Understanding Hormone Health with Dr. Kellie: Options for Support During Perimenopause and Menopause11/14/2024 In recent months, we’ve been diving deep into hormone health with Dr. Kellie at Ripple, and it’s clear this topic resonates with many of you. Hormones play such a critical role in how we feel day-to-day, especially during life stages like perimenopause and menopause. If you’ve been wondering what working with Dr. Kellie entails and what options are available, you’re in the right place.
We’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions to shed light on the process, covering everything from lab work and hormone prescriptions to lifestyle adjustments. This guide should help clarify how Dr. Kellie approaches hormone health and support through naturopathic medicine. And remember, if you have more questions, Dr. Kellie offers a FREE 15-minute phone consultation — just call Ripple to schedule yours! FAQ: Hormone Health with Dr. Kellie 1. I think I may be in perimenopause or menopause. What are the next steps?If you suspect you’re entering perimenopause or are in menopause, Dr. Kellie can help you navigate your options, including considering Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), also known as Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT). Every individual’s experience is unique, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Dr. Kellie prioritizes understanding your specific symptoms, needs, and goals before determining the best course of action. 2. Do we start with lab work?Not always, but sometimes hormone testing can provide valuable insights. For instance:
3. What about daily temperature checks? Are they helpful?Yes, they can be, depending on your situation. For instance, tracking basal body temperature can show whether you’re ovulating and producing sufficient progesterone, which is particularly useful if you’ve had a hysterectomy. 4. Can you prescribe hormones?Yes, Dr. Kellie can prescribe bioidentical hormones:
5. Are there supplements that can help with perimenopause?Absolutely! Dr. Kellie frequently recommends:
6. Are there herbs that can support hormone balance?Yes, certain herbs can be powerful allies. Dr. Kellie often suggests:
7. How does diet impact hormone health?A low-inflammatory diet is crucial. This involves:
8. Is there anything else I should consider?Yes, managing stress is critical. When ovarian function decreases, the adrenal glands step in to produce certain hormones, so keeping your stress levels in check is vital. Additionally:
Where Do We Start? Dr. Kellie’s approach is comprehensive and tailored to your unique needs:
Remember, Dr. Kellie’s ultimate goal is to empower you to feel your best at every stage of life. Whether you’re just starting to explore hormone health or you’re looking for a more holistic approach to managing symptoms, she’s here to guide you every step of the way. If you’re curious to learn more about how Naturopathic Medicine at Ripple can support you, please click here or schedule your complimentary phone consultation with Dr. Kellie today! In health, Emily Olson, C-IAYT Yoga Teacher, Owner
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Expanding Our Counseling Services at Ripple: Meet Our Therapists Demitri Richmond & Justin Rinta11/12/2024 Hello, Ripple Community!
We are thrilled to share some exciting news with you! Ripple Mental Health Counseling has expanded its counseling program to better support your mental wellness journey. We now have two dedicated therapists, Demitri Richmond and Justin Rinta, providing compassionate care to help you navigate life’s challenges. Meet Our Therapists Our therapists bring a wealth of experience in evidence-based practices, particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). They work with clients to address a wide range of issues, including:
Convenient Telehealth Services We understand how busy life can be, so we offer fully confidential counseling sessions via Telehealth. This means you can access the support you need from the comfort of your home, without the hassle of commuting. Insurance & Affordable Options We believe that mental health care should be accessible to everyone in our community. That’s why we’re proud to be in-network with Regence and Premera BlueCross/BlueShield. For those without insurance, we offer discounted out-of-pocket rates:
What to Expect in Your Counseling Sessions: The Initial Assessment Your first session will be a 55-minute initial assessment with your therapist. This is a time for you to explore your reasons for seeking therapy and how we can best support you. You’ll discuss your background, current challenges, and any specific concerns you may have. Ongoing Sessions Therapy is a collaborative process. In the sessions that follow, you and your therapist will explore different strategies to address your challenges. The focus will be on building a strong therapeutic relationship, delving into your feelings, developing coping techniques, and engaging in problem-solving. Regular check-ins will help refine the approach based on your feedback and progress. How Many Sessions Will You Need? The number of sessions depends on your unique needs. Our goal is to provide tailored support that fits your specific situation. How to Get Started Curious if our counseling services are right for you? We offer a FREE 15-minute consultation to discuss your goals and determine if Demitri or Justin is the best fit for you. How to Schedule Scheduling is easy! Just call or text our front desk, and we’ll get you set up right away. We look forward to supporting you on your journey to better mental health! For more details about our therapists and services, learn more about Demitri and Justin here.  Hello, everyone!
