Oak Valley Health’s Women’s Wellness clinic offers group programs to support women’s health by providing therapies to improve quality of life. Using different methods, the clinic aims to improve women’s sense of personal wellbeing, strengthen focus and mental flexibility, manage difficult emotions, promote self awareness, and distinguish between healthy and unhealthy methods of coping.

Jayne Stewart, Stephanie Barbosa, and Jennifer Muir, are all registered social workers and psychotherapists at Oak Valley Health as well as program facilitators at the Women’s Wellness clinic.

“It is important as clinicians to provide services to women, specifically, to address the unique ways in which women experience mental illness, treatment, recovery, and care,” says Stephanie. “Women are faced with inequalities, and filling this gap by providing specific services to women is imperative – not only for those women – but for the health of our community.”

The clinic offers several programs, all of which are offered quarterly, with the exception of the interpersonal psychotherapy group, which is offered semi-annually. These programs are available to patients of Oak Valley Health across all departments including childbirth, cancer care (oncology), surgery, and mental health. Existing patients of Oak Valley Health can be referred by a physician or nurse practitioner. Self-referrals are also accepted in effort to reduce the barriers in receiving mental health support in our community. The programs and groups offered through the Women’s Wellness clinic are all offered free of charge, covered by OHIP.

  1. Art therapy group – Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses the creative process of art-making to improve a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Using imagery, color, and shapes as part of a creative therapeutic process, thoughts and feelings can be expressed that would otherwise be difficult to articulate. This group is held two hours weekly for eight weeks.
  2. Mindfulness-based stress reduction group (MBSR) – The MBSR program provides training in guided mediation, gentle stretching, and yoga. Participants will meet weekly and use these skills in their daily life. MBSR aims to address the unconscious thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that may increase stress and undermine your health. In MBSR individuals strive to cultivate greater awareness of the present moment and gain a deeper sense of calm. Research has proven that MBSR can benefit individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, stress, fatigue, anger, headaches, high blood pressure, and sleep problems. This group is offered two hours weekly for eight weeks.
  3. Interpersonal psychotherapy group (IPT) – IPT supports the theory that psychological symptoms such as depression usually occurs in a social and interpersonal context and can be understood as a response to current difficulties in relationships, role transitions, and grief and loss. The main focus of IPT is on relationship problems and on helping clients identify how they are feeling and behaving in their relationships. When a person is able to deal with a relationship problem more effectively their psychological symptoms often improve. This group is held two hours weekly for 14 weeks.
  4. Postpartum depression – This group supports women who have either been identified or who are at risk of depression and/or anxiety prior to or following the birth of their child. Every week, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) concepts will be introduced in an effort to highlight the interconnection of thoughts, feelings, and behaviour to promote self awareness and distinguish healthy from unhealthy thoughts. Topics of discussion include symptoms and risk factors of depression, anxiety, expectations, life and role transitions, self esteem, self-care, communication, and identity formation following the birth of a child. This group is held two hours weekly for eight weeks in conjunction with registered social workers in the Childbirth and Children’s Services department.

These group sessions are provided virtually, via Zoom, as well as in person at the offsite clinic in Markham, which has been graciously donated by members of our community through the Shoppers Drug Mart Run for Women.

“It is so important that Oak Valley Health offers these programs for women to receive the mental health support they need in a safe, inclusive and trauma informed environment,” says Jayne. “The feedback that we have received from women who have accessed these services is that they felt comfortable in sharing their stories and being vulnerable with likeminded women without judgement.”

March 8 was International Women’s Day, which provided an opportunity to reflect on the important work that the women’s clinic does in the community.

“Jayne, Stephanie, and I identify as women in the Markham-Stouffville community, so we feel personally drawn to this type of work,” says Jennifer. “We see the benefit of promoting mental health supports so women can have a positive experience with the mental health system while being mindful of their biological, psychological, and social needs and roles.”

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This article appeared in the March 2024 issue of The Link. To receive Oak Valley Health’s community newsletter, subscribe now.