11 minute read
Cover Story
Heal yourself and find your light
Lighthouse Wellness Centre is a private, women-led clinic empowering people to navigate trauma and improve their mental health
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BY LISA CRESS PHOTOS BY RHEANON NEALE PHOTOGRAPHY
Jenny Steele and Luanne Rae are passionate about compassion. As the Co-Owners of Lighthouse Wellness Centre, both women are psychiatric nurses with formal training in evidence-based therapies and counselling techniques. The two have found their calling in helping people manage their mental health, weather life’s storms and deal with difficult situations. “Our dream was to create a space where people feel comfortable and safe to talk about sensitive topics and what they have going on in their life,” says Luanne. “We’ve done our best to make our centre not feel like a clinic. When people come see us and they’re happy and completely themselves – it’s very rewarding. I love that we can provide comfort for people to get them through difficult times.” The past few years have certainly been challenging for many. Research has shown an overall increase in substance use, depression and anxiety since the start
“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” - Eleanor Brownn
of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Even people who have never struggled with their mental health have been affected. “We opened our doors in October of 2021 and have continued to build our business and gain more clients weekly,” Jenny explains. “Since the pandemic, talking about our mental health has become much less taboo. It’s a good thing to see people acknowledging they have something going on and reaching out.”
Clients come to Lighthouse Wellness Centre from every walk of life. Jenny and Luanne help families, teens, adults and children as young as three years old.
“I have worked with clients of all ages to help them regain self-awareness, confidence, emotional regulation and distress tolerance,” Jenny says. “I’ve seen clients who are struggling with anxiety, depression, identity exploration, gender dysphoria, stress, trauma, grief and anger. It’s very broad.” “I really enjoy working with youth and have training in what’s called therapeutic play therapy, which is great for young children because they don’t necessarily have to talk,” Luanne adds. Lighthouse Wellness Centre offers services in person or over the phone. Luanne and Jenny are exceptionally accommodating so their clients don’t continue to struggle and feel alone. Young mothers without support, for example, can bring their children with them to appointments. Jenny and Luanne are both mothers with families themselves. As one can imagine, the balance between their business, clients and families is fast-paced and demanding. “We’d be lying if we said it wasn’t hard to keep up the momentum some days,” Luanne says. “I think it works because we make a point to take care of ourselves, too. We make sure we eat; we take breaks and do the little things that revive us. We know how important it is to bring our best selves to the table for every person who needs us.”
Book an appointment with Jenny or Luanne and learn more about Lighthouse Wellness Centre at lighthousewellnesscentre.com.
Lighthouse Wellness Centre 29-10th Street, 4th Floor Brandon, MB 204-728-0054 office@lighthousewellnesscentre.ca
The Butterfly Language of Growth
BY STEFANIE BARANOWSKI, DIAMOND LOTUS YOGA
When I sit back and reflect on where I was a year ago, I was a different me. I can see I have grown and changed with my experiences and all the things I have had to overcome. I am now mentally stronger and wiser and have a better understanding of myself. I look back at what I’ve gone through and feel proud of my ability to find growth and transformation through all the mud and pressure. Opportunities for growth are given to us daily. Sometimes these opportunities are strongly evident and placed directly in front of us, and other times they are presented to us as small markers or unclear ways that may make us question a deeper meaning behind their presence. Sometimes we won’t know what that opportunity for growth might bring until we take on the challenge to see it, greet it, and meet it with open arms. Growth happens in the challenges, the discomfort, and the mess of the non-linear path. To find growth requires us to move out of our comfort zone and feel all the emotions that come to the surface when we come face to face with our fears. Our comfort zone is usually what’s consistent, predictable, and gives a sense of safety. It’s where we usually find ourselves in a nice, relaxed state in our mind and body. However, we don’t manifest growth when we stay the same. The one thing that is constant in life is change; change is always occurring around us day to day, hour to hour, and minute to minute. We can choose to either resist change and stay within the confines of our comfort zone, or we can choose to embrace change and move with it and grow with it. Growth happens when we decide to embrace the discomfort, as mentally and emotionally challenging as it is. It’s in embracing the change and discomfort that we find transformation over time. Just as the butterfly needs time in its cocoon to transform, so do we as humans. When we welcome change and discomfort, and can find patience in the concept of time, transformation will transpire. We might not notice the transformation as it’s happening, but when we
give ourselves the opportunity to self-refl ect in days, weeks, months, and years, we can see that transformation is time sensitive. We are not the same person we were a year ago, a month ago, a week ago, or even yesterday. Giving yourself the opportunity to embrace change every day will allow you to move towards that transformation to being the best version of you. Moving through change can feel frustrating at times and as though the light at the end is far out of reach. It’s in those times we need to show the most kindness to ourselves. Growth and change require us to self-refl ect and fi nd gratitude in even the smallest of things. So, let your heart be bigger than your ego and your soul shine brighter than the darkness of the day.
– Stefanie Baranowski (Diamond Lotus, 2021).
