Dr. Katie Thomson Aitken ND
86 Norfolk N1H 4J2 Guelph, ON, Canada

My defence of the Christmas cookies #Christmascookie #healthyeating #nutrition #guelph #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #anxiety #anxietysucks #anxietysupport #anxietyhelp #depression #depressionsupport #naturopath #naturopathicdoctor #guelphontario

LOVE Holding my patients in a space of love allows me to be compassionate to their struggles and ecstatic for their progress. I'm ROOTING for you all . I was always taught to hold my patients in a place of unconditional positive regard, which is just another way of saying love.... Comment below with the most important quality you seek in a healthcare professional

LOVE You know what I love? My patients! Here is a video about holding all of my patients in an unconditional positive regard.

Today, WRITE YOURSELF A LOVE LETTER. You deserve it.

you. are. loved.

Create Calm The Professionals Guide to Overcoming Anxiety is now available on Amazon! https://amzn.to/37zCUuv

It's time for a new chapter. I gave the news in my webinar last night - I'm closing the doors on my Tranquil Minds Foundations Program. For the past year Tranquil Minds has been open for enrolment every day. And for some of you that was great. You got help the minute you needed it.... But for many of you, it wasn't. You were worried about not having enough support. About what would happen if you had questions. Mostly, you didn't want to do it alone. And so many of you didn't. You became my patients to work with me one on one. Or you didn't join at all. Which means the Tranquil Minds Foundations Program wasn't doing what it was designed to do - namely - help you create more calm in your life. It's time to let this version of the program go, in order to make space for something new. So, on October 19th - the doors to the Tranquil Minds Foundation are closing - and - for the next 5 days I have some incredible bonuses for everyone who joins us in this last cohort for 2020. We are going to pilot: Weekly group coaching support Cohort Level Instruction - meaning you will be going through the program with people working through the same modules as you! 2020 pricing - more support and we are not changing the program fee I hope you join us! https://bit.ly/3doQkKC

How are you feeling today? But how are you really feeling? If you are like most of the people I’m talking to right now things are up and down. We are all doing our best to be ok.... To Ride The Waves I’ve noticed this past few weeks, that some of the things I’m hearing from my friends and patients - aren’t helping us ride the waves at all. There are some myths out there that are making some people feel afraid, and way more anxious than they need to. So I’m hosting a free talk on Thursday - and we are going to tear them apart. We are going to talk about which myths are detrimental to mental health AND what to think about instead. It’s the reframe we all need to push forward through this next wave. You can sign up here: https://katiethomsonaitken.com/concussion-webinar-registra/ I hope you can join me.

I'm going live in an hour to talk about Riding the Waves of emotions right now. There is still time to sign up! https://bit.ly/3lAp6no

Tonight, live at 8pm, I'm doing some major myth busting. Have you hear yourself saying: "No one else is social distancing anymore?" "It's just stress"... "I'm more worried than everyone else" "When this is over..." These are some of the myths we are going to pull apart tonight, to understand where they come from, the social and biologic factors underneath them and how we can reframe them to start looking at these problems differently. How can we ride these waves, without getting pulled under? Join me - 8pm EST- This discussion will be better with you there :) https://bit.ly/2GTuRhe

Paediatric Anxiety is COMMON. 1 in 6 children are affected by it and often times it is missed or in other words, it goes undiagnosed and untreated. In my practice, I focus on discovering the ROOT CAUSE of your child's anxiety and then creating a tailored treatment plan based on what we discover.... Kids don't grow out of anxiety, so treating them can help their transition to teenage life/adulthood become a lot healthier. HOW TO SCHEDULE WITH ME: Most patient's schedule a free 15 minute consult with me before booking an appointment where we get to discuss health and any questions regarding my profession or how I can help you reach your health goals. After that, the first initial appointment is usually approximately an hour and fifteen minutes with each new patient in order to really create a personalized assessment and treatment plan. I ask questions to assess important topics such as your child's emotional health and physical health, their sleep habits, their triggers, and their health history, etc. Questions about how the Tranquil Minds Program can help you or your child manage anxiety? Send me a DM or email me at [email protected] #paediatricanxiety #help #guelph #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #anxiety #anxietysucks #anxietysupport #anxietyhelp #depression #depressionsupport #naturopath #naturopathicdoctor #guelphontario

Create Calm The Professionals Guide to Overcoming Anxiety is now available on Amazon! I wrote this book for you. So you could feel less anxious and overwhelmed. So you could understand what factors in your own life - things you have control over - that might be aggravating your anxiety or helping you manage it better. I wrote it so you would have the knowledge. Yes - to make some different choices, if that's what you want to do. But mostly just so you would know. So that wh...en that rush of anxious thinking shows up you can check in and say "right I skipped lunch today" and let those thoughts go. This is the guidebook, what you do with it is up to you! https://amzn.to/3k1tMlP

Anxiety doesnt always show up in ways we expect. Crystal Wilson shares about her surprising encounters with anxiety in this brave and honest article. Your anxiety might not look like Crystals. ... In fact, its likely that your anxiety looks a bit different - but we all share this universal emotion and we all deserve support in handling it well.

The old mental health model has 2 options: medication or therapy. Maybe if you were lucky (or very sick) you got both. But we’ve known for a long time now that social and lifestyle factors - things like who you hang around with, how you move your body, and what you eat , has massive impact your brain and your mood.... You don’t have to wait for the meds to start working or to make it through another breakthrough in therapy to get started reworking your life. You can work on your body, WHILE doing therapy, WHILE taking medication (if that’s your jam) You have more options than you think. Send me a DM if you want to talk about them #mentalhealthmatters #stress #anxiety #depression #health #wellness #hope #guelph #guelphontario #onlinetherapy #naturopath #naturopathicmedicine #createcalm #tranquilminds https://bit.ly/30pEP19

Thank you all for your support! Voting for the Paragon Awards closes October 9th! If you have a minute to vote today - I would so appreciate your support.... https://bit.ly/3jrvGvT See more

Reactive Hypoglycaemia happens when your body produces too much insulin and your blood sugar goes far too low. The symptoms are heart palpitations and being shaky.... do they seem familiar to you? These are also symptoms of anxiety! Contact me and let's go over what might be causing your anxiety. #anxiety #hypoglycaemia

First of all, I'm sorry that you're struggling to accept something. We have all gone through this feeling at some point in our lives. I've asked "WHY ME?" or "Why can't I get over this already?" a few times throughout mine. Writing down a list of "AS A RESULT OF" events can help you reframe your thinking around what you're struggling to accept. You're more likely to accept something if you can think of it as a step in your pathway that lead you to the place you're at. How we react to and accept these events can lead us into a more joyous life! #journalprompt #positivethinking #reframingthought

Did you know naturopathic doctors can order blood work? After carefully listening to your concerns, sometimes naturopathic doctors recommend lab work to help uncover what's really going on in your health, or to screen for common concerns you may be at risk of. Questions about naturopathic medicine? Send me a DM or book a naturopathic strategy session here https://bit.ly/2AjjPxY... #natmedweek #beintheknow

Struggling with self love or confidence? Writing yourself a love letter can be extremely challenging. The more you do it, the more nice things you'll have to say. Think of traits you seek out in partners, mentors, or friends. You'll most likely find these traits are within you as well. #selflove #journalprompt

I spelled 9 words incorrectly writing this post. I routinely bombed my spelling tests, no matter how hard I practiced my words. I lost marks in every class in high school - including gym class - for my spelling. ... I write Tuesday Teusday despite it being the word I’m going to fix my spelling of this year - for the past 3 years So the fact that in 2020 I became a best selling author. Friends, my colleagues have nominated me, Katie Thomson Aitken, girl who really struggles to put vowels in the right order, in the author category. You don’t need the skills and aptitude in every single area of a project to be successful. The world needs the projects you have inside you out in this world. Get help with the things you aren’t great at (for me that meant hiring a great copy editor) and so you can do the things you excel at. Public voting is open for the Paragon Awards where I have been nominated in the category of Author. I would appreciate your support! https://bit.ly/2SpzORc

Magnesium deficiency is a reversible root cause of anxiety. Reach out to me if you want to learn more about what might be causing your child's anxiety.

GOOD NEWS!! The Organic, looseleaf Tranquil Tea line has just been restocked in time for this cooler weather. Did you know we have a custom tea line designed to help keep you CALM and FOCUSED? We have a daytime and a nighttime line.... Tranquil Days Tea: An invigorating blend of Lemon Balm, Passionflower, and more! Nothing added and nothing needed. Full of nervines to help relax the nervous system a Full of adaptogens to help you with your strength and resiliency. Tranquil Nights Tea: A comforting blend of Chamomile, Passionflower, and Lavender. Full of sedating herbs to help you feel calm and sleepy BOTH these teas are available on my website or given for free with the Tranquil Minds Program enrollment. Questions about how the Tranquil Minds Program can help you create more calm? Send me a DM or email me at [email protected] #tea #organictea #chammomile #lemonbalm #lavender #guelph #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #anxiety #anxietysucks #anxietysupport #anxietyhelp #depression #depressionsupport #naturopath #naturopathicdoctor #guelphontario

If you have an upcoming event that is really stressing you out, try scheduling an appointment with yourself. Sometimes, we can find that our minds are in a big loop of worries about the same things. Interrupting this thought loop with your schedule thought "at 2:30pm I will think about this", can quiet your mind and allow you to be more present and productive! #productivity #journalprompt

You've got this! Need some more reassurance today? Grab some headphones and pop on episode 112 of the FitMama Podcast. Jen Oliver and I talk about Creating Calm from the Inside out.... Check it out on your favourite podcast player and let me know what you think! https://bit.ly/3i44536

Here's some guiding principles for packing your anxious child's lunch to promote a more stable mood throughout their school day! Leave your favourite food emoji in the comments and I will contact your for your email to send you my "Lunches for Anxious Tummies" meal ideas and recipes to put these into practice! DO's:...Continue reading

Paediatric Anxiety is COMMON. 1 in 6 children are affected by it and often times it is missed or in other words, it goes undiagnosed and untreated. In my practice, I focus on discovering the ROOT CAUSE of your child's anxiety and then creating a tailored treatment plan based on what we discover.... Kids don't grow out of anxiety, so treating them can help their transition to teenage life/adulthood become a lot healthier. HOW TO SCHEDULE WITH ME: Most patient's schedule a free 15 minute consult with me before booking an appointment where we get to discuss health and any questions regarding my profession or how I can help you reach your health goals. After that, the first initial appointment is usually approximately an hour and fifteen minutes with each new patient in order to really create a personalized assessment and treatment plan. I ask questions to assess important topics such as your child's emotional health and physical health, their sleep habits, their triggers, and their health history, etc. Questions about how the Tranquil Minds Program can help you or your child manage anxiety? Send me a DM or email me at [email protected] #paediatricanxiety #help #guelph #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #anxiety #anxietysucks #anxietysupport #anxietyhelp #depression #depressionsupport #naturopath #naturopathicdoctor #guelphontario

Thank you to my colleagues for nominating me for the Paragon Awards! This year I have been nominated in the category of Author. Becoming an author was a childhood dream of mine and I so appreciate all your support !... Public voting is open until October 9th! I would love it if you could take a minute to vote for me! https://bit.ly/3itFKD0

Thank you so much for all of your support for my book! Publishing Create Calm took more vulnerability than anything I've done in a long time. What started out as a practical informative guidebook, ended up with a lot of myself and my story.... I was nervous putting that much of myself in a book for you all to read! What if you didn't like it! What if you didn't like me But I knew I couldn't hold back. I had to walk the talk. Vulnerability creates connection, and I'm so grateful to be connected with you. Create Calm The Professionals Guide to Overcoming Anxiety is now available on Amazon! https://amzn.to/2RyqE46

Did you know... Anxiety is often missed by your child's doctor. Paediatric Anxiety affects 1 in 6 children. Contact me today for a consultation!

When I first realized I had anxiety I felt (unsurprisingly) overwhelmed. I spent years and a good chunk of my professional education researching to understand my body and how what I did day-to-day impacted how I was feeling. I wished I had a manual.... Something to walk me step-by-step through what I actually had control of when managing my mood seemed so out of my control. So I wrote this guidebook, Create Calm My hope is that you can save some time and heartache sorting out your mood. That you can take over the drivers seat and take more ownership for the decisions in your life that affect your health. I hope it empowers you to Create Calm. Create Calm The Professionals Guide to Overcoming Anxiety is now available on Amazon! https://amzn.to/3maga9v

Connection - we need it. If we are being honest, a lot of you were feeling disconnected before we started #socialdistancing I know this because I ask all my new patients about it, and as a cohort, working parents are #lonely . As we take this time to reach out more by phone, text and FaceTime - lets take a minute to think about what we want to bring with us. You can build friendships no matter where you are in your life. There are so many people like you who are just a...s lonely and not sure if they can even admit it. Lets remember to reach out k? If you want more friends - they are yours - but you probably need to tell them you want to be friends. #connection #friendship #socailisolation #mentalhealth #mood #mentalhealthmatters #anxiety #depression #anxietyhelp #anxietysupport #socailanxiety #menshealth #mensmentalhealth #lonelyatthetop #guelph #downtownguelph #createcalm #community #selfcare #communitycare #tranquilminds https://bit.ly/2ZzTKpb

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting some prompts to help you get started journalling! Get your notebooks ready #journal #journalling #journalprompt #wellness #mentalhealth

Untreated anxiety can lead to unipolar and bipolar depression, as well as substance abuse. I would be so grateful to guide you, your child, or your loved one into the path of healing your anxiety. Let's find the root cause together!

