Cathy McIntosh
Health Coach - Yoga Teacher - Emotion Code Practitioner
meet cathy
One of Cathy’s top character strengths is Team Work. This strength helps her build the coaching relationship between herself and those she works with. It is also a great strength to support her overall vision for the future of medicine. She believes in a successful sustainable healthcare model, one in which people are empowered to take their health into their own hands, taking the necessary action steps to their best self. Cathy visualizes a healthcare system that is all-inclusive, allopathic meets alternative, a collaborative team of practitioners working together for the highest and best interest of the patient.
Big changes start with small steps.
Cathy’s own health challenges, those of loved ones and years working in allopathic medicine as a Medical Radiation Technologist have been paramount in her own personal journey to pursue other certifications. Over the past 10 years, Cathy has continued to take further training becoming a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, 200-hour Certified Yoga Teacher, 100-hour Warrior Certified Yoga Teacher, Emotion Code Practitioner and Reiki Practitioner. Her health coach training came from The Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, the only health coaching school associated with the Institute of Functional Medicine. Functional Medicine differs from conventional medicine by addressing the whole person and getting to the root cause of illness.
Cathy grew up on a farm eating fresh farm produce, fermented vegetables, home baking, meat raised on the farm and had the outdoors as her playground. Unfortunately as many do, she fell into the industrialized food trap of processed food and convenience later suffering the effects of consuming such a diet. Through increased awareness, knowledge and the onset of health issues that included migraines, digestive issues, a rash, traumatic knee injury, menopause symptoms and palpitations Cathy quickly became aware that lifestyle factors specifically nutrition played a huge part in overall health. Conventional medicines approach to her symptoms and the comment, “You will have to live with it”, did not resonate with Cathy. No one should have to live with it! She believes that if you have the correct tools, care team and knowledge you will be able to live a more fulfilling long healthy life. Through yoga, meditation, ongoing education, consultations with doctors, naturopathic doctors and other alternative therapies she was able to heal from those afflictions and transition back into a lifestyle that supported her health and overall wellness. The journey to get there was a step-by-step process and often experimental to see what worked and what didn’t, it was and continues to be ever-changing for Cathy. She has come to realize that healing is a whole-body approach, mental, emotional, physical and spiritual, if one of these areas is out of alignment it has an effect on other areas. Cathy understands a plan that is individualized to each person’s needs and uniqueness is vital, there is no one size fits all model.
Personalized lifestyle changes to meet your unique needs and health goals.
My experiences through the loss of loved ones and personal challenges have shaped me into the person I am today. I carry the memory and dedication of my father in his fight and support for Medicare in Canada forward by continuing to advocate for change and the acceptance of other healthcare models. We are living in different times and need to evolve a system that addresses 21st century issues. Change is the only constant in life.
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coaches use a personalized approach based on the Functional Medicine model, incorporating functional nutrition principles, positive psychology, and mind-body medicine. As a coach, Cathy helps you work on the modifiable personal lifestyle factors: Sleep & Relaxation, Exercise & Movement, Nutrition, Stress, and Relationships. She works alongside her clients helping them achieve their wellness goals and implement the changes they are capable and willing to make. Ideally, Cathy likes to work in collaboration with your physician maintaining an open line of communication between client, physician, and coach. She wholeheartedly believes that as a team one can better serve those who are seeking better health outcomes. Are you ready to design a long-term health plan and build healthy habits on how you want to feel?
additional wellness services available
Emotional Healing
Allow your emotions to flow through you!
Emotions are often overlooked when reviewing one’s current state of health when they in fact contribute to who we are and the past experiences we have had. Depending on how we deal with them they can either lift us up to a place of happiness, health and gratitude or deplete us placing extra stress on our system. The unpleasant emotions, such as anger, grief, resentment, shame, etc. can affect the way we feel, how we think, the choices we make, and our relationships with others which in essence can lead to poor health. Emotion Code sessions can help alleviate the burden of these emotions giving your body the space it needs to heal.
Yoga
No judgment, no expectations and no competition, stillness, clarity, and presence.
Yoga can put you in touch with your innermost needs. In the moment of stillness and presence, your mind has the ability to become clear allowing for a space of inner guidance. Our bodies have an innate ability to heal themselves, provided we listen to its messages and give it the right conditions to do so. A regular yoga practice fits in with a functional medicine coaching approach, mind-body medicine addressing imbalances in our root system that are affecting our current state of health. Yoga is much more than holding poses, it’s what we learn about ourselves while we move into and out of the poses and how we choose to take those lessons into our daily lives. Our bodies store past traumas and emotions that can contribute to health issues. Yoga has the power to help you release anything that is stored in the body.
