do you not want to feel? Thoughts prompt emotional reactions, which then signal more thoughts. Notice when you’re in a story and remind yourself that’s just what it is—a story. And don’t forget that you can change the story at any time.
3.
Feel It to Heal It
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The one thing we don’t want to do will set us free. Willingness to feel our feelings breaks identification with the story. The script was written in the past. The emotion is happening now, but it’s based on that old script. We can release attachment by becoming aware of what we’re feeling and thinking. Lean into the feeling. Allow it to be there. It’ll resolve. Emotions take about ninety seconds to play out, but they need somewhere to go. Being present in the feeling allows the energy to move through. When experiencing anxiety, be fully present in it. What emotions, physical sensations, and thoughts are present? Name how it feels to be anxious. Let your body register the feeling. Feeling your emotions and physical responses brings you into the present moment, where the old story doesn’t exist. The more often you practice this, the easier it becomes to recognize anxiety before it takes over. Instead of immediately reacting, you create a small pause between the feeling and your response. That pause gives you space to choose what happens next.
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Katie Cavenagh is a licensed hypnotist, spiritual mentor, and consciousness coach who leads you back to your power. Through various techniques including NLP, sound healing, and energy reading, she teaches how to create massive, lasting changes in life. Get right to the root of any challenge and walk away with an actionable, clear path for resolution. Free yourself of stagnant energy, imprints, and conditioning that keep you stuck. Ready to create and live a life you love? Text/call 860.655.5527 or email Katie@FeelYourLight.com to schedule an in-person or online session. More info at sacred-cocoon.com. See ad on page 43 >
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You can’t resolve what you’re not aware of. Be open to recognizing some truths about yourself. Notice and question your patterns and the stories you keep feeding, especially when you lose yourself in an emotion. Remember, you’re acting out a conditioned response to a script from the past. Take a few breaths so your body can recalibrate to the present. Ground yourself in your surroundings so you can be aware of your thoughts. Let yourself feel. This is how you detach. You are not your emotions; you experience them. There’s a difference. Turn the tables on anxiety with perspective reframes and a willingness to be present in your body.
Health
When Was the Last Time You Exhaled?
NATURAL Nutmeg
By April Beaman, RDH, CTT
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
30
W “Rest is not laziness. Going to bed early is not selfish. Sitting quietly is not wasting time.” —April Beaman, RDH, CTT
hen was the last time you truly exhaled? Not the quick breath you take while rushing out the door, answering another text, making dinner, or trying to remember everything that needs to be done tomorrow. I mean a real, deep exhale—the kind that makes your shoulders drop and reminds you, even for a moment, that you do not have to carry everything at once. For many women, that moment has become rare.
The Weight We Carry
Women are often the keepers of everything. We remember the appointments, the birthdays, the groceries, the work deadlines, the family concerns, and all the little things that somehow no one else notices. We care for children, parents, partners, friends, and sometimes everyone around us before we ever stop to ask ourselves what we need. Even when we finally sit down, our minds often keep moving. Our bodies, however, are always paying attention. Stress is not simply something that happens in our minds. We may feel it in our tight shoulders, a clenched jaw, restless sleep, racing thoughts, tired eyes, or a sense that we can never quite relax. Life will always bring stress, and no one can, or should expect to live without it. The question is whether we give ourselves the opportunity to come back to a place of calm. Perhaps stress reduction begins with a simple question: What am I carrying that I no longer need to carry?
Creating Space Instead of Doing More
Sometimes reducing stress does not mean adding another thing to our already crowded calendars. We often think we need another class, another appointment, another supplement, or another wellness routine. But sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is remove something. Say no to one commitment. Let someone else make dinner. Stop answering every message
immediately. Leave the dishes until morning. Ask for help. We live in a world that constantly encourages us to do more, be more, and accomplish more. Yet peace often comes from creating space rather than filling every available moment. One of the simplest ways to begin is through breathing. When you feel overwhelmed, pause. Take a slow breath in through your nose and let your belly rise. Then slowly breathe out and allow your shoulders to soften. Three slow breaths can create a moment between what is happening around you and how you choose to respond. Take them before getting out of the car, before answering a difficult message, or simply because you need a moment to yourself.
Rest and Reset
Our bodies also need ways to release the tension that builds throughout the day. Movement can help, but it does not need to be exhausting. Take a walk. Stretch. Garden. Dance in the kitchen. Practice gentle yoga. Move because it feels good, not because you are punishing your body. And remember that movement and rest belong together. Somewhere along the way, exhaustion became something to brag about. We say, “I’m so busy,” as though being overwhelmed proves our value. But constantly running on empty does not serve us. Rest is not laziness. Going to bed early is not selfish. Sitting quietly is not wasting time. Many women spend their evenings finishing everything they did not have time to accomplish during the day. By the time they finally get into bed, their bodies may be tired, but their minds are still racing. Creating a gentle transition at the end of the day can help us let go. Turn down the lights. Put the phone away. Take a warm shower. Read. Stretch. Simply sit quietly. Nature can offer another way to step away from the constant stimulation of daily life. Walk beneath the trees. Sit near the water. Tend a garden. Watch
the birds. Take your morning coffee outside. You do not need an expensive retreat or a week away. Sometimes ten quiet minutes without a phone can be enough to interrupt the mental noise and bring us back to the present moment.
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Emotional stress deserves attention, too. Women are often very good at saying, “I’m fine,” while quietly carrying grief, disappointment, fear, anger, or worry. We push through because people depend on us. But constantly holding everything inside can become another form of weight. Talk to someone you trust. Write your thoughts down. Cry if you need to. Laugh whenever you can. Spend time with people who let you be yourself without pretending everything is perfect. And learn to protect your energy. Every “yes” takes something from us—time, energy, or attention. Learning to say no does not make us selfish. Sometimes it is an act of self-respect. We also need one another. A long conversation with a friend, a shared meal, a hug, or a good laugh can remind us that we are not meant to carry everything alone. Perhaps this is the real heart of stress reduction. It is not about creating another perfect routine or checking another box on our wellness list. It is about learning to listen to ourselves before we are completely depleted. Ask yourself: Am I always rushing? When was the last time I rested without feeling guilty? What brings me joy? What am I saying yes to that I really want to say no to? What am I carrying that I could finally put down? These questions are not meant to create guilt. They are invitations to pay attention. You do not have to change your entire life tomorrow. Start with one small thing. Sleep a little longer. Take the walk. Step outside. Put down the phone. Say no. Ask for help. Take a breath. And perhaps most importantly, remember that you are allowed to care for yourself before you have nothing left to give. You do not have to carry it all. Sometimes, taking care of yourself begins with simply putting something down and finally allowing yourself to exhale.
Feature
NATURAL Nutmeg
The Hidden Link Among Mental Health, Physical Pain, Your Nervous System, and Financial Well-Being
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
32
By Jacqueline M. Kane, Low Back Pain Specialist, Master Energy Healer, and Triple Your Income Strategist
“When those beliefs include fear, scarcity, or trauma, the body responds with pain, tension, and restriction.” —Jacqueline M. Kane
M
ental health is one of the most important yet most misunderstood aspects of women’s wellness. We often talk about anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, and depression as emotional experiences. But for many women, mental health manifests physically: chronic pain, tension patterns, fatigue, and the feeling of carrying the world on their shoulders. As a Low Back Pain Specialist and Master Energy Healer, I’ve spent years helping women release emotional and energetic blocks that keep them stuck in cycles of pain. What surprises most people is that these same blocks also keep them stuck in cycles of financial struggle. Your mental and emotional health directly affects your wealth, and once you understand this connection, everything begins to shift.
Your Nervous System: The Missing Piece in the Abundance Conversation
Most abundance conversations focus on mindset, strategy, or hard work. But none of these matter if your nervous system doesn’t feel safe. You cannot think your way into abundance if your body believes it’s dangerous. The nervous system always overrides mindset. One woman I worked with had done everything “right”: vision boards, affirmations, courses, and
coaches. Yet every time she felt stable, something would collapse: her income, her health, or her relationships. Her nervous system was stuck in threat mode. Because safety and abundance are inseparable, her system rejected anything that felt too good or too expansive. We spent three months building nervous system safety, teaching her body that receiving was safe, that being seen was safe, and that good things could last. Her life changed not because she changed her strategy, but because she changed her system. This is the part of abundance work most women never learn: Your nervous system determines how much good you can hold.
A Client Story: Healing Trauma, Releasing Pain, and Expanding Prosperity Michelle came to me after years of trying to heal from childhood and ancestral trauma. She had worked with therapists, counselors, and coaches, yet she still felt stuck in the same emotional patterns, the same pain, and the same financial ceiling. “I’ve spent years in therapy, but I still don’t feel free,” she told me. Her nervous system was locked in survival mode, and her body held decades of
The Body Keeps Score, and So Does Your Bank Account
Pain, Trauma, and Money Blocks: The Energetic Connection
Through my Abundance Transformation Method™ (ATM) and energy healing work, I’ve seen a consistent pattern: unresolved emotional pain creates physical pain. Unresolved physical pain creates emotional fear. Both create money blocks. For example: • Low back pain often correlates with fear of financial instability or feeling unsupported.
Nervous System 101: Why Your Body Blocks Abundance
Your nervous system is ancient. It evolved to keep you alive, not to make you happy. It constantly scans for threats or safety. When it detects a threat, it moves you into fight, flight, or freeze. In survival mode, the body shuts down nonessential functions, such as creativity, connection, growth, receiving, visibility, and expansion. Many women grew up in environments where stress or scarcity was constant. Their nervous systems learned to treat chaos as normal and abundance as unfamiliar. This is called your window of tolerance. If abundance feels too unfamiliar or too vulnerable, your system will collapse it and return to what it knows. This is not a personal failure. This is neuroscience.
Signs Your Nervous System Is Blocking Your Abundance • You make money but can’t seem to hold onto it • You sabotage opportunities right before they succeed • You shut down when visibility increases • You feel guilty receiving support or money • You experience chronic pain during times of growth • You “crash” after periods of success These are nervous system responses not mindset issues.
Mental Health Is Wealth Health
Women today are building businesses, raising families, caring for aging parents, and trying to maintain their well-being. The pressure is enormous and often invisible. Supporting mental health isn’t just about reducing stress. It’s about increasing capacity—capacity to earn, to receive, to rest, and to expand. When women strengthen their mental and emotional
“Margaret’s exhaustion didn’t begin in adulthood. It was inherited and passed down through her family system like an unspoken contract.” —Jacqueline Kane, LMT
33 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
When stress becomes chronic, the nervous system remains in hyper-vigilance. Muscles tighten. Breathing becomes shallow. The body moves into survival mode. Survival mode is not where abundance lives. Women who experience chronic stress or pain often report difficulty making decisions, fear of taking risks, feeling undeserving of success, guilt about charging what they’re worth, exhaustion that stifles creativity, and a sense of “stuckness” in both body and business. These patterns aren’t character flaws; they’re physiological responses. When the body is overwhelmed, the mind becomes overwhelmed as well, making financial growth nearly impossible. Mental health challenges don’t just affect how we feel; they affect how we show up, how we earn, how we receive, and how we grow.
• Hip pain can reflect difficulty moving forward in life or business. • Shoulder tension symbolizes carrying financial burdens for others. • Jaw tension shows up in women who hold back their voice in business or relationships. These aren’t metaphors; they are energetic truths. The body stores memories, emotions, and beliefs. When those beliefs include fear, scarcity, or trauma, the body responds with pain, tension, and restriction. When the body is restricted, your ability to create, receive, and grow financially is also limited. When we release the pain, we release the fear. When we release the fear, we release the money blocks. And when we release the money blocks, wealth flows more naturally.
