with Guest Speakers Shirley, Dr Kara, Julia, Kendra, Sarah, & Lori.
Kendra is a Counsellor and Somatic Sex Educator, and Sarah is a Holistic Nutritionist who specializes in the Psychology of Eating, as well as a Personal Trainer. Together they make up Eat Squat Cum! They believe healthy food, regular movement and mindful pleasure are the keys to feeling sexy, confident and empowered. They see individual clients in their private practice and post weekly educational videos on YouTube. In January they launched their premier online course Vagina Warrior: A (Sex)Life-Changing Workout for your Lady-Bits.
She introduces herself as a Menopause Chick. Now 52, her perimenopause journey began more than ten years ago. Sore boobs, sleep deprivation, depression and brain fog led Shirley to her doctor’s office, the book store and “Dr. Google,” but she was left feeling confused, overwhelmed and alone. At 46, she launched MenopauseChicks.com onto the world stage to empower women to talk openly about perimenopause and menopause, to navigate midlife health information and to connect to women’s health professionals.
Since that time, Shirley spoke at TEDxGastownWomen, Pecha Kucha, received a YWCA Vancouver Woman of Distinction Award and Menopause Chicks has been featured in the National Post, Toronto Star, and OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). In April 2016, Shirley hosted the first-ever online menopause party celebrating her own menopause milestone. She and rock star, Bif Naked, discussed learning to love menopause, while women tuned in to share their stories in a private online community. In 2018, her first book, MOKITA: How to navigate perimenopause with confidence & ease reached #1 on Amazon.ca in women’s health.
That private online community now includes over 7,000 women and fields an average of 15,000 questions and comments every month. Members regard the group as unbiased, trustworthy and the “go-to” place to get their questions answered and to affirm they are not alone.
Shirley’s marketing & communications career spans 30 years, she holds a certificate in Peer Counselling from the University of British Columbia, and she is mom to two teenagers and one golden doodle.
Dr. Lori Brotto is a Professor in the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and a Registered Psychologist in Vancouver, Canada. She is the Executive Director of the Women’s Health Research Institute of BC located at BC Women’s Hospital. Dr. Brotto holds a Canada Research Chair in Women’s Sexual Health. She is the director of the UBC Sexual Health Laboratory where research primarily focuses on developing and testing psychological and mindfulness-based interventions for women with sexual desire and arousal difficulties and women with chronic genital pain. Dr. Brotto is an Associate Editor for the Archives of Sexual Behavior, has >170 peer-reviewed publications, and is frequently featured in the media on topics related to sexuality. Her book, Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire (2018) is a trade book of her research demonstrating the benefits of mindfulness for women’s sexual concerns. She is a strong advocate for empowering women to take on leadership roles.
Dr. Kara Dionisio, B.Sc, M.Sc, ND is a sparkly-geeky-lady-doctor-in-
She is the owner and clinical director of Health Squad in Owen Sound where she is curating some of the coolest health professionals around ‘The Sound.’ She is a mom to two adorable feisty kids and wife to her sexy red-bearded Irish dude. You can find her as co-host of Health Link on Rogers TV, and co-host of That Naturopathic Podcast.
Julia Di Paolo is a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist and the founder of PhysioExcellence, a dedicated Women’s and Pelvic Health clinic in Toronto, Ontario. She has worked in private practice for over 20 years, starting first in orthopedics, with sports and spine injuries and then evolving into women’s health, in particular diastasis recti abdominis. For the last 7 years, her focus has been on the pelvic floor and its relationship to the rest of the body, specifically with diastasis in the pregnant and postpartum populations.
Kegels and Cocktails was founded in 2009 by Kim Vopni. She is the owner of Pelvienne Wellness Inc and co-founder of Bellies Inc offering innovative pelvic health products and services to women in all life stages. Kim is a mom of 2 boys, a Certified Personal Trainer and a passionate pelvic health promoter. She is the creator of the Kegel Mojo program and the Prepare To Push™ program. She is determined to normalize the conversation around pelvic health and is an active voice for women of all ages.
You can find her on-line at www.vaginacoach.com
on social media at @vaginacoach.
Occupational Therapist – Pelvic Resilience
Lara Desrosiers is the owner and operator of Pelvic Resilience, an Occupational Therapy practice dedicated to helping individuals struggling with pain, pelvic health challenges, and other distressing symptoms to get back to living a rich and meaningful life.
As an Occupational Therapist, Lara firmly believes in offering approaches to pelvic health recovery that are creative, flexible, accessible and focused on restoring quality of life.
As a skilled mental health clinician, Lara also offers psychotherapeutic strategies in the work that she does with her clients. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy are evidence-based approaches that guide individuals toward a more empowered and flexible recovery by offering new ways of managing symptoms and the emotions that are intertwined with them.
