The Centre
The Centre celebrated its 13th Anniversary April 1st, 2024. We are deeply grateful to the Cowichan Valley for its support and loyalty to all the practitioners service providers who have contributed to the Centre’s leading role in the provision of superior family and women’s health services.
The Centre is the long-term home of Naturopathic Physicians Dr. Rikst Attema, ND, and Dr. Jenna Waddy, ND, and newcomers Dr. Ayla Lester, ND, and Dr. Tonia Winchester, ND. They are all dedicated to wholistic excellence in health care including (but are certainly not limited too): gastrointestinal health, chronic infections, peri-menopause /menopause, bio-identical hormones, fertility, diabetes and metabolic conditions, preconception and postnatal care, weight loss, and mental health including anxiety and depression.
While maintaining an over-arching commitment to family and women’s health within a multidisciplinary context, The Centre has expanded to include a ‘whole of life’ definition of health, and is actively building a base of services to support every aspect of family life. Our services have thus expanded from the most intimate of transformative life-bringing events to advocacy, trauma intervention, integrated natural healing, counselling, the yearly essentials of tax preparation, and opportunities for lending, mortgage advice and provision.
The Centre is the home of Warmland Women’s Support Services—Cowichan Valley’s dedicated sexual assault Advocacy Centre and Crime Victim Assistance location; and of the Cowichan Women’s Health Collective (CWHC), a non-profit society that is working to improve the lives of women by providing gendered health and education services to those who have lived experienced of racism, sexism, discrimination, trauma and violence. These changes represent the progressive fulfillment of a vision to expand integrative services that support women’s health in our community—while continuing to reflect the core values of the Centre through consistency with our vision statement: “Embracing wellness, family, and community.”
Sophie Barbant-Hayward, M.A., R.P.C, Shannon Dikkema, BSc, Rebecca Christopherson, MA RCC, Denae Field and Nicalla Wright are all Clinical Counsellors who approach their clients with warmth, care and compassion. They each have their own unique approach and specialties, some of which are: trauma, addictions, grief, anxiety, depression and relationship healing.
In keeping with our ongoing commitment to inclusivity we have added our local First Nations’ language Hul’q’um’i’num’ to our website, to share publicly our profound commitment to the principles of Reconciliation and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
“Tsi’its’uw’atul” (helping one another) reflects our deep gratitude and service-driven approach in continuing to support community members from all walks of life.
Warmly,
Amanda and Juergen.