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fear, grief, and self-protection. She felt unsafe being seen, unsafe receiving, and unsafe expanding. During our work together, we combined somatic release, energy healing, inner child work, and ancestral clearing. As her nervous system softened, her emotional patterns began to shift. She felt grounded, supported, and safe in her own body, often for the first time in her life. Within 90 days, she said, “I made more progress in 90 days with you than I made in years of counseling. My self-acceptance, my self-love, my emotional freedom, it’s finally happening.” And then her financial life expanded. She began saying yes to opportunities she once avoided. She stopped undercharging. She stopped hiding. She stopped apologizing for wanting more. Her nervous system finally believed she could hold abundance. Another client, J. Berry, shared, “Since working with Jacqueline, my client base has doubled, my trauma-based anxiety has significantly lessened, and my energy is aligned with my goals.” These results are not guaranteed, but they show what becomes possible when the nervous system, emotional body, and energetic field finally work together.
“Good health requires a healthy gut. Your gut connects it all,” - Dr. Sachs
resilience, they make clearer decisions, set stronger boundaries, and step into leadership with confidence. Their businesses grow. Their income grows. Their sense of freedom grows. Mental health isn’t separate from financial health. It is its foundation. That connection can show up in very practical ways. When we feel more grounded, we may find it easier to have difficult conversations, ask for appropriate compensation, make thoughtful financial decisions, and pursue opportunities without being ruled by fear. Greater emotional regulation doesn’t guarantee financial success, but it can create more room to respond with intention instead of reacting from stress.
A Final Thought
NATURAL Nutmeg
IT STARTS WITH THE GUT.
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
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Mental health is not just about feeling better. It’s about living better, earning better, expanding better, and becoming the woman you were meant to be. When women heal their pain, they heal their fear. When they heal their fear, they heal their relationship with money. And when they heal their relationship with money, they elevate their entire life. If anything in this message resonated with you, if you’re tired of carrying pain that keeps you stuck, or if you’re finally ready to feel like yourself again, let’s connect. Together, we’ll uncover what your body has been trying to tell you and the exact steps to move forward with clarity, relief, and confidence. Your next chapter begins with one decision. Make it today. To schedule your FREE Real Pain Relief Strategy, visit JacquelineMKane.as.me/RealPainRelief or jacquelinemkane.com.
Jacqueline M. Kane is a Master Energy Healer who helps women break the Pain–Money Cycle by releasing chronic pain, emotional weight, and generational patterns stored in the body. Through her ATM Method™, Jacqueline guides clients to regulate their nervous systems, dissolve inherited money blocks, and expand into abundance with ease. Her work has helped women release decades of chronic physical pain, often resolving issues they’ve carried for 20, 30, or even 40 years. Jacqueline’s own healing transformed her relationship with her mother and created a healthier emotional legacy for her children and grandchildren. Her mission is to help women feel safe, supported, and free to rise into their most powerful, abundant selves. Visit JacquelineMKane.as.me/RealPainRelief or jacquelinemkane.com to learn more. See ad on page 41 >
Spirituality
Every Ceremony I Design Starts with One Question By Lauri Ingram
was sitting across from a couple a few weeks ago, notebook open, ready to start drafting their ceremony. Before I wrote a single word, I asked the question I always ask first: What are you marking here, underneath the wedding itself? They both fell quiet. Not because they didn’t know the answer, but because no one had ever asked them that before. They’d answered a hundred questions about flowers, timelines, and guest counts. Nobody had asked what was changing for both of them, why they had chosen to mark this moment this way, at this time.
The Question I Always Ask First
Weddings Are Just the Beginning
Weddings are the most visible reason people come to me for ceremony. But they’re far from the only threshold that deserves one. I once worked with a woman who came to me not for a wedding, but for a ceremony marking the end of a marriage. She wanted a way to close that chapter with intention, rather than letting the paperwork quietly finalize it. We created something small and private: a few words, a ritual gesture, and a witness. She told me afterward that it was the first time the divorce had felt complete, rather than merely processed.
Ceremony as Container, Not Performance
Once I know what someone is really marking, the actual design work begins, and it always follows the same order: intention first, then meaning, then the ceremony itself. Intention is the what: what is ending, what is beginning, what is being honored. Meaning is the why: what this passage says about who someone is becoming. Only once both of those are clear do I start building the container: the words, the rituals, the physical gestures that hold the whole thing together. You’ll feel it before you can name it, that quiet sense that something is closing, or opening, even before you have the language for it. That’s the real difference between a ceremony and a performance. A performance can be beautiful and still be empty. A ceremony, even a simple one, does something. It gives a moment somewhere to land and becomes transformative.
What Are You Marking?
Whatever threshold you’re standing at right now—a wedding, an ending, or a new chapter you haven’t named yet—I’d invite you to ask yourself the same question: What am I truly marking here? Picture yourself a year from now, looking back on this threshold. Did you mark it, or did it just pass?
Lauri Ingram is a transformational life coach, professional officiant, and founder of Awakened Pathways in Hamden, CT, offering couples coaching and life ceremonies for those who sense there’s more. Learn more at lauriingram.com.
See ad on page 21 >
“Vows and rituals are just decoration until they're anchored to something true. My job isn't to write pretty language. It's to help two people name what they're really crossing into.” —Lauri Ingram
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That question isn’t rhetorical. It’s the whole job. A wedding ceremony can mark two people combining their lives, sure. But it might also mark the end of each person’s identity as a single person, the joining of two families with very different histories, or a quiet goodbye to a version of independence that one or both of them have relied on for years. Until I know what’s truly changing, I can’t write a word that means anything. Vows and rituals are just decoration until they’re anchored to something true. My job isn’t to write pretty language. It’s to help two people name what they’re really crossing into, so the ceremony can hold it.
Retirement, becoming a parent, leaving a career, a major move, grief. All of these are real passages. Most of them go unmarked. We update our calendars, our job titles, and our relationship status, and we move on without ever pausing to cross the threshold on purpose.
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Feature
What Does Holistic Dentistry Really Mean?
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By Dr. Mark Breiner, DDS
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
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he term holistic dentistry is used more and more today. However, if you ask 10 dentists or health practitioners what it means, odds are you will receive 10 different answers. For some, holistic dentistry means avoiding mercury fillings, avoiding fluoride, or recognizing the importance of nutrition. For others, it means treating periodontal disease or understanding the relationship between oral health and systemic health at a superficial level; for example, diabetics are more prone to cavities. All of these can be important pieces of the puzzle, but for me it goes far beyond that. After decades of practicing and developing what I call Whole-Body Dentistry, I have come to see dentistry from a much broader perspective. The mouth is not an isolated collection of teeth, gums, bones, and fillings. It is part of a living human being, a person with a physical body, an energetic system, emotions, inherited tendencies, environmental exposures and, very importantly, a unique, individual way of responding to illness. If one wants to practice truly holistic dentistry, I believe we have to ask a larger question: what is happening to the whole person? The mouth is part of the body. This sounds obvious. Yet much of conventional dentistry has historically treated the mouth almost as if it were detached from the rest of the patient. A tooth hurts? Do a root canal. A cavity appears? Fill it. The gums bleed? Treat the gums. Cold sores come often? Too bad! These interventions may be necessary, but they do not necessarily answer another important question: what is happening in this particular person? Two people can eat similar diets, brush with the same toothpaste, and have similar oral hygiene habits, yet one develops recurrent cavities, and the other does not. Why? Why does one patient’s periodontal condition progress rapidly while another person’s remains stable? Why does a root canal
have profound systemic effects on one person yet not on another person?
Physical and Nonphysical
Human health exists on more than one level; there is obviously a physical level where we need to evaluate teeth, e.g., bone, tissues, occlusion, infections, airway, dental materials, and other measurable factors. We need good diagnostic and excellent clinical dentistry. However, there are also non-physical or energetic levels. This is where my approach differs significantly from that of many practitioners who use the term “holistic dentistry.” Over the years, I have incorporated energetic testing into my patient evaluations. I use it as one component of a broader clinical assessment to explore relationships that may not be apparent when we look only at a tooth or an X-ray. I also incorporate homeopathy into my treatment. Homeopathy, particularly constitutional homeopathy, asks us to look at the individual rather than simply at a diagnosis. Two people with the same conventional diagnosis may present very differently and, from a homeopathic perspective, may require completely different approaches. The patient’s physical symptoms matter, but so do the peculiarities. What makes the symptom better? What makes it worse? What food does a person crave? How is their sleep? How do they respond emotionally? Instead of asking what disease or diagnosis this person has, we begin by asking who the person with this disease is. This distinction is fundamental to my concept of holistic dentistry.
When Cavities Aren’t Just About Cavities Consider an 18-year-old college student whom I will call Isabel. Isabel came to my office because her mother wanted her checked for cavities. On the surface, this sounds like one of the most natural reasons imaginable for visiting a dentist;
however, Isabel said something that immediately raised a bigger question. “I always get cavities, even though I brush and floss religiously.” Her diet was very good, her mother being very much into nutrition. Upon examination, it was obvious that Isabel was very conscientious about her oral hygiene. Yet when I examined her, there were several new cavities again. A conventional approach would have ended with filling the cavities, possibly providing fluoride treatments, and scheduling the next exam appointment. But the real question is: why did this seemingly healthy 18-year-old continue developing decay?
The Clues Began to Accumulate
Dentistry as Part of Good Health
Dr. Mark Breiner is a pioneer in the field of holistic dentistry and author of the best-selling book, Whole-Body Dentistry. His practice is located in Fairfield, CT. For more patient stories, join Dr. Breiner’s Substack: Dr.MarkBreiner@WholeBodyDentistryBeyondtheTooth. See ad on Back Cover >
“Three months later, Isabel returned; her response was striking: ‘Homeopathic treatment has changed my life!’ ” —Mark Breiner, DDS
37 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
My approach does not mean we ignore dentistry. Quite the opposite. The case still needs to be evaluated appropriately and treated. Infections must be addressed; periodontal disease requires attention; occlusion, airway, nutrition, and dental materials matter. Good holistic dentistry must be good dentistry; it just should not end there. If we restore every tooth beautifully while ignoring the person those teeth belong to, have we really practiced holistically? I think of this approach as whole-body health restoration. Sometimes a dental component may be the dominant issue, while at other times the mouth may be just one manifestation of a much broader imbalance. The challenge is determining which pieces of the puzzle matter for that particular patient. After decades in this field, I have learned not to assume that the most obvious symptom is necessarily the source of the problem. Tooth pain may actually be due to a problem in an associated organ. I want to know what I can see clinically, radiographically, and diagnostically, but I also want to understand the pattern running through the person and the energetic connections of teeth to specific organs and tissues. Isabel’s cavities were real. They needed dental attention, but Isabel was more than just her cavities. Her mouth, digestive reactions, cravings, menstrual symptoms, nosebleeds, emotional responses, and low energy were all occurring in the same human being. For me, this is what holistic dentistry ultimately means: not simply removing mercury fillings, not simply stopping the use of fluoride, not playing spa music, not merely using the word biological, holistic, or natural-it means refusing to separate the mouth from the body or the physical person from the energetic person. It means asking why. It means looking for connections. It means considering the terrain in which that problem developed, and sometimes, as happened with an 18-year-old college student who could not understand why she kept getting cavities, the most ordinary dental complaint can become the first clue to something much bigger. This is Whole-Body Dentistry.