As the beauty of fall unfolds, we’re entering a season where wellness can sometimes feel like an afterthought. But what if this holiday season, we focused on staying energized and balanced, so we enter 2025 feeling refreshed? Our team at Ripple Wellness is excited to share insights to support your health journey this holiday season. From self-care strategies to healthy recipes and movement practices, we’ve packed this post with tools to keep your wellness on track. Here’s a look at this month’s wellness tips and some exciting updates from the clinic. HOLIDAY WELLNESS TIPS FROM OUR TEAM 1. Take Advantage of an Infrared Sauna Winter’s chill can often leave us feeling low-energy and under the weather. Sierra, our receptionist, recommends using an infrared sauna to boost immunity and detoxify. Conveniently, Petal & Thorn clinic in Camas offers a sauna you can book online. Check it out, and let the warmth rejuvenate your body and mind! 2. Keep Moving! Staying active is essential for both physical and mental wellness during the holidays. Whether it’s joining a new yoga class or organizing a hike with friends, adding movement will help keep you balanced. If you’re not sure where to start, try Emily’s Shaking practice to get your energy flowing. Plus, walking with friends and family can be a great way to bond while supporting your health. 3. Practice Saying “No” When Necessary It’s easy to overcommit during the holidays. Dr. Kellie reminds us to be strategic about our schedule. Make choices that honor your well-being, and don’t hesitate to decline invitations if you need rest. Setting boundaries allows us to protect our energy, and it also gives others permission to prioritize their wellness. 4. Check in with Your Future Self Our nutritionist, Emily, suggests that during moments of temptation, we check in with our future selves. Ask yourself how you want to feel tomorrow or in the coming weeks. A quick mental check-in can help you make choices aligned with your goals and wellbeing. 5. Focus on Macronutrients at Gatherings It’s natural to indulge during the holidays, but balance is key. Make sure to get a good mix of fats, fiber, proteins, and carbs, especially when you’re at gatherings. Start your day with a hearty breakfast and opt for healthy options, like a protein-rich charcuterie board. And don’t forget to try a festive mocktail – sparkling water with a splash of tart cherry juice is a crowd favorite. It’s rich in antioxidants and good for sleep too! FEATURED WELLNESS PRACTICE Shaking Practice with Emily Olson, Yoga Teacher Shake off holiday stress with this energizing movement practice! Shaking is a quick, simple way to release tension and boost energy. Start with just a few minutes and work up as you feel comfortable. Put on a favorite song, shake it out, and let go of stress. Check out our SHAKE playlist on Spotify, and feel free to add your own favorite tunes. RECIPE OF THE MONTH Pickle Party Dip Emily Penn’s Pickle Party Dip is the perfect blend of tangy and creamy. Great for holiday get-togethers, this dip is easy to make and adaptable with extra ingredients. Ingredients:
CLINIC NEWS & UPDATES We’re thrilled to welcome back Michael Prevec, L.Ac., a seasoned acupuncturist with 13+ years of experience. Michael specializes in treating a wide range of conditions, from pain and anxiety to insomnia and neuropathies. We’re grateful to have his expertise back in the clinic! Sick Policy Reminder: To protect the health of everyone in our community, please reschedule if you’re experiencing symptoms such as coughing or sneezing. We’re happy to find a new appointment time that works for you. Scheduling Made Easy With our online health portal, you can book your appointments anytime! Just log in to Charm PHR on your computer or download the iPhone app for quick, convenient scheduling. Each request is reviewed by our receptionist, and you’ll receive a confirmation once it’s finalized. Wishing you wellness and balance through the season, Emily Olson, C-IAYT Owner, Yoga Teacher  You asked for packages, we’re bringing you packages! We are excited to roll out three bodywork and wellness packages this winter.
This is a great way to commit to your wellness goals, schedule your self-care and try something new. Have you ever experienced a 90-MINUTE MASSAGE at Ripple? It is a whole other experience with our massage team - they pull out all the stops. Have you been seeing the word BREATHWORK around, but not sure what the fuss is about? Our breathwork package is an opportunity to dive DEEP into optimal breathing and really experience and practice what it means to breathe fully for inner calm and serenity. And if you haven’t been in to see Jeff or Kate for ACUPUNCTURE, know that Chinese Medicine is a comprehensive, non-invasive system that can truly address anything that ails you. These two are here to guide you on a restorative health journey and get you results. These packages save you up to 15% off our cash rates so new patients, established patients, this is for you! And we are happy to provide a gift certificate for these...Valentine’s Day! WINTER RESTORATIVE BODYWORK PACKAGE Three 90-Minute Massages - one with each of our massage therapists - $275 - $25 savings! BREATHWORK PACKAGE Three Breathwork Sessions and One 60-Minute Respiratory Massage - $275 - $25 savings! CHINESE NEW YEAR ACUPUNCTURE PACKAGE Four Acupuncture sessions including our comprehensive intake - $310 - $55 savings! Hope to see you! Call us if you have any questions - (360)207-0134  “I want to get back into yoga, but it flares up my neck pain.”