Women in dentistry
Get to know the dentists transforming smiles and changing lives at Princess Dental
BY LISA TACHAN PHOTOS BY STUDIO 78
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments and progress women have made in the workforce
across all professions. In the dental profession, women dominate in roles such as dental assistants or hygienists, but it wasn’t until the last decade that we’ve started to see a rise in female dentists. In fact, dentistry is a shifting paradigm, where more and more women are stepping into leadership.
Princess Dental is a perfect reflection of that shift. Women dominate the office, with four of the five dentists at Princess Dental being female.
Here’s what they had to say about their career journey and what International Women’s Day means to them.
- Dr. Jill Gudmandson
DR. JILL GUDMANDSON
Q: What type of training do you have?
A: I obtained my Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) from the University of Manitoba. I then continued my education for an extra year and completed a General Practice Residency at the Health Sciences Centre. Within that residency, I was trained in oral and IV sedation and had the opportunity to work with those with special needs and medically compromised adults, as well as infection and trauma cases.
Since entering private practice I have expanded my general dentistry education by att ending the Pankey Institute and will be starting my journey at the Kois Institute in Seatt le this fall (COVID pending).
Q: Describe your chair-side manner
A: I want to help people achieve their dental goals – and I approach every patient with kindness and compassion. I believe very strongly in building trust. Before we begin any treatment plan, I always make sure my patient fully understands it, what’s involved and why I think it’s the best course of action for them.
Q: As a female dentist, have you ever faced any gender-specifi c barriers in your career?
A: In previous generations, dentists were primarily male. When I fi rst started, there were some people that weren’t used to discussing their issues with a young female dentist. One memorable example of this was a gentleman who was very concerned if I was “strong enough” to do his extractions.
And - as a woman who is self-employed, I do not get parental leave benefi ts. When I became a mom in 2019 and then again in 2021, it was tough to fi gure out how much time to take off to heal and bond with my children. Luckily, I work with a wonderful group of people who all are very supportive and family oriented.
- Dr. Jessica Carswell
DR. JESSICA CARSWELL
Q: What do you love most about being a dentist?
A: I love having the opportunity to change the way patients perceive the dentist. I want to help put an end to dental anxiety and help patients get excited about their oral hygiene. Through modern dentistry there are so many amazing tools for prevention and treatment that I am so enthusiastic to share!
Q: Describe your chair-side manner.
A: I like to take a friendly and casual approach with my patients and get to know them on a personal level. I always look forward to hearing about vacations, grandkids, dogs or exciting milestones before getting started on caring for their teeth. Coming to the dentist doesn’t need to be an anxiety-inducing experience – I do my best to help put patients at ease and feel comfortable.
Q: As a female dentist, have you ever faced any gender-specific barriers in your career?
A: When I first started my practice, I was often mistaken for the hygienist or assistant and would have to explain that I was the dentist. It’s interesting to witness how my male colleagues never had to experience this second guessing or questioning of their position. To overcome this, I did my best to carry myself with confidence and started introducing myself as the dentist when first entering the room. I also kept a sense of humour about it and didn’t take those comments too seriously.
One of the challenges of being a female dentist is that we typically can’t access government programs like maternity leave.
- Dr. Brett Embers
DR. BRETT EMBERS
Q: Tell us about your education and career path as a dentist.
A: I graduated with my Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Sydney, Australia four years ago, having previously attended Brandon University for my undergraduate degree. Prior to that I was a Registered Animal Health Technologist, where I discovered my interest in dentistry.
In addition to working full-time as a general dentist, I’ve also been the jail dentist at Brandon Correctional Centre over the past couple years, and worked as an Immunizer at the Covid-19 Clinics. I’ve also recently taken on the role of Chief of Dentistry at the Brandon Regional Health Centre.
Q: What challenges do you face as a female dentist and working mother?
A: Working while pregnant in dentistry certainly has its hurdles. It can be very difficult to work with good ergonomics at the best of times, so you can imagine how much more challenging that can be while nine months pregnant. Adding in extra PPE and nausea certainly increases the discomfort as well!
We’re still adjusting to life as a family of three, having a job that you love makes the transition that much easier. I’m very fortunate to have a wonderful husband at home on parental leave with our son.
paths.” - Dr. Erica Seebach
DR. ERICA SEEBACH
Q: What made you decide to pursue a career in dentistry?
A: Dentistry is the perfect combination of art and science. I wanted to pursue a career where I could be creative while exploring my interest in health and physiology. It also provides a ton of variety, allowing me to perform both the diagnosis and treatment for my patients. I may teach a young child about oral health then provide another patient confidence by improving their smile or help relieve someone’s discomfort.
Q: How can we encourage women to pursue careers that are predominantly male?
A: As women, we often underestimate our abilities, yet we have passions and talents that lead us down historically male-led paths. Progress to a genderequal world can be reached by continuing to address barriers and biases and pursue these paths despite the challenges.
Q: Why do you think it is important to celebrate International Women’s Day?
A: In many fields, including dentistry, women are underrepresented. Female dentists currently make up fewer generalists and specialists and hold fewer academic and leadership roles. By celebrating the achievements of the women in this field, we can improve visibility and encourage other women to pursue these career paths.
Princess Dental 3409 Victoria Ave, Unit 7 Brandon MB 204-727-0440 info@princessdental.com www.princessdental.com