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Isabel had significant reactions to dairy and gluten. When she ate either of these, she could become nauseated and extremely bloated and would feel terrible, not just physically, but also emotionally; yet she intensely craved the very foods that made her feel worse. She also had a powerful craving for sweets, which interestingly, became even stronger when she eliminated gluten from her diet. Alcohol produced another unusual reaction. Even a small amount could trigger tremendous anxiety. She described the feeling as though “the world was coming to an end.” Then there were her menstrual symptoms. Her PMS was very severe and was accompanied by considerable bloating. She also experienced chronic nosebleeds and often developed a canker sore on her lower lip. What do these things have to do with cavities? If we separate the body into specialties, Isabel could potentially have been viewed as a collection of unrelated problems: the dentist treats the cavities, the gastroenterologist investigates the bloating and food reactions, the gynecologist addresses the PMS, and another practitioner considers the anxiety. Instead of focusing exclusively on Isabel‘s cavities, I looked at the totality of her presentation. Energetic testing was incorporated into my assessment, and I evaluated her constitutionally from a homeopathic perspective. The objective was not simply to find something that would treat cavities; it was to identify an approach directed toward Isabel as a whole person. She was given a single homeopathic remedy that I believed best corresponded to her overall constitution and symptoms. Three months later, Isabel returned; her response was striking: “Homeopathic treatment has changed my life!” Isabel’s energy had increased significantly. She was more focused in her college studies. Emotionally, she described herself as feeling positive and happy. Her food and alcohol reactions were improving. She no longer had her PMS symptoms. No nosebleeds. What had begun as an appointment about cavities had revealed something much larger. The mouth had provided a doorway into
understanding the person and the underlying cause of constant cavities. Two years later, Isabel still has no new cavities.
Health
Less Stress, Better Health: Simple Ways to Support Your Mental and Physical Well-Being By Dr. Tracy Cormier, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC
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tress is part of life. Work demands, family responsibilities, finances, health concerns, and the constant stream of information from our phones can leave us feeling as though we are always “on.” While short-term stress can help us respond to challenges, chronic stress can take a toll on our mental and physical health.
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What Stress Is Doing to Your Body
“Set boundaries with technology. Constant notifications, news, emails, and social media can keep the brain in a heightened state of alert.” —Dr. Tracy Cormier, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC
Stress does not always present as feeling anxious or overwhelmed. It may manifest as headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite, digestive problems, poor sleep, or a racing heartbeat. Over time, chronic stress may contribute to elevated blood pressure, unhealthy eating patterns, disrupted sleep, and difficulty maintaining healthy lifestyle habits. The first step in managing stress is recognizing how it affects you personally.
Start With Small, Sustainable Changes
You do not need to completely change your life to improve your mental well-being. Small, consistent habits can make a meaningful difference. Move your body. Activities like walking, stretching, strength training, yoga, and gardening can help relieve tension and improve your mood. Even a short walk outside can provide a mental reset. Protect your sleep. Aim for a consistent bedtime and wake time, limit screen time before bed, and establish a relaxing nighttime routine. If you regularly snore, wake frequently, have morning headaches, or feel exhausted despite getting enough sleep, consider discussing sleep apnea or another sleep disorder with a healthcare professional. Set boundaries with technology. Constant notifications, news, emails, and social media can keep the brain in a heightened state of alert. Consider scheduling times each day to put your phone away and be fully present. Practice intentional breathing. Slow, controlled breathing can help activate the body’s relaxation response. Try inhaling slowly through your nose, pausing briefly, then exhaling slowly. Repeat for several minutes.
Stay connected. Meaningful relationships are essential to emotional health. Make time for those who support you. A phone call, coffee with a friend, a family dinner, or simply talking with someone you trust can help reduce feelings of isolation.
Slow Down, and Ask for Help
Our culture often celebrates being busy, but pushing through exhaustion is not a wellness strategy. Schedule time for activities that restore you—reading, spending time outdoors, listening to music, exercising, pursuing a hobby, or simply enjoying quiet time. Rest is not wasted time. It is part of taking care of yourself. But sometimes lifestyle changes are not enough. Persistent sadness, anxiety, irritability, significant sleep changes, or loss of interest in activities are reasons to talk with a healthcare professional or a mental health specialist. You do not have to wait until life feels unmanageable to ask for help. Preventive healthcare includes checking in on your emotional well-being, just as we monitor blood pressure, cholesterol, sleep, and other measures of physical health.
Come Home to Care
At TLC Healthcare Solutions, our philosophy is simple: healthcare should treat the whole person. Reducing stress, improving sleep, moving your body, strengthening relationships, and asking for support when needed are powerful investments in your long-term health. We believe mental wellness is an essential part of whole-person healthcare. Caring for your emotional health is not separate from caring for your heart, sleep, weight, or overall well-being; all are deeply connected.
Tracy Cormier, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, is a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Adult Nurse Practitioner with TLC Healthcare Solutions LLC in Coventry, Connecticut. TLC Healthcare Solutions provides personalized primary care, preventive cardiology, weight management, sleep evaluations, and telehealth services. See ad on page 25 >
Purpose
From Survival Mode to Self-Trust:
Breaking Trauma Patterns to Change Your Life By Marcel Touponse
When Trauma Becomes a Pattern
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder, CPTSD, is a bit of a different animal. CPTSD represents a prolonged exposure to physical or emotional trauma, including abuse and neglect. If we narrow our focus to early childhood development, CPTSD can alter the brain’s formation and operation. Without getting too clinical here, suffice it to say that an activated state becomes linked to emotional safety, as does each coping mechanism associated with the activated state.
Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn
Within the activated state, there are four main categories of response—fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Most of us favor one of these response types when activated. The trick is to spot the behavior associated with prolonged exposure.
People pleasing, isolation, shame, guilt, emotional dissociation, distraction, perfectionism… The list goes on, but the main point is that these symptoms often go untreated and at times, misdiagnosed. Bipolar disorder, ADD/ADHD, generalized anxiety disorders, depression, and CPTSD are easily missed. There is a natural inclination to bear the weight of past trauma and trudge forward. For those who survived repeated abuse and neglect in childhood, the first step is normalizing the behavior to mitigate the emotional vulnerability. Revisiting these disturbing patterns in adulthood can be difficult.
Using Hypnosis to Change the Pattern
This is where hypnosis can be such a powerful ally. In a trance state, events are viewed from an emotional distance through a useful dissociation. The adult self views the child self compassionately and learns to admire the strength and fortitude required to make it through a situation that was anything but normal. The adult self can be made to understand that the current activation and emotional response are the exact same pattern formed in childhood, and, as with most things from childhood, it needs to be altered to adapt to the current reality. The current reality is one of self-love and selftrust. Admiring oneself for surviving every single difficult moment, every single difficult day, to arrive in the present as a competent adult driven to change their lives for the better—thanking the child self, receiving thanks from the child self for growing into a resilient, resourceful adult, and eventually allowing your child self to go and play.
“The adult self views the child self compassionately and learns to admire the strength and fortitude required to make it through a situation that was anything but normal.” —Marcel Touponse
Marcel Touponse is a Hypnotherapist, Sound Healer, Life Coach, and Tarot Reader. He co-owns The Blackbird House in Old Wethersfield and operates Blackbird Hypnosis. Marcel’s goal is to assist you in “becoming aligned with your mind.” He offers regular workshops on Self-Hypnosis and is available for small- and large-group tarot readings. See ad on page 19 >
39 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
he word trauma conjures discomfort in most of us and for good reason. People associate the trauma with a specific event, an indelible mark in the timeline that stands as a divider—life before the event and life after. All of us have heard and used the acronym PTSD. We know what it stands for and most of us understand the concept. The common attribution is to the person in harm’s way who witnesses, or directly endures, a catastrophe. All this is true, but trauma comes in other forms as well. In hypnosis, trauma is a part of everyday life. While some of my trauma clients already understand that they’re working through post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from a specific event, others have no idea that they’re struggling with a trauma response at all.
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Health
Reclaiming Your Freedom: Reverse the Stress of Bladder Leaks
By Dr. Dana Lapointe, ND, LMT, Esth, CMWC
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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
40 “You do not have to live your life tethered to a restroom map or locked in a cycle of silent anxiety.” —Dr. Dana Lapointe, ND, LMT, Esth, CMWC
here’s an exhausting, secret arithmetic that many women begin to practice in midlife— a calculation happening entirely under the surface, never mentioned in social circles. Before leaving home, you map your route by nearby public restrooms. You schedule errands in loops, avoiding highways where rest stops are sparse. If you accept an invitation to an event, part of your mind remains tethered to an exit strategy. And that Zumba class you loved? You reluctantly canceled your membership, explaining that you “no longer had the time,” when really, the jumping and high-impact movement carried an unacceptable risk of embarrassing accidental leaks. In my practice, women share these private strategies as if confessing a shameful secret. If this sounds familiar, know right now: you are not alone, and you do not have to just live with it. This condition brings immense anxiety and strains intimacy, leading some to withdraw from physical closeness altogether. What’s heartbreaking is how this chronic stress silently shrinks your world, forcing you to compromise vitality and accept a diminished life under the false assumption that this is simply the price of getting older.
Why Kegels—and More Invasive Options—May Fall Short
We blame aging as a monolithic decline. But physiologically, what happens to your pelvic floor during perimenopause and menopause is much more specific. As estrogen levels shift, systemic changes occur in tissue elasticity and collagen synthesis. Connective tissue integrity throughout the pelvis becomes compromised, allowing baseline inflammation to worsen pelvic floor structural fatigue. This structural and hormonal shift requires targeted, intelligent support. Unfortunately, conventional medicine often falls short. Mostly, we’re told to “do Kegels.” But asking a fatigued, hormonally depleted pelvic floor to
rebuild itself through traditional exercise is like trying to run a marathon with a sprained ankle. The volume and frequency of contractions needed to create lasting muscle-tone changes are nearly impossible to do consistently or effectively on your own. When Kegels fail, conventional medicine pivots to the other extreme: invasive, “heroic” interventions like surgical bladder slings or implanted bladder pacemakers. I’ve consulted with many women who traveled down these intense surgical roads; the stats aren’t good. Some experienced temporary relief, only for the underlying weakness to return. Tragically, these surgical procedures are incredibly difficult to reverse, often requiring complex revision surgeries that carry a risk of further complications and severe scarring. Even worse, the physical presence of these permanent implants can act as an absolute medical contraindication, permanently precluding you from utilizing the advanced, noninvasive technologies I describe next. This begs the most vital clinical question: Why would we bypass gentle, restorative options and jump straight to invasive procedures? The only plausible reason is that the conventional setting simply didn’t let you know you had other choices.
A More Comprehensive Path to Pelvic Floor Healing
True healing requires a comprehensive approach that respects your body’s innate wisdom. To bridge the gap that voluntary exercise can’t close, modern non-invasive technology offers an extraordinary path forward. High-intensity electromagnetic pelvic floor restoration is an effortless mechanical powerhouse for structural rehabilitation. It lets you sit comfortably, fully clothed, while targeted energy waves trigger thousands of deep, Kegel-like therapeutic muscle contractions in a single brief session, doing the
HEALER • GUIDE • PAIN TRANSFORMER
Is Chronic Pain keeping you from reaching your money goals, despite trying every option to cope with it? • Are you experiencing chronic physical pain that keeps returning after PT, chiropractic, massage, injections, or surgeries? • Do you feel older than your age? • Hitting the same income ceiling with money going out as fast as it comes in?
Join Jacqueline for the Abundance Transformation Method, 6-Month Immersion Program A journey to financial freedom, emotional healing, and vibrant wellbeing. Your path to becoming a magnet for abundance—internally and externally.
In this program, you will: • Release physical pain and emotional weight, and learn to regulate your nervous system.
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• Learn how chronic pain relates to your finances. • Double or triple your income. My clients have gone from bankruptcy to their biggest financial month ever; landed multiple job offers; doubled their client base, and attracted unexpected checks, raises, and opportunities because when the pain leaves, the money comes in.
Book a Complimentary Discovery Session Today Call Jacqueline at 860-307-0232 for more information
or visit JacquelineM Kane.as.me/RealPainRelief to schedule your session.