“I gained 30 pounds during COVID and I need to get moving.” “I heard yoga is great, but I am intimidated by it.” “A doctor told my daughter to learn how to breathe.” “I was doing yoga for a while, but my studio closed.” “I want to do yoga, but I won’t be able to keep up in a class.” These are quotes from clients. These are my people. And this is why I do YOGA THERAPY because yoga is for EVERYBODY. Can I say that again? YOGA IS FOR EVERYBODY. Regardless of your experience level, body type, medical history, whether you have anxiety, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, you’re pregnant, you just had a baby, there is a SAFE, EFFECTIVE & FUN YOGA designed for you. You can benefit from all of it - the movement, mindfulness, deep breathing, intention setting. NO ONE IS OUTSIDE THE REACH OF YOGA.This is YOGA THERAPY. I started training as a yoga therapist immediately after my initial yoga teacher training in 2005. I knew right out of the gate I wanted to work one-on-one with people. I wanted to bring yoga to people that needed something different than a group class. Certified yoga therapists have additional training (500 additional hours) beyond teacher training in working with people with different medical histories and conditions, we are trained to choose and design appropriate movement and breathwork sequences, we are taught dozens of modifications to ensure safety with each pose, we are trained in intakes and assessments so we know where to start and can read how each person is responding. We do not diagnose, that would be your chiropractor, doctor or physical therapist, but we can understand your diagnosis and how to make yoga safe for you with that diagnosis. At Ripple, I offer in-person or virtual ONE-ON-ONE YOGA and breathwork sessions. They are 45-60 minutes. We are able to maintain 6’ distancing in our yoga studio at Ripple. I typically work in 4-session packages because that gives us a chance to set goals, work towards them and see how you are responding and where we need to modify. If you like video, I will shoot a private youtube video of your sequence and send it to you and I always provide handouts and yoga “homework.” I offer a free, 15-minute phone or in-person consultation if you would like to see if it is a good fit. DM me for details or call Ripple to schedule! (360)207-0134 Dated photo, you and I will be distanced and masked up!  Join us for a YEAR OF GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION in 2021!
Just like many of you, I have been at this a long time - meditation, mindfulness, yoga - all the things I can find to live the best life possible. And here is what is I have found so far: At the basis of all wellness practices, heck, even all spiritual practices, is APPRECIATION. Mindfulness yields gratitude, health yields gratitude, connection yields gratitude. But the opposite is also true. If we want more of these things in our life, CONNECTION, MEANING, HEALTH, VITALITY - GRATITUDE is key in getting there. Gratitude is not something we are born with, it has to be CULTIVATED. Really, what we are born with are these brains that lean towards FEAR, SCARCITY and ANXIETY. We have the potential to turn this around and RE-WIRE for LOVE, INNER PEACE and TRUST. But it is a PRACTICE. And now we have a way at Ripple to get this practice down ALL YEAR LONG! Join us for our COMMUNITY READ of the book, GRATITUDE DIARIES by Janice Kaplan
Here is WHAT YOU NEED TO START by January 1, 2021
 What does it mean to be embodied?
Simply put, embodiment is a way of being where we are in tune with our bodily sensations. For example, when we experience a stressful trigger, we drop down and feel exactly where this stress is being held in our body—it might be tightness in our belly, restriction in our throat, shallow breathing or increased heart rate, most likely it is a combination of a few of these. Being aware of these sensations allows us to immediately counter their effect. When we pay attention to the stressful state of our body, we naturally shift it by slowing down, deepening our breath and sitting or standing taller. These actions may seem insignificant, but they are proven to be potent stress relief tools, triggering a relaxation state in our nervous system. Unfortunately, embodiment is not something our society, nor our employers, typically value. We live in a mind-centered world and are expected to utilize our intellect as our primary tool in decision making. Taking a moment to note how these decisions feel in our gut is not part of the common workplace agenda. We are encouraged to ignore how our body feels with work deadlines that demand eating lunch at our desk, staying indoors all day long and remaining glued to a screen most of the day. Despite this norm, each of us has the power to move through our day connected to how we feel. We can listen to our bodies and respond mindfully to what we need. After a long stint at the computer, you may feel tired and head straight for an afternoon coffee. After checking in more closely, you find that what you really need is a glass of water, a few stretches at your desk and a quick walk outside for some fresh air. Read the rest of the article here on Elephant Journal.  Have you ever forgotten or lost your phone and then felt absolutely lost without it? It’s unsetting to feel how addicted we are to these devices. Our phones allow us fast access to information and mobile connection to our jobs and loved ones. But physiologically they can have detrimental effects. Studies show increased use of electronic devices decrease focus and attention, over-stimulate the addiction centers in the brain, disrupt sleep and increase feelings of social isolation.