We all feel anxious at times. You don't need to feel anxious all the time and you don't need to be making decisions from a place of anxiety. Ready to get unstuck?... Click Here to Listen: https://bit.ly/31Ga6xi

Create Calm The Professionals Guide to Overcoming Anxiety is now available on Amazon! https://amzn.to/3inuoBC

Paediatric Anxiety is commonly missed by healthcare workers and parents. These are three of the most common symptoms I have narrowed down in my practice. Pain that's related to Paediatric Anxiety is VERY general. I will ask the child where the pain is in their stomach and they just kind of rub their whole stomach or just say that it hurts everywhere. Contact me for a consultation if you want to get to the root cause of you or your child's anxiety!

Create Calm The Professionals Guide to Overcoming Anxiety is now available on Amazon! I wrote this book for you. So you could feel less anxious and overwhelmed. So you could understand what factors in your own life - things you have control over - that might be aggravating your anxiety or helping you manage it better. I wrote it so you would have the knowledge. Yes - to make some different choices, if that's what you want to do. But mostly just so you would know. So that wh...en that rush of anxious thinking shows up you can check in and say "right I skipped lunch today" and let those thoughts go. This is the guidebook, what you do with it is up to you! https://amzn.to/3bv4hWC

Have you heard of post- traumatic growth? Everyone knows about PTSD, but not everyone has heard of its twin - post-traumatic growth. 12 years ago I said to my mom when my brother came home. (He had been in the hospital with a life threatening head injury)... It is, and I prays it remains, the hardest thing Ive ever been through. The stress and grief of that time broke me. My friends told me after that I didnt smile for months. And after the shock, I rose. More compassionate, more grateful and more confident; ready to become the naturopathic doctor, wife, mother and friend you know all these years later. Through the I found my faith and myself. None of us chose to rally through a global pandemic - yet here we all are. You dont have to do anything other than survive today, but when the smoke clears, and the world re-opens - we will look back on this as a defining moment. And we can rise #anxiety #depression #stress #anxietyhelp #anxietyrelief #depressionhelp #stressrelief #stressmanagement #mentalhealthmatters #menshealth #mensmentalhealth #naturopathicmedicine #guelph #guelphontario #downtownguelph #guelphbusiness #tranquilminds #createcalm #ptsd #posttraumaticgrowth #growth https://bit.ly/2ZzPCFv

Green time buffers screen time - how nature exposure can promote better mental health in kids in a high-tech world. This is even more relevant now with COVID-1...9 and remote learning. *of note: the researchers concede that their study failed to include many lower-income participants. Other studies have shown how structural classism and racism negatively impact access to, and time in, nature. No doubt that social determinants of health affect the positive outcomes seen in this study, and that this research may only apply to kids with privilege.* #nature #health #forestbathing

Really, if not your list, who's? Have you caught this interview with the incredible Jen Oliver on her FitMama Global Podcast? Check it out on your favourite podcast player and let me know what you think!... https://bit.ly/2EaUngK See more

Anxiety Sucks but you don't have to sort out what you can do about it on your own. Create Calm The Professionals Guide to Overcoming Anxiety is now available on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3bobTu7

Sometimes, when you are feeling overwhelmed, you just want someone to hold your hand and walk you through what you can do to fix something. Maybe your mom, brother or best friend can't walk you through managing your lifestyle to reduce stress and anxiety - but I can. And since I can only take patients in Ontario and I know there is a whole world of people who need support right now; I wrote a book. It's for you - so you can understand the impact your lifestyle has on feel...ing stressed, overwhelmed and anxious, and so you can make different choices to best manage your health and your lifestyle. Create Calm The Professionals Guide to Overcoming Anxiety is now available on Amazon! https://amzn.to/3gEuoeP

