Community Wellness Center in Farmingdale Does it All

Story and Photo’s by Deborah Phair.

Have you been to the Community Wellness Center located at 484 Maine Avenue in Farmingdale? Perhaps you should. The Center offers acupuncture, aromatherapy, chiropractic care, massage therapy, naturopathic medicine, nutrition programs and Reiki.

The wellness center is well staffed and include the following practitioners and doctors

Lia Angelini

Lia has been practicing Massage Therapy for 11 years and finds immeasurable satisfaction in helping people relieve chronic and acute pain, experience stress relief and go on the mini-vacation that massage therapy can be. After graduating from The University of Connecticut, Lia traveled with Americorps*NCCC and then settled in the western mountains for a few years. While living in Utah, she discovered the Utah College of Massage Therapy and began her journey into natural healing.

Her belief in the body’s ability to heal itself when given the best tools has fueled her dedication to bring holistic healthcare to as many people as possible. Knowing that she would be limited in how many people she could “touch” through massage therapy alone, she launched her dream in August of 2008 as Community Wellness Center. Her vision is to bring the power of relaxation, stress relief, individualized care and non-invasion medicine to her own community and beyond.

In a few short months some of the most amazing holistic practitioners have become part of the Community Wellness Center team to make the possibility of helping so many people possible. Through education and outreach Lia hopes to guide her clients toward total health and ultimately personal empowerment.

Brett VanCott

Brett is a graduate of Five Branches Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine located in Santa Cruz, California (1997). She taught at the Southwest Acupuncture College while she practiced in Boulder, Colorado. She also studied under Jake Fratkin while in Colorado. She briefly practiced in Kansas City before finally settling in Maine in 2000. She has been in practice with Rusty Klobas and Sarah Wood at Acupuncture & Herbs in Hallowell, Maine since 2000. She recently joined Community Wellness Center in Farmingdale, Maine.

In addition to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Brett has been extensively studying Auricular Medicine, a sophisticated system of ear acupuncture that utilizes the knowledge that the entire body, including cranial nerves, glands, and each of the parts of the spine, is mapped out on the ear. By treating focal points, or places where a pattern of disharmony has gotten stuck and keeps the body in a weakened state, Auricular Medicine can change long-standing patterns that are resistant to other treatment.

Brett also focuses on treating fertility, women and children. She completed a course in treating Hepatitis C given by Quan Yin Healing Arts Center in San Francisco, California.

Brett also uses Chinese Herb formulas in her practice and custom-blends formulas using granule extracts.

Brett is also a volunteer at the Portland Veteran’s Acupuncture Clinic, which is a free community style clinic held every Tuesday for all Veterans and their families. We use the NADA(National Acupuncture Detox Association) protocol of 5 needles in each ear, which greatly reduces PTSD symptoms.

Laura K. Patterson

Laura earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas at Austin in 1982. She is a graduate of the Integrative Healing Arts Program through the Birch Tree Center for Healthcare Transformation and is certified in Clinical Aromatherapy through the Jane Buckle Clinical Aromatherapy for Health Professionals program. She attained Reiki Level II in 1998 and has incorporated that into her nursing practice as well. Specializing in obstetric and prenatal nursing much of her career, she currently works at Colby College in the Garrison Foster Health Center and teaches nursing at the University of Maine at Augusta.

In each setting, Laura has maintained a focus on health and wellness with particular attention to nutrition and environment. Through developing healthy diets and lifestyles, the body is better able to resist disease and dysfunction. This allows us to more fully enjoy the present and in many instances, to avoid the cycle of chronic health issues and medications with their costs and side effects. Reiki and aromatherapy both provide subtle and enjoyable means to support the body’s own physiologic systems to achieve optimal wellness. Laura is delighted to assist individuals in setting their own health and lifestyle goals and in developing the means to attain them.

Katie Webb, LMT

I am a graduate of Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont and the Downeast School of Massage in Waldoboro, Maine. My education is based on Swedish massage, which is what most people envision when we hear the word massage: relaxing the muscles with gliding strokes with oils and lotions. To broaden my approach, I coupled this with the study of Shiatsu, an Eastern modality of bodywork (described below).

Myofascial Release

My advanced professional training is in Myofascial Release, a specialized style of massage that is designed to target the muscles and tissues in your body that hold the most tension, and by lengthening these tissues, efficiently relieves pain. This style is considered to be in the deep-tissue massage category, so it feels intense at times, even though the pressure could be light or very firm, deep or very superficial depending on what your muscles need. Myofascial Release can alleviate chronic pain like back pain and headaches, and is very helpful with over-use injuries like carpal tunnel and plantar fasciitis.

Shiatsu From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shiatsu (指圧 Japanese from shi, meaning finger, and atsu, meaning pressure) is a traditional hands-on therapy originating in Japan. There are two main Shiatsu schools; one based on western anatomical and physiological theory and the other based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Shiatsu is regulated as a licensed medical therapy in Japan by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and elsewhere by various governing bodies set up by Shiatsu practitioners. Shiatsu is an evolving form, and its various styles incorporate (to differing degrees) aspects of Japanese massage traditions, Chinese Medicine practice, and “Western” anatomy and physiology.

Shiatsu Treatments with Katie Webb, LMT

During a shiatsu treatment, you will wear soft, loose clothing, like yoga or exercise clothing, and you will be lying down on a soft mat on the floor. I will be kneeling or sitting beside you, to put pressure onto your muscles and tissues through the clothing, using my fingertips, hands, elbows, and even feet. Different types of pressure given fast or slow for different situations help you feel energized and invigorated, or totally relaxed– whichever is needed.