My back pain is gone, my stress has lifted, & I feel lighter & happier than I have in years. As soon as I released the emotional weight, my energy shifted — & my business began thriving with ease & new opportunities flowing in. - Katie W.
111 Main St., Collinsville, CT 06019 (860) 307-0232 www.jacquelinemkane.com
2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
Dr. Dana Lapointe,““The Lifestyle Doc,” is a licensed naturopathic physician with over 17 years of experience and a three-time winner of the reader’s choice “Top Ten NDs” award. She brings a fresh, intuitive, and cooperative approach to chronic women’s health concerns and has been at the forefront of bringing innovative, non-invasive therapeutics to her local community. She holds advanced certification in StemWave therapeutics for chronic and acute musculoskeletal conditions, and is known for her expert care of gut, skin, weight, and metabolic conditions. Dr Lapointe is excited to launch the ReStora chair for pelvic floor issues coinciding with the opening of her beautiful new clinic at 218 River Road in Unionville, CT. Call 860.217.1171 or visit sustainablehw.com for your invitation to an exclusive Grand Re-Opening Celebration in the new space and to join the VIP Waitlist for early access to complimentary ReStora and StemWave demonstrations, package promotions, and priority scheduling. See ad on page 19 >
Jacqueline Kane
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heavy lifting to retrain your pelvic infrastructure without manual strain. Further, in a holistic approach, we cannot separate the structural bladder from its internal environment or nervous system. Did you know, for example, that hidden food sensitivities can chronically irritate the bladder lining, perfectly mimicking the disruptive symptoms of an overactive bladder? Testing for food sensitivities and removing them from your diet can reduce the irritation that worsens an overactive bladder. Similarly, chronic stress and anticipatory panic lock the bladder’s smooth muscle into a state of hyper-reactivity. To settle this overactive neural signaling, I utilize advanced electro-acupuncture and auriculotherapy to gently soothe hyperreactive nerve pathways and harmonize the body’s natural energetic meridians. To address deeper subconscious loops, I am proud to be one of a very small number of practitioners nationwide certified in specialized Medical Support Clinical Hypnotherapy protocols designed specifically for overactive bladder (OAB)—a methodology scientifically validated by a landmark $3 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) study. There’s an undeniable clinical magic in partnering with a single practitioner who can stand alongside you and weave these customized modalities into a unified protocol specific to you. True resolution means looking far beyond a single device or a simple symptom checklist. You do not have to live your life tethered to a restroom map or locked in a cycle of silent anxiety. Healing is about rebuilding your foundation so your world can open wide again.
Spirituality
When Stress Isn’t Really Yours:
NATURAL Nutmeg
Understanding Ancestral and Inherited Emotional Patterns By Agnes Daddona, Psychic Medium Counselor
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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
42 “Every lineage carries both a wound and a gift. My work is helping you release the wound so the gift finally has room to rise.” —Agnes Daddona, Psychic Medium Counselor
any people come to me carrying a stress or anxiety that doesn’t quite match their life. They’ve done the work of therapy, journaling, meditation, healthier boundaries, and still, underneath it all, there’s a tightness that won’t loosen. A worry that feels bigger than the moment calls for. A pattern around money, relationships, or self-worth that keeps resurfacing no matter how much insight they gain. If this sounds familiar, you are not imagining it, and you are not failing at your own healing. Some of what you carry was never fully yours to begin with.
It Isn’t Only Trauma You’ve Inherited
As a Psychic Medium, Counselor, and Healer, I often sense that what a client is holding didn’t originate in their own lifetime at all. It traces back further to a parent, a grandparent, a lineage shaped by survival, loss, or unmet longing. Emotional and energetic patterns can be passed down much like physical traits are: a nervous system braced for scarcity, a belief that love must be earned, a quiet fear of being truly seen. These imprints live in a person’s energy field long before they ever surface as a thought, a habit, or a fear. Sometimes the first clue is simply the feeling that your reaction does not belong entirely to the present moment. You may recognize the same fear, silence, or struggle woven through family stories. Seeing that larger pattern can open the door to a different kind of healing. This is different from a memory or a learned behavior. It is an inherited energetic signature, and it responds to a different kind of healing than the tools most of us are taught to reach for first.
Why Awareness Alone Doesn’t Always Break the Pattern
A Pattern Older Than Your Own Story
Here is what surprises most people: the same family lines that carry trauma also carry gifts. Intuition, healing ability, resilience, creativity, deep spiritual sensitivity often run through a lineage right alongside the wounds, sometimes dormant for generations because the trauma was never cleared long enough for the gift to rise to the surface. In my experience, the two are connected. When an ancestral imprint of fear or pain is finally released, what often awakens in its place is a gift that has been waiting quietly in the same bloodline. Traditional stress-reduction tools are valuable, and I recommend many of them to my own clients. But most are designed to work with the conscious mind and the present-day nervous system, not with an energetic imprint that was never generated by this lifetime’s experiences. That is why some people can name their pattern with complete clarity, understand exactly where it probably comes from, and still feel it quietly running the show. Understanding a pattern intellectually and releasing it energetically are two very different processes, and true relief usually requires both. Sometimes insight explains the pattern without actually shifting it. Deeper healing may begin when we address what is being carried beneath conscious awareness.
The Pattern May Not Be Yours Alone
• A fear or worry that feels disproportionate to your actual, present-day circumstances
• A pattern around money, relationships, or self-worth that has echoed through more than one generation of your family • Steady progress in therapy or self-work that plateaus in this one specific area • A felt sense of carrying something heavier, or older, than your own life fully explains
Working with the Root, Not Just the Symptom
Your Next Step
Agnes Daddona, MA, Intuitive Counseling, is one of the best Psychic/ Mediums and healers in New England. The gift of intuition has run in her family for generations. For over twenty years, Agnes has worked with thousands of people worldwide through Psychic Readings, Mediumship, Channeling Angels, Counseling, Healing, and Teaching. Agnes has transformed many people’s lives by helping them achieve their dreams. She continues to solve the most difficult issues when no one else can help. Agnes offers in-person sessions at her spa in Avon, CT, and phone or Zoom sessions worldwide. To book your sessions, contact Agnes at AgnesDaddona.com, email Agnes@IntuitiveCounselingLLC.com, or call 860.941.2667. See ad on page 4 >
Your body is always communicating. A Qest4 Bioenergetic Scan may help uncover hidden stress patterns that traditional testing often overlooks, so you can address the root cause and feel like yourself again.
Dr. Brian Ruggiero, D.C. Integrative Healing Practitioner • Chiropractor • Acupuncturist • Hypnotherapist • Energy Healer • Qest4 Bioenergetic Practitioner
COMMON CONCERNS WE HELP INVESTIGATE • Fatigue • Digestive Issues • Stress & Anxiety • Sleep Difficulties • Hormonal Imbalances • Chronic Inflammation •Unexplained Symptoms
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drbrian@quantumessencehealing.com • 860-960-3460 • quantumessencehealing.com
43 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
If this reflects your experience, know that this is sacred work that calls for guided support. In a private session with me, I trace what has been passed down through your family line, release the ancestral imprint at its root, and awaken the gift that has been waiting within that same lineage so it can finally be lived forward rather than carried forward. You don’t have to carry this alone, and you don’t have to keep guessing at what it is. I would be honored to sit with you in a session and help you find the clarity and relief you’ve been looking for.
WHAT IS YOUR BODY TRYING TO TELL YOU?
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This is the layer I specialize in. As an Angelic Channel and Psychic Medium, I’m able to perceive what’s held in a client’s energy field and trace it back through their lineage, sensing not only where an inherited pattern began, but also what gift has been waiting beneath it. With the support of the angelic realm, I guide clients in releasing the ancestral imprint at its energetic root while awakening the intuitive, healing, or spiritual gift that runs through the same family line. This is precise, guided work. It isn’t something a person can fully do alone, because you can’t always see the lineage you’re standing inside of, but with the right guidance, both the release and the awakening can happen with remarkable clarity and care.
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Spirituality
Safe Enough to Grow By Susan Cote, CLC
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
44
“The goal isn’t to “fix” a child. It’s to help each family build a toolbox of regulation strategies that supports their unique needs.” —Susan Cote, CLC
W
hat helps a person feel safe enough to grow? I’ve been asking that question for more than thirty years. I didn’t know it at first. As a birth doula, I watched women accomplish things they never believed they could. As a teacher, I watched children flourish when they felt seen and understood. As a special education teacher, I discovered that behavior often changes when a child’s nervous system feels safe. Today, I see the very same pattern in adults. This article isn’t just about children with autism. It’s about being human.
Supporting Children with Autism Begins with Supporting Ourselves
Children with autism simply illuminate something that is true for all of us: we grow best when we feel safe. I learned this lesson during one of the hardest years of my teaching career. After teaching in Montessori schools and public schools, I accepted a position at a local preschool. Teaching had always felt natural to me, but this classroom challenged everything I thought I knew. The classroom felt out of control. Children bit, scratched, and ran from the room. My teaching assistant told me it was the most challenging class she had ever worked in. Then she quit. Every afternoon after the children left, I sat in the corner and cried. The school custodian became
so used to finding me there that one day he gently smiled and said, “Susan...go cry at home with your family.” I laughed. Then I cried some more. I questioned everything. I had a teaching degree with a minor in special education. Wasn’t that supposed to prepare me? That summer, I realized I had been asking the wrong question. Instead of asking, “How do I get these children to change?” I began asking, “How do I help them feel safe enough to grow?” That single question changed everything. When school started again, I returned with a different mindset. Before asking my students to regulate their emotions, I needed to learn how to regulate my own.
Starting Small
We started small. One minute. A few deep breaths. A calming essential oil. A Tibetan singing bowl. One minute, three mornings each week. None of these tools worked alone, but together they helped children notice what was happening in their bodies and discover that they had tools to return to a place of calm. By June, my preschoolers could sit together for ten peaceful minutes. More importantly, they learned something that would stay with them long after the school year ended: They were not powerless over their emotions.
Looking back over the past three decades— as a birth doula, educator, special education teacher, aromatherapy instructor, and relationship coach—I realize I never really changed careers. I’ve simply continued asking the same question: How do we help people feel safe enough to grow?
Connection
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March, 2027 Sedona, AZ Co-facilitated by: Melissa Wooldridge Breton, APRN, Dr. Diane Hayden, Jacqueline Kane, LMT and Lisa Anderson, CHC
Learn more:
45 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
Susan Cote is the founder of Everyday Harvest, where she combines her experience as a birth doula, educator, special education teacher, relationship coach, and aromatherapy instructor to help individuals and families create calmer, more connected relationships. She believes that lasting growth begins when people feel safe enough to grow. See ad on page 25 >
E L E VAT E F E A R L E S S LY I N S E D O N A
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Whether I’m supporting a couple struggling to communicate, a parent raising a child with autism, an educator, or a classroom full of preschoolers, the answer begins in the same place: Connection. A regulated adult helps create a regulated child. That doesn’t mean caregivers must be calm all the time. It means noticing when we are overwhelmed, tending to our own needs, and showing children that regulation is something we can practice together. Safety grows through these small, repeated moments of connection. If you’re raising, teaching, or caring for a child with autism, I want you to know something: I see you. I see the exhaustion that no one else notices. The appointments. The paperwork. The sleepless nights. The moments when you wonder if you’re doing enough. You are carrying more than most people realize. You deserve support, too. Children borrow our nervous systems long before they borrow our words. One of the tools I share with families is the thoughtful use of essential oils alongside breathing, movement, and sensory supports. No single strategy works for everyone. The goal isn’t to “fix” a child. It’s to help each family build a toolbox of regulation strategies that supports their unique needs. Because sometimes the person who most needs support isn’t the child. It’s the adult who loves them. Every child deserves to feel safe enough to grow. And so does every caregiver. If you’re looking for practical tools, encouragement, and a supportive community, I invite you to join my upcoming free webinar for parents and caregivers of children with autism. We’ll explore sensory regulation strategies—including the thoughtful use of essential oils—to support both children and the adults who care for them. Registration is available at everydayharvest.com.