Heading back to school has it's own anxiety this year. Shannon and I talked about heading back to school this year. We talk about masks, social distancing and the fact that your children's teachers care about their health and well-being and are smiling, even though you can't see beneath their masks :)

I have some bad news... wine isn't helping you sleep (and neither is cannabis). Yes I know it might make you feel like you fall asleep faster but in the long game of sleep alcohol is causing you problems. Drinking causes you to wake up more often in the night as your blood sugar fluxes all over the map.... Cannabis decrease the amount of REM sleep you get. There are lots of other ways to get great sleep. If you need support sorting out the other options, I'm happy to help. Let's keep your recreational vices as recreation, not medicine. Questions about how the Tranquil Minds Program can help you manage your anxiety and get better sleep? Send me a DM or email me at [email protected]

Come Join Us for Expert Speakers around managing back to school anxiety inside my community group https://www.facebook.com/groups/tranquilmindsupport/

Recently I spoke with Dr. Meghan Walker on the Entrepology Podcast about how to Create Calm and better manage your anxiety from home. This my friends is a practical conversation. It's things you can start doing tomorrow, that when you stack them up, create a nervous system and a life the supports you in feeling calm and focused. Click Here to Listen: https://bit.ly/2CMwJ9q

You don't need a healthy alternative to your favourite snack food. Whenever I give a talk about nutrition someone always wants to know "what can I eat instead of chips" or "what do you recommend in stead of chocolate" HAVE YOU TRIED ALTERNATIVES FOR CHOCOLATE?... WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD RECOMMEND THAT? It's ok to eat your favourite snack food! Just eat some other stuff too okay? Wondering how the Tranquil Minds Program can help you manage your anxiety? Let's Chat! Send me a DM or email me at [email protected]

Have you caught this interview with the incredible Jen Oliver on her FitMama Global Podcast? In it we dive deep into the content of my new book Create Calm You don't want to miss this conversation about:... catching and releasing your emotions putting yourself on top of your to do list managing anxiety in motherhood finding peace inside your core self Check it out on your favourite podcast player and let me know what you think! https://bit.ly/2YmXGYW

Think of your blood sugar like an internal roller coaster. Wild swings and big drops cause your stomach to drop and worsen feelings of anxiety. Get off the roller coaster. Find some Balance.... The Tranquil Minds Program can help you manage your anxiety. Send me a DM or email me at [email protected] to find out how.

When I think about how much I miss this place it hurts. It's always so hard to leave Cap Brule. This week - as we celebrate "Cap Brule at Home" we are soaking in everything I love about this place - even though we can't be there.... Soaking in the family time. The slower pace of life that is hard to find at home - or frankly outside the Maritimes. Eating my favourite vacation food. Enjoying some @benjaminbridge wine I ordered just for the occasion. Filling myself with gratitude for all the time I've been privileged to spend there. Comforting myself with the same thing I told my daughter as we said goodbye last year. "We will come back" And we will. Try turning your longing into gratitude. This week - it's healing my heart.

You all know how passionate I am about talking about anxiety and mental health. In this conversation with my colleague Dr. Talia Marcheggiani I let myself be a bit more vulnerable and speak about something that sits heavy in my heart and busy in my mind as I work to unpack and understand anxiety and identity on a deeper level. In this episode of The Good Mood Podcast, I dip my toe into speaking about gender and men's mental health, and how patriarchal nonsense hurts people of... all genders when it comes to mental health. Thank you Talia so much for inviting me deeper into this conversation. You can listen and subscribe to the good mood podcast here or search for it on your favourite podcast app: https://bit.ly/2PAvQDV

Sometimes, anxiety can really get in the way of your work performance. Recently I worked with a sales representative in his mid forties - lets call him Tom. Tom was great at his job and loved his work. He was proud of how well he handled himself in meetings and on sales calls.... Then one day the unthinkable happened, out of the blue Tom started getting anxious, stressed and incredibly uncomfortable doing these sales meetings that he had always been able to do with such ease. Like a lot of people with anxiety Tom said to me "This isn't me, I'm not like this" After noticing that these anxiety moments were happening more in the afternoon, we looked into Tom's blood sugar, and found he was "at risk" for diabetes. When he took my advice and changed his diet he was able to normalize his blood sugar and reduce his anxiety! This is why eating for a better brain is a key pillar of performance inside the Tranquil Minds Program. Questions about how the Tranquil Minds Program can help you manage your anxiety? Send me a DM or email me at [email protected]