The session is tailored to suit your individual needs, which are discussed at the beginning of the session. Multiple issues can be addressed in one session. They could include physical issues such as chronic lower back pain, as well as issues usually considered “non-physical” such as insomnia.

I studied shiatsu at the Downeast School of Massage in Waldoboro, ME, in 2004.

Dr. Isaiah Stephan

Dr. Isaiah Stephan is a board certified Chiropractic physician. He earned his Doctorate in Chiropractic from Western States Chiropractic College in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Stephan also holds a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Northern Colorado, is a member of the American Chiropractic Association, New York State Chiropractic Association, Maine Chiropractic Association and the Kinesio-Taping Association of North America.

Prior to practicing in Maine, Dr. Stephan practiced family centered chiropractic care in both Portland, Oregon and New York since 2003. Dr. Stephan utilizes evidenced based Natural Medicine with a holistic approach to treat illness as well as promote life long wellness. He combines a talent for listening, knowledge of the neuromusculoskeletal system, clinical nutrition and exercise in the treatment of numerous acute and chronic conditions. Most importantly, he strives to create an opportunity for each person to reach his or her own unique and sustainable level of physical wellness and optimal health.

Dr. Jennifer Von Deesten, ND

Dr. Jennifer Von Deesten, ND, earned her doctorate degree from the prestigious National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, the oldest accredited naturopathic medical school program in North America. She completed a four year postgraduate academic program which included two years of clinical rounds in internal medicine, environmental medicine, minor surgery, gynecology, and community outpatient acute care with some of the finest naturopathic doctors in the country. Additionally, Dr. Von Deesten completed a specialized year long internship in homeopathy.

Dr. Von Deesten has passed rigorous national board exams in order to attain state and national licensure, and completes continuing education requirements to maintain her license as well as provide the most current researched based medicine available for her patients.

Dr. Von Deesten received her pre-medical training at the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor degree in Human Biology while also completing an extensive 800 hour certification in Massage Therapy with an emphasis in Bodymind techniques from the Healing Arts Institute in Colorado.

My Philosophy and Approach

The Naturopathic approach recognizes that each individual is a unique and whole person exposed to many factors that influence their state of health. Health can be described as feeling vital mentally, emotionally and physically. It is not purely the absence of disease. Naturopathy combines the science of medicine with the healing power of nature by utilizing therapeutic methods which strengthen, support, and act in harmony with the body’s innate ability to heal itself.

As a primary care physician, I am trained and licensed to perform physical exams, review your medical history and records and attain appropriate laboratory tests to properly diagnose and treat your concerns. Licensed naturopathic doctors offer the highest level of expertise in natural medicine with extensive education in the safe and proper use of nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, lifestyle counseling, and physical medicine.

I am also able to prescribe a limited selection of pharmaceutical interventions when necessary. I welcome working with other doctors, and will not hesitate to refer to specialists when appropriate. By collaborating with other practitioners, I strive to provide the best possible care for my patients.

My goal is to empower my patients to achieve optimal wellness by identifying and addressing the underlying root cause of imbalance, removing obstacles to health, restoring the body’s vitality using safe, effective and natural measures, and to provide my patients with the knowledge to take an active role in their own well being.

I have been going to the Center regularly to see Katie Webb. The first and most thing that Katie taught me was that it is very important for people to be able to explain the reason why they are visiting the center. Supplied with this knowledge, the center will be better able to direct you to the best staff person on doctor that suits your particular needs. Katie filled the bill for me because I suffer from chronic pain from carpal tunnel and in my shoulder.

It’s amazing how great the massage feels until she really gets in there to make a difference. She released something in my right arm and although I felt some pain during the treatment in the end both my hand and arm felt much better. Whenever I aggravate my shoulder, she is able to get it back to as normal as it will ever be for me. today, working on my Carpal Tunnel, that hurt pretty bad. But once she was done, my hand and arm felt lighter, not so tight. I had aggravated my shoulder again and she was able to get it back to as normal as my shoulder will ever feel.

She works with different techniques to loosen very tight, locked up areas such as Carpal Tunnel. She does trigger point work and massage therapy for muscle soreness.

Then she put a new oil on my shoulders and arms called Arnica. It’s new on the market and catching on quite well as a pain reliever. s to tell Katie where your problem areas are and she will work on them for you to the best of her ability. She focuses on your specific issues to help with your chronic pain areas.

Many of Her patients are involved in resistance movements and steady breathing sessions. Although what she does may hurt for a moment, the complete segment is very relaxing. Soft music plays in the background as you lie on the bed under a warm blanket with your knees elevated. You could certainly go to sleep if it were not for the movement of Katie’s very strong fingers and hands kneading your muscles.

Katie also told me to move my hands often, to “’write” out the alphabet with my hands in the air. She said the best thing we could do for ourselves as human beings is to stretch our bodies when we get up from bed in the morning or when we get up from sitting down. Katie told me to watch my animals since they know how to stretch. Why don’t we? If we were to stretch and move properly, she said, it it would make a very positive difference in our lives. She also suggested I ice my wrists for because this sends old blood from the area and once the ice is removed, after about ten to fifteen minutes, new blood flows in which helps the area heal.

The Community Wellness Center offers many services – something for everyone. Call them to find out what they can do for you.