Health
Need Help Relaxing?
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Try Massage Therapy
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
46
By Kevin Ramsey, Body Care Innovation Manager
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he body can produce an unhealthy buildup of hormones when we’re stuck in traffic or meeting a work deadline. And that stress can look like more than just a bad mood in the carpool line, crashing when you finally get home, or anxious thoughts swirling as you try to fall asleep. Pent-up levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol can affect nearly every system of your body, from the cardiovascular to the musculoskeletal. You may have noticed your muscles tensing in response to stress. Theoretically, this is meant as a protective mechanism, and your muscles should relax once the stress passes. But constant stress can keep muscles engaged far longer than necessary, potentially leading to lower back pain, tension headaches, and migraines. That’s where massage comes in. Regular massage therapy helps relax and de-stress, not only at the muscular level but also at the hormonal level. Here’s how it works. Simply put, massages are relaxing. Taking an hour at least once a month can help the body enter a restful recovery mode, and the effect lingers long after the massage is over. That pause can give an overstimulated body a chance to reset. Over time, making relaxation part of a regular routine may help you recognize tension earlier and recover from everyday stress more easily.
What Is a Relaxation Massage?
A relaxation massage is a full-body massage focused on calming and easing tension. It typically uses slow, flowing strokes at moderate pressure to help relax body and mind, ease everyday muscle tension, and promote an overall sense of well-being.
Massage therapy can be great for relaxation throughout the body in a few key ways. It does so by helping: • Calm the nervous system: Massage activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the branch responsible for the body’s rest-anddigest response. This shift slows the fightor-flight signals that keep the body on edge, helping you feel at ease. • Manage stress hormones: Research shows that massage may reduce adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), a key stress marker that triggers the body’s stress response, while increasing oxytocin, a hormone associated with calm. • Ease muscle tension: Massage works out that tension by improving circulation to tired tissue during the session and releasing muscle fatigue that builds up from sitting, overexertion, or simply carrying the weight of a long week. • Lower heart rate and blood pressure: The same nervous system shift that calms the mind also signals the cardiovascular system to ease up, helping reduce heart rate and blood pressure, particularly in people managing hypertension. At Massage Envy franchised locations, your therapist will check in first to learn what’s bothering you and what you’re hoping to get out of your session. That conversation sets expectations for your personalized massage, but you should always feel empowered to speak up at any time to fine-tune your experience. Therapists can adjust pressure, spend more time on trouble spots, and adjust music and table heat, all of which go a long way toward helping you relax. Once the massage is underway, here’s what your body starts doing on its own.
Breathing and Heart Rate Slow As the massage gets underway, the nervous system begins to shift out of its alert, reactive state. Breathing naturally deepens and slows, and heart rate should follow suit. Your parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for rest and recovery, is likely activated by the massage. Muscle Tension Release Massage therapy directly targets and relaxes muscle tension, temporarily improving circulation to compressed tissue and encouraging contracted muscles to release. The neck, shoulders, and lower back tend to hold the most tension, and many people only realize how much they were carrying once it melts away.
Physical and Mental Benefits of Relaxation
Not only does a relaxing massage feel good, especially when your brain and body have been on high alert, but it can also have downstream effects on your wellness. Increased feelings of relaxation can help improve mood and mental outlook, including feelings of emotional balance and ability to handle pressure; support better sleep; and reduce the physical sensation of pain, especially when tension and stress are amplifying how your body feels it.
What Kind of Massage Therapy Is Best for Relaxation?
A massage therapist incorporates different modalities and techniques based on what your body needs that day. Massage therapy for relaxation typically uses a few approaches (and enhancements) that work particularly well, and many can be combined in a single session. • Swedish massage: The most common starting point for relaxation-focused work. It uses long, flowing strokes and kneading movements to help ease muscle tension.
The immediate effects of a massage can last anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days, depending on the individual and the specifics of the service. Research suggests that regular massage builds on these effects over time, meaning the more consistently you go, the more your body learns to return to that relaxed state. Learn more about how to maintain relaxation with the Massage Envy guide to post-massage care at massageenvy.com/self-care-blog/body-care/ keep-the-relaxation-going-your-guide-to-postmassage-care.
Find Your Calm at Massage Envy
The massage therapists at Massage Envy franchised locations understand that sometimes a person just needs to fully decompress. That’s why, from your first consultation with your massage therapist to the ambiance of the massage room and the enhancements you choose, relaxation can be built into every step of the experience. Now, you can experience an even greater level of calm with a relaxation massage specifically designed to ease tension and help you unwind. And explore body care beyond massage with a relaxation stretch session for a new approach to rest and recovery. Ready to get started? Book an appointment for relaxing massage therapy at a Massage Envy franchised location near you today. Sign up for a Massage Envy membership today. To learn more, call 860.233.8890 or email Clinic0825@massageenvy.com.
See ad on page 3 >
“Many people find the application and botanical aromas soothing, making them well suited to the slow, intentional work that defines a relaxing massage.” —Kevin Ramsey
47 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
The Stress Response Quiets On the hormonal side, massage has been shown to reduce ACTH, a key marker of the body’s stress response, while oxytocin further suppresses it. The two effects compound, which may help explain why the sense of calm from a massage tends to outlast the session itself.
How Long Do Relaxation Benefits Last?
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Feel-Good Chemicals Increase Touch triggers a measurable hormonal response. Research shows that moderate-pressure massage increases oxytocin, a hormone linked to calm, trust, and social connection. Dopamine and serotonin levels also shift to support mood and mental ease.
• Hot stone: Smooth, heated stones can be incorporated into a session to deliver direct warmth to tense muscle groups. The heat helps muscles relax more quickly, and many people find the added weight and warmth deeply grounding. • Aromatherapy: Essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus, and citrus can be added to your massage lotion or oil and used throughout a session. Scent has been shown to support mood and emotion, so the right blend can meaningfully enhance your relaxing massage. • CBD cream: Some Massage Envy franchised locations offer CBD-infused creams as a topical addition to a session. Many people find the application and botanical aromas soothing, making them well suited to the slow, intentional work that defines a relaxing massage.
Health
Beyond Antioxidants: How Polyphenols Connect the Gut, Brain, and Healthy Aging
NATURAL Nutmeg
By Dr. Tamara Sachs, MD
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
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or years, we thought much of the benefit of polyphenols came from their role as antioxidants. These naturally occurring compounds, found abundantly in berries, colorful fruits and vegetables, herbs, spices, tea, cocoa, nuts, and many other plant foods, do help protect our cells from oxidative damage. Today, the science of polyphenols has become much more interesting. We now understand that polyphenols also act as signaling compounds, influencing gene expression, inflammation, immune function, blood vessel function, metabolism, and our mitochondria, the structures within our cells that produce much of our energy and perform many other essential functions. And there is another player in this story that may be just as important: the trillions of microorganisms living within our gut.
The Microbiome Changes the Story
We absorb some polyphenols directly from the foods we eat. But many are poorly absorbed in their original form or remain attached to parts of the plant matrix as they travel through our digestive tract. When these plant compounds reach the colon, our gut microbes go to work. The microbiome transforms many polyphenols into smaller microbial metabolites that can be absorbed and travel throughout the body. In effect, the plants provide the raw materials, the microbiome performs additional chemistry, and the resulting metabolites become part of an extraordinary communication system between the gut and the rest of the body. These compounds are more than metabolic leftovers. Many act as chemical messengers, influencing how our cells communicate and how different physiological systems work together. This becomes particularly important as we age. The heart, brain, immune system, gut, muscles, blood vessels, and metabolism are not independent systems. They are interconnected, interdependent, and constantly communicating. Polyphenols and their metabolites appear to be key players in that conversation.
From the Gut to the Brain
One of the most fascinating areas of research involves the communication between the gut and the brain. The brain does not function independently. It is influenced by our vascular health, metabolism, inflammation, immune activity, physical activity, and much more. Microbial metabolites from polyphenol-rich foods are known to influence several of these pathways, including inflammation, immune signaling, vascular function, glucose and insulin regulation, oxidative stress, and neurotransmitter signaling. The gut microbiome can influence the precursors involved in serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and other signaling molecules. Our microbiome can influence both neurotransmitter production and the communication between the gut and the brain. It seems some of these metabolites protect the blood–brain barrier, the critical boundary that protects the brain. Disruption of the blood–brain barrier can occur with inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and even head trauma, and may contribute to symptoms ranging from transient brain fog to early neurodegenerative disease. Polyphenols and their metabolites may also increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. BDNF helps brain cells grow, adapt, and stay healthy. Sometimes called “brain fertilizer,” it supports the brain’s ability to learn and form new connections, making it particularly important for memory and healthy brain aging. Two plant-based polyphenolrich products have already been shown to raise BDNF, as have Lion’s Mane and coffee berry. I think microbial-derived metabolites are part of the elusive mind-body connection we have long recognized but have not had the language or science to explain. It is perhaps the mechanism for our intuitions and “gut feelings”.
The Mitochondrial Connection
And then there are the mitochondria. We usually think of mitochondria as our cellular energy producers, but they do much more than keep the lights on. They are involved in metabolism, inflammation,
The Same Food Does Not Produce the Same Response in Everyone
From Lifespan to Healthspan
Systems biology research looks at how the many interconnected parts of our biology work together rather than studying them one at a time. One example is MAEVE, a large NIH-funded study led by researchers at UCLA and Emeran Mayer, M.D., that explores the relationship among polyphenols, the microbiome, and healthy aging.
Optimal Gut Health to Change Your Life
We started by thinking about polyphenols primarily as antioxidants. Then we discovered that they are also signaling compounds. Now we are beginning to understand the remarkable relationship between the plants we eat, our microbiome, the metabolites it produces, and the constant chemical messages traveling throughout the body. Ultimately, the practical message may be surprisingly simple: An essential and underappreciated component of healthy aging is optimizing gut health. Protect and feed your microbiome by eating both a large amount and a wide variety of plants every day, especially those rich in polyphenols, such as berries, grapes, colorful fruits and vegetables, herbs, spices, tea, cocoa, nuts, and seeds.
Tamara Sachs, MD, is a Mount Sinai– trained internal medicine physician with more than three decades of experience helping people address the underlying drivers of chronic illness. Her work in functional and longevity medicine also focuses on helping people age well, preserving strength, vitality, and independence. With a background spanning molecular biology, internal and emergency medicine, clinical nutrition, and functional medicine, she translates complex science into practical strategies for better health and longevity. www.tsachsmd.com See ad on page 34 >
“The microbiome responds not simply to how many grams of fiber we eat, but to the diversity of plant compounds it encounters.” —Dr. Tamara Sachs, MD
49 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
Two people can eat the same polyphenol-rich food yet produce different metabolites because their microbiomes are different. This may eventually become an important part of personalized nutrition: understanding not only what someone eats but also how their microbiome processes it. But one practical lesson has already emerged: diversity matters. Fiber and polyphenols arrive together in real plants. Fiber provides bulk and nourishment for our gut microbes, while polyphenols provide an enormous variety of additional compounds that microbes can transform. The microbiome responds not simply to how many grams of fiber we eat, but to the diversity of plant compounds it encounters. A healthy plant-based diet isn’t built around a few perfect fruits, vegetables, fibers, or polyphenols. Variety and diversity are essential. A useful target is at least 30 different plant foods each week. Different plants provide different fibers, polyphenols, and other compounds, creating a diverse microbial ecosystem capable of transforming them into an even wider array of biologically active metabolites. And the relationship goes both ways. Polyphenols themselves can influence the composition and function of the microbiome. Some polyphenols support beneficial microbes while inhibiting less-desirable ones. It is a dynamic system.
