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New mental health hub opening in Comox

Comox Valley Record - 11/24/2021

Depression, anxiety, chronic pain, PTSD, substance abuse, and even suicide have been at epidemic levels since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than one in four Canadians now suffer from a mental health issue. Those reporting poor mental health are up to four times more likely to report increased substance use since the pandemic began. As winter approaches, these levels are expected to rise even higher, as mental health services in most provinces are already overloaded, individuals may find themselves on waitlists for more than a year.

Three unique and like-minded organizations teamed up throughout the pandemic to respond to the growing mental health crisis and help address our community's growing concerns. Nomina Integrated Health has partnered with North Island Dental, both of whom are veteran-led, and Origin Integrated Health to offer cutting-edge services to treat the whole person. This collaboration allows for personal care found nowhere else in Canada, such as the pain program exclusive to Origin Integrated Health and Nomina Wellness.

Recognizing the lack of quality mental health, physical care, and addictions services, their goal was to provide leading-edge, high-quality, specialized programming that incorporates evidenced-based mental health approaches such as ISTDP and direct neurofeedback, making it more accessible to everyone who needs it.

"This was a natural collaboration, as we all recognize that so many of our clients see cross-over issues," said Dr. Cyrus Bachus of North Island Dental. "This partnership will provide treatment services for physical pain such as TMJ (temporomandibular joint), but also emotional pain. We are working on Botox treatments for depression based on new research that shows Botox can significantly improve depressive symptoms. We are also collaborating on sleep recovery, leading to faster and improved care while making it more accessible to our communities."

Opening Dec 1, a new Nomina Integrated Health location will be conveniently situated right beside Origin Integrated Health.

"Nomina Wellness, Origin Integrated Health and North Island Dental hit it from every angle; this model of care is revolutionizing the face of chronic pain management and mental health," said Dr. Brittany Filipetti of Origin Integrated Health. "This will allow Nomina to further increase access for various conditions that affect both physical health and mental health, potentially providing much-needed relief to front line health care professionals who see the impacts of these concerns in their care."

Nomina Integrated Health offers intensive outpatient options with both virtual and face-to-face services. It provides leading programming with advanced evidence-based therapies by a highly specialized clinical team.

"Much like there are many routes to getting to a destination, our brains can use many paths to support our well-being," said Lisa Klco of Nomina Integrated Health. "Therapies such as direct neurofeedback (DNF) and intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP) are intensive types of therapy that can get to the root of the issues quickly and while being more cost-effective than other forms of therapy. By partnering with Origin Integrated Health and North Island Dental, we can bring these practices to a greater number of our fellow neighbours."

Nomina Integrated Health and their new partners welcome anyone who is affected by mental health or addictions, including individuals, families, couples, and their supports. Call Nomina at 250-339-5005 or visit them at www.nominahealth.ca for more information.