As someone who has Pelvic Organ Prolapse herself, Lara is particularly passionate about supporting individuals with navigating this diagnosis and the emotional rollercoaster that can often accompany it. Lara provides Online Programs for folks navigating POP at Mind Your POP™ with curiosity, flexibility & hope.
Registered Physiotherapist, Pelvic Health Physiotherapist & Clinical Director of GWHA
Janet has a passion for keeping people active at all ages and stages of life. By working closely as a team with her clients, Janet is able to create a personal achievable program for any level of fitness. Janet works with all genders experiencing orthopaedic or pelvic health issues.
Janet is a graduate of University of Guelph and McMaster University. Having over 10 years of experience in both pelvic health and orthopaedic physiotherapy allows her to generate a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses the whole body. Janet specializes in Pelvic Health having taken Pelvic Health Physiotherapy levels 1-5 (Female and Male Urinary Incontinence), Pelvic Pain, Pregnancy, and Anorectal Disorders as well as further courses for pregnancy and exercise. Janet has completed courses in acupuncture through McMaster University, as well as many running injury and female athlete courses.
Janet has taught at the University of Guelph and at the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario sharing her passion for physiotherapy and health.
Janet can often be seen running around Guelph either driving kids to hockey, dance and swimming or herself running the roads and trails.
Areas of Specific Training:
Areas of Clinical Interest:
Hi! I’m Dr. Annaleeza Caputi ND and I’m so happy you’re here.
I’m a naturopathic doctor and women’s health advocate dedicated to helping you achieve the life you deserve.
I believe that you don’t need to feel limited by your health. I’m an ambitious, motivated, busy-bee life lover that wants you to feel that you can tackle life feeling your best. I know what it’s like to feel trapped by your health and hormones, and I want to redefine what your healthcare means to you.
Together we will create a sustainable and unique health and wellness plan to help you achieve your goals. Whether it’s solving period problems, reclaiming control of your hormones, easing the transition into menopause or being preventive with our metabolic health, I help you dig deep, remove obstacles and create change with no quick fixes. We’re here for long run.
My promise to you will always be to make you feel safe, comfortable, and empowered. I look forward to working with you.
Dr. Annaleeza Caputi ND is a Naturopathic Doctor who’s clinical practice focuses on women’s health and hormones. Her main focus is in educating and empowering women to take control of their healthcare and to make informed, evidence based decisions to meet their goals.
Dr. Annaleeza Caputi ND is a graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, and is a member in good standing with the College of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO), the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OAND) and Canadian Associations of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND).
She is ambitious and passionate about evidence based medicine, and is spending her career investing in continuing education and research in order to provide the best support for her patients.
Naturopathic Doctor
Hi, I am Dr. Daniela Jesin, ND.
From an early age, I have been passionate about health, active living, and adventure. I thrive on new experiences, meaningful connections, and immersing myself in nature. In my personal time you may see me hiking, skiing, camping, or exploring the beautiful trails around Guelph with my husband and dog. My love of family and friends is paramount, and community connection is a very important aspect of my life. I believe wellness is not only the absence of disease, but it is also the ability engage in what we love, fuel our passions, and live our lives to the fullest. I love that my Naturopathic medical training allows me to provide practical and result oriented care which guides my patients in their quest to achieve their personal vision of wellness.
I have a family centered practice with a clinical interest in women’s health concerns such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, premenstrual syndrome, integrative fertility support, perimenopause/menopause support, and metabolic health. I believe Naturopathic Medicine has so much to offer women who are looking for an integrative and holistic approach to their hormonal health. I also have a clinical interest in supporting women suffering from Fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and fatigue.
I spent the past 3 years practicing on beautiful Vancouver Island. However, I have decided to move my practice to Ontario to be closer to family, an to serve this wonderful community. I completed my Naturopathic Medical training at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto. As part of my clinical internship, I was a member of the clinical focus shift treating patients suffering with Fibromyalgia and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. I am a licensed and registered member with the College of Naturopathic Doctors of Ontario as well as the College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia. I am a member of CAND, OAND and BCNA. I hold my prescription authority which grants me prescription rights to best support you.
I am driven to find out the “why” to any health concern, the underlying root cause while managing more than the symptoms of illness. Whether your goals are to work towards disease prevention and health optimization, or whether you are looking to peel back the layers in understanding and addressing a complex condition, I believe in an individualized, compassionate, and straightforward approach. Together, we can navigate your journey to health so that you can maximize your state of wellbeing and engage in what is most important to you.
Cindy McMann is a public educator at Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis.