Welcome to Le Shiatsu’s web site! I hope you are enjoying browsing these pages.
I founded Le Shiatsu in 2006, to provide holistic health services to our community.
My focus is to help people take charge of their health and wellness naturally. I have a special interest for challenging conditions with lingering symptoms & pain, and where people are at a loss to address the root cause of their problem. Shiatsu and Acupuncture are based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and offer a model to understand the uniqueness of someone’s health imbalance and address its root cause. Tai-Chi and QiGong leverage the same oriental traditions, and wonderfully empower individuals to take charge of their own self-care and health.
After 15 exciting years as a Biomedical Engineer working with global medical technology vendors, I sought ways to be involved in my community with a direct human touch. When an introduction to Shiatsu, a manual Chi-based therapy, was given to my Tai-Chi group, it just felt right!
I went for a 101 Shiatsu course, and then enrolled for the two-year program of the Shiatsu School of Canada in Toronto. After over a year of Shiatsu practice, I went for their acupuncture program, and have since added acupuncture to my treatments. The styles of acupuncture I practice are from Traditional Chinese Medicine, the foundation for all acupuncture, and I am also using Japanese acupuncture, a more modern development. I promote self-empowerment for healing and health maintenance. Tai-Chi has become an amazing springboard for my own self-care, personal growth and professional development. So I started to teach in 2007.
I also spend some time volunteering. In the past it was for research and technology institutions. Currently I am on the advisory board of a local initiative to deliver mental health services via tele-medicine for the francophone and other language minority groups. I am on the Board of the Canadian Taijiquan Federation and am a co-editor of their quarterly journal. I support my Tai-Chi teacher, Steve Higgins, in various initiatives for his club Cold Mountain Internal Arts, for instance with his web site, and with our Tai-Chi and music improvisation group, a very creative initiative called the Waterloo Contemporary Internal Arts Studio.
I enjoy staying in touch with my former colleagues from medical high-tech companies, as I love medical technology and innovation. Eventually, I envision an integrated healthcare system where the best of Western and Oriental medicines are offered to patients, leveraging both modern science and centuries old medical traditions, and where patients electronic records are shared by all health professionals, from all disciplines.
Sometimes people wonder about their therapist's background and credentials. You can see the main ones below my picture on the left side of this page. R. Ac. means that I am registered with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario. My certification number is # 2334. Since April, 1st, 2013, acupuncture is a regulated healthcare profession in Ontario. Gradually over the month of April and May, 2013, people will be granted their certification number as the new college processes over a couple thousands application from very qualified health professionals. Education is something I consider a lifelong process, so when we meet it is likely that I have plans for a few courses or seminars for my clinical acumen, and to improve my Tai-Chi skills.
Bonne journée, et bonne santé!
Patricia Béretta Beaurepaire