The polyphenol-rich intervention being studied is Juice Plus+ Berry Blend, compared with placebo. The researchers are studying 300 cognitively healthy adults over age 50 with a strong family history of Alzheimer’s disease over the course of a year. The study will measure gut health, the microbiome, and the polyphenol metabolites it produces over time. They are also studying glucose regulation, metabolic health, energy metabolism, physical activity, fitness, inflammation, and many cardiac biomarkers. They are performing detailed cognitive testing and examining the brain with MRI. This study and others like it aim to understand the complex interrelationships that shape our biology. Healthy aging is not simply avoiding dementia, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or frailty one disease at a time. It is maintaining the resilience of an interconnected biological system. Muscle helps regulate glucose metabolism, while metabolism and inflammation are closely intertwined. Vascular health touches every cell in the body. The microbiome is in constant communication with the brain and immune system, while our mitochondria influence cellular function and provide the energy that powers it all. Microbial metabolites from polyphenols may be part of the biological language through which these systems communicate.
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stress responses, cellular repair, and even decisions about cell survival. And polyphenols appear to be part of this conversation too. They and their microbial metabolites can influence how well mitochondria function, how new mitochondria are formed, and how damaged ones are cleared. One particularly interesting example is urolithin A, a compound produced by certain gut bacteria from ellagitannins and ellagic acid found in foods such as pomegranates, walnuts, and berries. Urolithin A has attracted attention because of its effects on mitophagy, the process by which cells identify and recycle damaged mitochondria. Not everyone produces the same amount of urolithin A after eating the same foods. The difference depends partly on which microorganisms live in the gut. That brings us to one of the most important emerging concepts in nutrition.
Purpose
Somatic Hypnosis: Beyond the Story
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By Erin Touponse
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
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L “If telling a story were going to make us feel better, it would have already.” — Erin Touponse
et’s face it: we are all intimately aware of our stories, especially those rooted in suffering. We have told ourselves and others countless times, and if the very telling of our story were going to make us feel better, it would have happened already. For this reason, trauma is essentially a time disorder. Old, unprocessed emotions affect our energy field in the present moment, as if that event were happening in the present. This is because we are timeless beings in a time-bound body. Our physical body holds events without understanding that what it is holding already happened. Trauma vibration isn’t attached to time; a wound from 6 years old will just grow deeper each year until thoughts, habits, and actions are dominated by its roots.
Somatic Hypnosis
Somatic hypnosis is a process that gently unravels that stuck trauma energy. Rather than asking you to relive your past or endlessly analyze your story, Somatic Hypnosis creates a state of focused awareness where the subconscious becomes more accessible. From this place, we begin listening to the language of the body. Instead of asking, “What happened?” we begin asking different questions: What are you experiencing right now? Where do you notice it in your body? What sensation is asking to be felt? What belief accompanies it? What does this part of you need to feel safe? As awareness deepens, the body begins revealing the places where unfinished experiences continue to live beneath conscious awareness. As these patterns become visible, they also become more available for change. Healing can then become something we experience, not simply something we understand.
To navigate this process, I use what I call the Five Channels of Somatic Healing.
The Five Channels of Somatic Healing
The Five Channels are a means of accessing and digesting this unprocessed vibrational energy. 1. The Mind Channel holds our agreements and stories. In the mind channel, we must ask ourselves, “Why do I think this? Is this really true?” 2. The Imagination Channel is the channel we can use to create safety and resources; it allows us to give ourselves what we need to heal the invisible wounds that lie in our subconscious. 3. The Posture Channel connects the mind with the body. By changing how we inhabit our bodies, we begin to send new signals to the nervous system, creating greater regulation, resilience, and presence. 4. The Body Sensation Channel is where healing happens. This channel is the PRESENT MOMENT; the only place where true change can occur. It represents how something “feels” in the physical body. 5. The Emotion Channel is the deepest of the deep. Every habit and pattern is deeply rooted in emotion- either what we want or what we don’t want to happen. We begin to shift and foster new emotional states by using the other channels. Healing is not about changing the past—it is about changing our relationship to it. Somatic Hypnosis offers a roadmap for reconnecting with the body’s innate wisdom and returning to a place of presence, wholeness, and self-compassion.
Erin Touponse is the founder of Mystic Healing Reiki and owner of The Blackbird House in Old Wethersfield, CT. She is a Certified Hypnotist through the National Guild of Hypnotists, a member of the Astrological Society of CT, the Reiki Membership Association, the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, and The Society for Shamanic Practice. She has studied Pranic Healing with the Institute for Inner Studies and received her Qi Gong Teacher certification through Holden Qi Gong. Interested in learning more? Whether you’re curious about the Five Channels or would like to experience a Somatic Hypnosis session for yourself, she would love to support you on your journey toward greater awareness, healing, and transformation. Visit mystichealingreiki.com for more information. See on page 19 >
Health
Contrast Therapy: Why Hot and Cold Work Better Together By Morgan Whitney
Inside a Typical Session
At Degree Wellness Farmington Valley in Avon, contrast therapy happens in a private suite with a full-spectrum infrared sauna, a cold plunge tub, and a shower. Infrared heat warms your body directly, so you can settle in, sweat, and unwind. Then comes the plunge: your breath catches, your pulse quickens, and your body wakes up. Infrared saunas warm your body directly without relying on heavy steam, making the heat feel manageable even over longer stretches. As your core temperature rises, muscle tension drops and your heart rate settles into a steady rhythm. Then comes the cold plunge. Stepping into cold water forces your breath to catch, heightening focus and triggering thermogenesis—the process where your body burns energy to keep itself warm. You don’t have to be an elite runner to benefit. Plenty of people do it simply because the contrast leaves them feeling grounded and refreshed.
Beyond Soothing Muscle Soreness
Rapid cold exposure spikes heart rate, speeds up breathing, and prompts a quick release of norepinephrine and other stress hormones. That initial rush is what leaves many people feeling instantly energized once they step out. Heat brings balance by promoting relaxation. Combined, the two leave many people feeling simultaneously rested and clear-headed. With regular sessions, the payoff adds up: less stiffness after workouts, quicker bounce-back between training days, better sleep, and a brighter mood.
Setting, Safety, and Getting Started
Sessions at Degree Wellness run 30 or 60 minutes and include basics like robes, sandals, chilled water, and towels. You can listen to music or podcasts in the sauna via Bluetooth or finish up with an aromatherapy towel and shower. At Degree, contrast therapy is just one part of the studio’s menu. Whole-body cryotherapy delivers a three-minute blast of subzero air that lifts your mood. Red light therapy rejuvenates skin and boosts energy, compression massage helps tired legs and hips recover, and a 30-minute LED light facial brings out your glow. Oxygen sessions provide a quick pickme-up for mind and body. Registered nurses also offer IV drips, NAD+ therapy, and nutrient shots in blends like Energy, Immunity, and Beauty. If you’re new to this therapy, start slowly. The AMA recommends letting your body adapt over time rather than jumping straight into prolonged hot-to-cold cycles. People with high blood pressure, heart conditions, or vascular issues should consult a physician before trying cold immersion. For most everyone else, contrast therapy offers a straightforward way to combine two ancient recovery tools: sustained warmth, brief cold, and the sharp physical reset between them.
"I have been learning about contrast therapy for years and always wanted to try it. Finally had the opportunity at Degree Wellness in Avon. It was nothing short of amazing! At first, I could only stay in the cold plunge for 30 seconds but gradually worked my way up to 2 minutes. It was incredibly refreshing and I had boundless energy for the next 2 days! That night I had the best sleep in months. And my knee pain was completely gone even after running the next day!" Dr. Diane Hayden
Hector and Diane Torrens, lifelong health advocates, discovered Degree Wellness while visiting family in Florida and were immediately drawn to its unique approach to recovery. Knowing Morgan Whitney, whose passion for yoga and heart-centred approach to functional health was the final piece that convinced them to bring the concept to the Farmington Valley. Together, they are excited to bring innovative therapies to Avon. Call 860-321-4534 or email farmingtonvalleymanager@degreewellness.com. See on page 21 >
51 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
eat relaxes you; cold shocks you awake. A sauna session loosens tight muscles and melts away stress, while a cold plunge sends an instant jolt of adrenaline through your body. Contrast therapy combines those two opposite sensations, cycling between heat and cold in a single visit. Heat and cold pull your vascular system in opposite directions. Warmth opens up blood vessels and relaxes stiff muscles. Cold constricts them, driving blood toward your core and sharpening mental focus. The cycle leaves you feeling loose, refreshed, and recharged. A July 2026 American Medical Association article noted that cold can temporarily ease pain, while heat improves mobility and muscle relaxation. Studies also suggest that contrast therapy can ease delayed-onset muscle soreness and help restore physical performance faster than rest alone.
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Health
Stress Management:
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A Practice of Returning to Self
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
52
By Melissa Wooldridge Breton, APRN, FNP-BC, AHN-BC, HWNC-BC, MSN, RN
“Daily practices are most effective when individualized, repeated consistently with intention, and integrated into activities of daily living.” —Melissa Wooldridge Breton, APRN, FNP-BC, AHN-BC, HWNC-BC, MSN, RN
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tress is not simply an emotion, a demanding schedule, or a failure to cope. It is a whole-person physiologic response involving the brain, autonomic nervous system, endocrine signaling, immune function, sleep, digestion, cognition, and behavior. In the short term, the stress response is protective: it mobilizes energy, sharpens attention, and prepares us to meet challenges. When activation becomes frequent or prolonged without sufficient recovery, however, the body may remain organized around vigilance. We may notice muscle tension, irritability, fatigue, disrupted sleep, digestive changes, racing thoughts, reduced concentration, or a sense of being disconnected from ourselves. Even when the external stressor has passed, the nervous system may continue behaving as though something is wrong. Learning to recognize these patterns is an important first step toward helping the body move from chronic vigilance into greater regulation and ease. As a Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Holistic Nurse, and Integrative Health and Wellness Nurse Coach, I understand stress management not as the elimination of every stressor, but as the cultivation of greater regulatory capacity. The essential question is: How can we help the nervous system recognize safety, complete activation cycles, and return more readily to homeostasis?
Repatterning the Body’s Response
At ECLIPSE Holistic Living, we approach stress through the interconnected dimensions of heart, mind, body, soul, habitat, and community. This whole-person framework honors both measurable physiology and lived experience. Evidence
supports multimodal stress care: regular movement, adequate sleep, nourishing food, supportive relationships, mindfulness-based practices, and paced breathing can strengthen resilience and improve perceived well-being. Daily practices are most effective when individualized, repeated consistently with intention, and integrated into activities of daily living. From a nursing lens, functional and holistic nursing assessments consider what may be sustaining the stress response: Pain, caregiving demands, loneliness, workplace strain, financial pressure, trauma history, medication effects, hormonal transitions, blood-sugar instability, sleep disorders, and excessive stimulant use. The nurse offers stress care by remaining curious and compassionate, listening with heart, and meeting the client wherever they are on their healing, growth, and recovery journey toward well-being and wholeness.
Stress Care Modalities
• Breathwork is one of our most immediate points of access. A gentle, unforced exhalation that is slightly longer than the inhalation may support parasympathetic activity and create a felt sense of settling. • Mindfulness and guided meditation develop the capacity to observe thoughts, sensations, and emotions without becoming completely organized by them. • Yoga and creative, expressive movement unite breath, interoception, mobility, and embodied awareness. • Sound meditation with crystal singing bowls offers another doorway into restorative care.
Frequency, tone, silence, and coming into coherence can support relaxation, while the experience of receiving sound in community may deepen presence and a sense of belonging. • Reiki-informed self-care uses stillness, gentle touch or non-touch, and intention as a contemplative relaxation practice. • Nature is a powerful co-regulator. Stepping outside, orienting to the horizon, feeling the ground beneath the feet, and noticing light, temperature, wind, or birdsong interrupts the narrowing of attention that often accompanies stress. Community practices, caring circles, mindful classes, recovery-based gatherings, and shared reflection remind us that regulation is not solely an individual responsibility. Human beings heal in relationship: by being listened to, witnessed, supported, and welcomed as they are.
ECLIPSE HOLISTIC LIVING
At ECLIPSE Holistic Living, a co-creative healing arts studio space in Glastonbury, this is our sacred journey: learning to notice when we have moved away from heart center and practicing, with compassion, how to return to self. Not perfectly, just one conscious breath, one embodied choice, one intentional moment at a time. You belong at ECLIPSE!
Melissa Wooldridge Breton is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Holistic Nurse, and Integrative Health and Wellness Nurse Coach, and the founder of ECLIPSE Holistic Living in Glastonbury, Connecticut. You are personally invited to a complimentary discovery session with Melissa at 860.614.7588. ECLIPSEHOLISTICLIVING.COM See ad on page 11 >
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We are Naturopathic doctors who specialize in: • Oncology/Cancer Therapy • Lyme disease & Chronic Infectious Disease • Environmental Toxicity (mold, heavy metals, etc.) • Irritable Bowel Syndrome/Digestion • Autoimmune Disease • And More
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2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
Sustainable self-care does not require an elaborate routine. Begin with small, repeatable moments: before reaching for your phone, place one hand on the heart and take five slow breaths; drink water and seek morning light; pause between appointments to unclench the jaw and lower the shoulders; choose ten minutes of walking, stretching, yoga, meditation, or quiet sound; eat one meal without multitasking; and create a consistent evening transition that reduces stimulation before sleep. Ask yourself, “What is my body communicating?” and “What would support look and feel like for me right now?” Stress management becomes less about controlling life and more about restoring relationship with the breath, the body, the natural world, our inner wisdom, and one another.
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My Tests Are Normal; Why Do I Feel So Terrible?
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
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By Dr. Pamela M. Cipriano, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC
“No two patients receive the same workup because no two patients tell the same story.” —Dr. Pamela M. Cipriano, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC
S
he walked into my office carrying a three-inch binder filled with years of lab results, imaging studies, consultations, and medication lists. “I have seen my primary care provider, a cardiologist, a rheumatologist, a gastroenterologist, and a neurologist,” she said. “Everyone tells me my tests are normal. They tell me I am healthy, but I do not feel healthy.” As I reviewed her records, her complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, thyroid screen, inflammatory markers, MRI, and cardiac workup were all normal. I looked up, smiled, and said, “Good.” She looked confused. “I am glad your tests are normal. Those results rule out many serious conditions. That is good news. Now let’s figure out why you still don’t feel well.” Her shoulders relaxed. For the first time in years, she felt heard. That conversation happens in my office every day. When routine laboratory tests do not explain your symptoms, it is time to ask a different question.
Normal Is Not the Same as Healthy
One of the biggest misconceptions in medicine is that a normal laboratory report automatically means you are healthy. It does not. Routine laboratory testing diagnoses anemia, kidney and liver disease, diabetes, infections, autoimmune disorders, and many other illnesses. These tests save lives. But they were designed primarily to answer one question: Is there evidence of disease? Many patients are asking a different question: Why do I feel so unwell? Those are not always the same question. Long before disease develops, the body may whisper through fatigue, brain fog, constipation, weight gain, poor sleep, anxiety, hair loss, or joint
pain. These symptoms are not a diagnosis. They are clues. The mistake is ignoring the whispers until the body finally has to scream.
Becoming a Medical Detective
Once serious disease has been ruled out, my job changes. I stop asking, “What disease does this patient have?” Instead, I ask, “Why is this patient developing these symptoms?” That is detective work. You do not solve a mystery by looking at only one clue—you look at all of them. Each laboratory test answers a specific question; they were not designed to answer every question. This is where functional medicine differs. It does not replace conventional medicine; it builds upon it. Instead of asking only, “What medication matches this diagnosis?” we ask, “What is the root cause of these symptoms?” Is this person sleeping only four hours each night? Are they nutrient deficient? Has chronic stress affected their health? Could medications be contributing to symptoms, or are any no longer needed? Are hormonal changes playing a role? Have environmental exposures become part of the picture? Does the history suggest that a chronic infection or immune disorder warrants further evaluation? No two patients receive the same workup because no two patients tell the same story. A thorough history, examination, and review of prior testing determine whether additional evaluation is appropriate. Sometimes the answer is a nutrient deficiency. Sometimes it is insulin resistance, thyroid dysfunction, or chronic constipation that affects the gut microbiome, medication side effects, or an inflammatory or autoimmune process. Sometimes it is something entirely unexpected.
Good medicine is not about ordering every test available. It is about knowing which questions remain unanswered.
The Most Important Diagnostic Test Is Not a Test
It is listening. Patients do not come to my office as laboratory values. They come as husbands struggling with overwhelming fatigue, grandmothers too tired for their grandchildren, young mothers convinced they are “just stressed,” executives losing their words during presentations, and students who suddenly cannot concentrate. Every symptom has a story worth hearing. One of the most important lessons I have learned is this: Patients know when something has changed in their bodies. Sometimes they cannot explain it. Sometimes the laboratory work cannot explain it. But that does not mean it is not real.
Where movement becomes medicine and spirit meets the body.
Pamela M. Cipriano, DNP, ACNP-BC, is a nurse practitioner specializing in internal medicine, functional medicine, and complex chronic illnesses, including Lyme disease, mold toxicity, and autoimmune disorders. She is the founder of The Practice of Health and Wellness in Thomaston, Connecticut, an ILADS-trained Lyme specialist, national speaker, and award-winning clinician dedicated to educating patients and providers about the hidden manifestations of tick-borne diseases.See ad on Inside Front Cover >
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55 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
Medicine has advanced tremendously, yet one principle endures: Patients are more than laboratory reports, diagnoses, or symptoms. Every person has a story. Every symptom has a cause. Our job is to keep asking why until we find it. Never let a normal lab report convince you that your symptoms are not real. Medicine begins with listening, and healing begins by asking, “Why?” If you are not finding the answers you need, do not lose hope. Seek a healthcare professional who will listen carefully, look at the whole picture, and partner with you to search for the underlying cause of your symptoms. That may be a functional medicine clinician, an integrative practitioner, or another provider with a comprehensive approach. It is your body. It is your health. You deserve to be heard. If you do not feel your concerns are being addressed, it is okay to seek another opinion. We do it when choosing an attorney, accountant, or other trusted professional. Your healthcare should be no different. Sometimes the most powerful words a patient can hear are not, “Your tests are normal.” They are, “I believe you. Now let’s figure out why.”
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Never Stop Asking Why
Spirituality
What if Your Anxiety Isn’t the Enemy?
By Dr. Brian Ruggiero, DC
M
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ost of us spend a great deal of our lives fighting ourselves. We battle anxiety, suppress fear, criticize ourselves for our mistakes, and try to push away emotions that make us uncomfortable. We tell ourselves to “get over it,” “move on,” or “stop worrying so much.” Yet despite our best efforts, the very emotions we are trying to eliminate often continue to return.
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
56 “Anxiety may be trying to keep us safe. Perfectionism may be trying to protect us from criticism or rejection. Anger may be shielding deeper feelings of hurt or vulnerability.” —Dr. Brian Ruggiero, DC
What if There Was Another Way?
What if the anxiety, fear, self-doubt, anger, guilt, or emotional pain you experience is not actually the enemy? What if these feelings are trying to communicate something important? This perspective lies at the heart of a powerful therapeutic approach, Feeding Your Demons®, developed by Lama Tsultrim Allione. This innovative process can help individuals reduce stress, improve emotional well-being, and foster a healthier relationship with themselves. Despite its name, Feeding Your Demons has nothing to do with religion or supernatural beliefs. Instead, it is a compassionate approach to identifying and transforming the internal emotional patterns that often cause suffering. These “demons” represent fears, limiting beliefs, emotional wounds, and protective mechanisms that shape our thoughts, behaviors, and reactions to life’s challenges. For many people, these inner struggles manifest as chronic stress, anxiety, perfectionism, selfcriticism, fear of failure, feelings of inadequacy, resentment, or persistent worry. Although these emotions may seem like problems to eliminate, they often developed as protective responses to difficult experiences earlier in life. Anxiety may be trying to keep us safe. Perfectionism may be trying to protect us from criticism or rejection. Anger may be shielding
deeper feelings of hurt or vulnerability. Even the harsh inner critic often believes it is helping us avoid failure or disappointment. The challenge is that these protective mechanisms can become overactive. What once served a useful purpose may continue to operate long after it is needed, creating emotional stress and limiting our ability to live fully in the present. Traditional approaches often encourage us to fight, suppress, or replace these feelings with positive thoughts. While those strategies can be helpful at times, they may not always address the deeper cause of emotional distress.
The Feeding Your Demons Approach
The Feeding Your Demons® process invites individuals to approach difficult emotions with curiosity, compassion, and understanding rather than with resistance or avoidance. Through a guided inner dialogue, participants often gain valuable insight into the deeper needs and messages underlying emotional struggles, creating opportunities for healing, emotional freedom, and personal growth. During the process, clients are guided to identify the emotional challenge they wish to address. Through structured visualization and dialogue, they begin to explore what that part of themselves wants, needs, and is trying to accomplish. What often emerges is a surprising realization: the very emotion that creates stress is often seeking something positive. It may seek safety, love, acceptance, confidence, connection, forgiveness, or peace. As individuals come to understand the unmet needs beneath the emotional pattern, resistance often softens. Rather than viewing the emotion as an enemy, they begin to recognize it as part of themselves asking for attention, healing, and understanding.
Many individuals report feeling lighter, calmer, and more emotionally balanced after the process. They often describe greater self-awareness, increased self-compassion, improved confidence, and a reduced tendency to react automatically to stressful situations. Some notice improvements in sleep, concentration, relationships, and overall well-being. One of the most important lessons this work teaches is that healing does not always come from fighting harder. Sometimes healing occurs when we stop resisting and begin listening. That shift can make it easier to understand the emotion without becoming overwhelmed by it. Instead of asking, “How do I make this go away?” the question becomes, “What is this part of me trying to tell me?”
Emotions Are Not Weakness
57 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
Dr. Brian Ruggiero is the owner of Ruggiero Family Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Center and Quantum Essence Integrative Healing in downtown Manchester, Connecticut. For over twenty-five years, he has been dedicated to helping patients move beyond symptom-based care by uncovering and addressing the deeper root causes of imbalance. Blending chiropractic, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, and bioenergetic approaches, his work supports healing across the physical, emotional, and energetic levels— guiding patients back toward balance, clarity, and overall well-being. To learn more or begin your healing journey, visit ruggierofamilychiro.com and quantumessencehealing.com. See ad on page 43 >
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Our culture often teaches us to view difficult emotions as weaknesses. Yet emotions themselves are not the problem. They are messengers, providing valuable information about our needs, beliefs, and experiences. When we approach them with curiosity rather than fear, we create an opportunity for genuine transformation. This approach also highlights the powerful connection between emotional and physical health. Chronic stress affects nearly every system in the body, including the nervous and immune systems, digestion, sleep, and overall vitality. When emotional burdens are addressed, individuals often find that both their mental and physical well-being improve. If there is one message I hope readers take away, it is this: you do not have to spend your life fighting yourself. The fear, anxiety, self-doubt, or emotional pain you carry may not be trying to harm you. It may simply be asking to be understood. What if your anxiety isn’t the enemy? What if it is the messenger pointing you toward the healing that has been waiting all along?
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COMMUNITY RESOURCES Local Experts In and Around Connecticut ACUPUNCTURE
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CBD STORE
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Nature’s Gifts
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2026
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304 W Main St., Avon, CT • 860.995.4444 naturesgifts-usa.com/ Nature’s Gifts is an independently owned, family run CBD store in Avon, CT. Stress, sleep, and pain solutions available. Our knowledgeable staff will happily guide you through our offerings to find the perfect CBD product for your needs. Don’t pay too much for your CBD—stop in, say hello, and let us help you feel like you again.
COLON HYDROTHERAPY Elizabeth Regal Source Colon Hydrotherapy
Columbia, CT • 860.634.7523 sourcecolonhydrotherapy@gmail.com sourcecolonhydrotherapy.com Colon hydrotherapy promotes hydration of the colon and loosening of waste matter, assisting elimination by natural peristalsis of the colon. Roots Natural Medical Center is offering colon hydrotherapy on our FDA-approved closed system device. Contact Elizabeth Regal, I-ACT certified colon hydrotherapist for an appointment.
Vitalized Performance Group
Glastonbury, CT • Call/Text: 860.603.3618 VPGwaves.com VPG Waves delivers leading-edge therapies—from open-system LIBBE colonics and virtually pain-free shockwave treatments for pain and ED to holistic healing with infrared, grounding, and ionic copper foot baths. We break down scar tissue, restore nerves, and release fascia, ushering in the future of healing.
FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE Tamara Sachs MD Functional Medicine & Integrative Care LLC
New Milford, CT • 860.354.3304 mai@tsachsmd.com • tsachsmd.com With over 30 years in the medical field, Dr. Sachs is a pioneer of Functional Medicine and Integrative Care. Her focus is in preventing and treating chronic illnesses by addressing the underlying causes, not just the symptoms. She creates holistic wellness plans, personalized to your specific and unique health goals.
HOLISTIC CENTER
Melissa Wooldridge Breton ECLIPSE Holistic Living, LLC Glastonbury, CT • 860.614.7588 melissa@eclipseholisticliving.com eclipseholisticliving.com Eclipse Holistic Living is a cocreative healing arts studio in Glastonbury. A destination to envision your future self and actualize your potential. With alternative and complementary modalities, Eclipse is the portal for all who enter to embody conscious awareness through intentional holistic living— well-becoming on our healing-growth journey.
HOLISTIC DENTISTRY
Dr. Mark Breiner, DDS, FAGD, FIAOMT Fairfield, CT • 203.371.0300 WholeBodyDentistry.com A recognized authority in the field of holistic dentistry, Dr. Breiner treats patients for a myriad of dental concerns including sleep breathing disorders, TMD, mercury toxicity, and hidden infections from cavitations and root canals. “If you have unexplained symptoms that won’t go away, the answer could be in your mouth.”
HOLISTIC SPA Milford Med Spa
Milford, CT • 203.701.6161 frontdesk@holistichealingpartners.com milfordmedspa.com Led by Dr. Courtney Holmes, APRN, The Alchemista, our award-winning holistic spa blends science and soul. The Glow Guild team offers advanced facials, chemical peels, microneedling, IPL, waxing, IV therapy, hormone care, and massage—integrating aesthetics and wellness to help clients rejuvenate naturally and radiate confidence from the inside out.
HYPNOTHERAPY Tesa Baum
Ridgefield, CT • 917.696.9095 tesa@tesabaum.com • tesabaum.com Tesa Baum creates sacred, compassionate spaces for healing and self-discovery. Through Reiki, Quantum Healing Hypnosis, Akashic Field Healing, meditation, and spiritual gatherings, she supports individuals in reconnecting with their intuition, energy, and inner wisdom. Her work encourages greater clarity, balance, awareness, and alignment while honoring each person’s unique healing journey.
Michele P. Rousseau, MA, CH Middletown, CT • 860.704.9054 mprousseau@sbcglobal.net micheleprousseau.com
Live your dreams! Restore your passion, confidence, and motivation; transform habits; and achieve goals. Wake up each day to a life you are eager to live! Online sessions are available.
INTEGRATIVE NURSING
Dr. Pamela Cipriano, DNP, APRN The Practice of Health and Wellness Thomaston, CT • 860.309.0054 130 South Main Street, STE 1C pcipriano@ppmlinc.com Dr. Pamela Cipriano exemplifies excellence as an Integrative Nurse Practitioner, uniting clinical expertise with holistic healing. Her evidence-based, compassionate approach advances mind-body wellness, empowers patients, and promotes whole-person care. Through leadership, innovation, and advocacy, she inspires transformative nursing practice and elevates integrative healthcare across diverse populations.
Tracy Cormier, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC TLC Healthcare Solutions South Windsor, CT • 959.301.9606 tlc.healthcare.solutions.dnp@gmail.com tlchealthcaresolution.com Direct Primary Care, Cardiology, Sleep Evaluations, Weight loss
Kerry Martin Wise Concierge Wellness Woodbury, CT • 203.405.1616 wiseconciergewellness.com kerry@wiseconciergewellness.com Wise Concierge Wellness helps women experiencing burnout, emotional overwhelm, or feeling “off” regain clarity and stability. Led by a Registered Nurse, sessions combine nervous system regulation with personalized energy design insights to identify misalignment, restore balance, and create simple, sustainable lifestyle shifts for lasting emotional and physical well-being.
LIFE COACH
Lauri Ingram Awakened Pathways Hamden, CT • 203.435.5650 lauri@lauriingram.com • lauriingram.com Lauri Ingram offers spiritual coaching, subconscious healing (NLP, hypnotherapy, EFT), and energy practices including Crystal Dreaming® and Reiki. With 40+ years of experience and advanced certifications, she helps clients release patterns, reclaim clarity, and step confidently into purposeful, aligned living by integrating conscious coaching, subconscious modalities, and spiritual depth.
Jacqueline M Kane, Master Energy Healer & Low Back Pain Specialist
Dr. Dana Lapointe, ND, LMT, Esth. Sustainable Health & Wellness
Collinsville, CT • 860.307.0232 jacqueline@jacquelinemkane.com jacquelinemkane.com
Canton, CT and Virtual • 860.217.1171 SustainableHW.com ConnecticutNaturopathic.com
Jacqueline’s powerful programs liberate clients from both physical pain and financial struggle, so they create a path to energy, health, ease with money, and personal fulfillment. She is the creator of the Healthy Wealthy Success System© that guides women in creating a joyful, pain-free life with energy and financial success.
Advocating for innovative, noninvasive treatments since 2010, Dr. Dana has been at the forefront of bringing StemWave to her community. Specializing in lifestyle medicine for chronic conditions (especially gut, skin, weight, and pain syndromes), and mental wellness coaching for those seeking alternatives to pharmaceutical mental health interventions. In-office, telemedicine, and group wellness programs.
METABOLIC HEALTH Lori Calabrese, MD
South Windsor, CT • 860.648.9755 info@touchpoints180.org touchpoints180.org
Riverstone Naturopathic Health 63 West Street, Suite B1 Litchfield, CT • 860.361.9494
Dr. Aieta is a naturopathic Physician with over 20 years of experience helping patients uncover and treat acute and chronic illness by supporting the body’s inherent ability to heal itself. He works to identify the underlying causes of illness and develops personalized treatment plans to address them.
Dr. Nicole Klughers offers all-natural solutions to restore optimal health and help individuals reclaim a life of energy, balance, and joy. Formerly a pharmacist, Dr. Nicole serves as your “health detective” by listening attentively and utilizing detailed testing to identify and address the root cause of any health concern.
Focusing on brain health and Lyme disease, Dr. Adam Breiner offers cutting-edge therapies that include hyperbaric oxygen, neurocognitive therapies, including sophisticated brain-imaging equipment to evaluate brain injuries and brainwave patterns associated with metabolic imbalances, infections, and allergies. Conditions treated include concussions, TBI, stroke, PTSD, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, and more.
Agnes Daddona • 860.941.2667 Avon, CT • AgnesDaddona.com Agnes@intuitivecounselingllc.com Agnes Daddona is one of the best Psychic/Mediums in New England. She is also a Counselor, Healer, and Spiritual Teacher. For more than 20 years, Agnes has worked with thousands of people across the world in both English and Polish. Her Holistic Spa in Avon, CT, is a one-stop shop and offers high vibrational healing for the mind, body, and soul.
Dr. Frank Aieta, ND West Hartford Naturopathic Medicine, INC
Dr. Adam Breiner, ND
Fairfield, CT • 203.371.8258 WholeBodyMed.com
Dr. Nicole Klughers, ND, PHARMD, MSAC Vis Wellness Center
PSYCHIC/MEDIUM
Intuitive Counseling Holistic Spa
Avon, CT • 215.528.9799 selinda.shepherd@myptworksllc.com myptworksllc.com Focuses on Women’s Pelvic Health. Uses an integrative approach combining evidence based physical therapy with complimentary wellness services to support your mind, body and spirit. Personalized care for improved Pelvic Health for symptoms such as peri/menopausal symptoms, pelvic pain, bladder/bowel concerns, and pregnancy care. Participates with several major insurance plans.
RED LIGHT THERAPY Stacy Sheehan Aura Wellness, LLC
Berlin, CT • 860.690.6576 aurawellnessconn@gmail.com aurawellnessct.com Discover the transformative power of Red Light Therapy at Aura Wellness, LLC. In just 10 minutes, experience full-body photobiomodulation—a non-invasive light therapy designed to boost cellular function, enhance skin health, reduce inflammation, and support muscle recovery. Begin your wellness journey toward renewed vitality and rejuvenation.
ROLFING®
Rolfing®—The Art and Science of Body Change Sharon Sklar, BFA, LMT, Cert. Adv. Rolfer West Hartford • 860.561.4337 SharonSklarRolfing@gmail.com sharonsklarrolfing.com Rolfing®—The Art and Science of Body Change. A dynamic 10-session bodywork series that eases pain, improves movement, and restructures your body when you feel “out of whack.” A hands-on and educational approach that establishes order and balance after life’s injuries, stresses, and accidents. Since 1981.
THERMOGRAPHY
April Beaman, RDH, CTT CT Thermography Farmington and Glastonbury, CT 860.415.1150 • ctthermography.com CT Thermography specializes in medical thermal imaging. Breast thermography is a compression and radiation-free screening tool used to monitor breast health to detect physiological changes that may be early warning signs of a disease process. As a certified thermographic technician, I help empower women to take a proactive approach following their thermography screening for optimal breast health.
59 2026 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
West Hartford, CT • 860.232.9662 draieta@aol.com • draieta.com
Rocky Hill, CT • 234.222.8362 hello@drnicoleklughers.com drnicoleklughers.com
When nothing is working… it may not be your brain. Depression. Anxiety. Brain fog. Mood instability. Cognitive decline. These are often driven by underlying metabolic dysfunction— not just chemistry. Touchpoints180TM offers a structured, science-based pathway to restore brain and body health from the inside out.
Dr. Selinda Shepherd, PT, DPT PT WORKS LLC
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NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE
Christina Amicone, ND, is a naturopathic physician seeing patients at Riverstone Naturopathic Health in Litchfield, CT. Her focus is on oncology/ cancer (supportive therapies during conventional cancer treatments), naturopathic detoxification, gastrointestinal health (including IBS, IBD, SIBO), women’s health (hormone imbalances, menstrual problems, menopause), autoimmune diseases, and food sensitivities.
PHYSICAL THERAPY