Acupuncturist, Kate Sydney will break down how this all works in your brain, your sleep and your life. She will offer insight into why digital discipline is so important and offer tips on how to manage your time online once and for all. Another key component in digital minimalism is the toll our devices take on our attention and focus. Our focus is our superpower and often what allows us to be creative and thrive. When we give this power away to a device, we are left not only with less hours in the day, but a decrease in our ability to concentrate. Yoga teacher, Emily Olson is passionate about establishing healthy daily habits and routines that yield a fulfilling life. She has been playing with creative vs. device time and loves to inspire people to consciously choose time spent with their phones - which she has failed at again and again, but keeps at it! A great precursor to this class would be to watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix, a powerful documentary on how technology influences our behaviors and impacts our life and our world. Digital Detox Class Thursday, October 15th 7:00-8:00pm $10 Email/text/call to register and we will send you a ZOOM link Kate Sydney, ND/MSOM, LAc is a licensed acupuncturist, educator, and doctor of Naturopathic medicine. Kate has special interest in Chinese medicine including seasonal dietary therapy, circadian rhythm hygiene, sleep potions, hormonal balance, immunological vitality, digestive fire, pain softening, and mental and emotional ease. She treats imbalances using food, laughter, nutrition, homeopathy, western/eastern herbalism, hydrotherapy, and movement. She believes optimal health is fostered by the tiny little rituals we carve out time for and practice on a daily basis. Emily Olson, E-RYT, PTA, is a certified yoga therapist, yoga teacher and Physical Therapist Assistant. In 2017 she opened Ripple Wellness with her husband Jeff, a multidisciplinary natural health clinic with a unique commitment to community outreach and education. An inspired teacher and health educator, Emily has taught dozens of classes on health and wellness topics that include, radical self-care, gratitude, breathing techniques, mindfulness and meditation skills, stress relief practices and marketing for yoga and wellness. Her passion lies in igniting in people a drive and inspiration to prioritize self-care practices that foster a deep connection within so they can live their best possible life.  “The highest life you can live is that every single moment that unfolds in front of you is better off because it did.” Michael Singer
The state of our mind moment to moment determines the quality of our life and our happiness. Often we think if we can just get that one thing, we will finally be fulfilled. But research shows this is far from true. We live in what scientists call a hedonic cycle, whereby regardless of the joys or sorrows that come our way, we quickly return to our baseline of happiness. Our work then becomes to make that baseline one of contentment, joy and fulfillment. When we convince ourselves that we need external conditions - partners, children, income, house - to change for us to be happy, we are setting ourselves up to live in a state of anxiety and discontent. Once our basic needs are met, it is up to each of us to find the joy within - it is 100% possible and presence is what gets us there. Join us for our October Mindfulness & Meditation group with Emily Olson and Emily Penn to discuss how each of us can harness the power of presence in our life and create a shift that can last a lifetime. These Emily’s have spent decades committed to the work of using mindfulness, present moment awareness and introspection to create a life well lived and they are passionate about sharing what they find! This group will include a discussion followed by a 20-minute guided meditation. New to meditation? This is a great place to start. Sitting with other people is a wonderful way to begin to meditate. We will provide meditation resources following the sit. Text/email/call Ripple Wellness to register. $5-$10 sliding scale donation - call payment into Ripple or pay in Venmo @ripplewellness If you would like some inspiration before we meet check out the documentary, Happy available on Netflix and Amazon.  Creating & Sustaining A Mindful Life with Emily Olson, E-RYT The path of mindfulness is lifelong and many people go in and out of living a life filled with mindful awareness. This month we’ll discuss what makes a mindful life and what mindful people do differently to make these habits stick. We’ll share how we can use these skills that build on one another to take us into deeper states of relaxation, contemplation, peace and ease. This event is led by Emily Olson, but is a group discussion. Come with questions, insights and stories of what you’ve tried, what works, what doesn’t and ideas for what you want to discuss! This is our monthly group where we share mindfulness skills and sit in a guided meditation together. In this age of consistent stress and overwhelm, we want to offer a monthly check-in and place for people to connect. New to meditation? This is a great place to start. Sitting with other people - even online - is a wonderful way to begin to meditate. You will learn different techniques and be lead with cues from the teacher while experiencing firsthand the benefits of sitting with a group. WHAT: Virtual Meditation Group WHEN: Sunday, August 2nd, 4:00-5:15pm COST:$5-$10 sliding scale donation made to @ripplewellness on Venmo or call payment into Ripple REGISTRATION:Register by calling, texting or emailing Ripple with your email address and we will send you a Zoom link the day of the event. PHONE: (360) 207-0134 EMAIL: [email protected] |
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