KENOSEE LAKE - For the past 27 years, Tami Dovell has been in the business of hands of healing.
She has trained in physical healing with massage and a multitude of energy healing modalities, with the belief that mental and emotional healing are tied together, healing occurs when everything is worked on as a whole.
Learning to live a life of ease means learning how to live in the here and now so that people can engage in their senses and be fully aware as to what they’re feeling and thinking. Move into them instead of avoiding them. If people can control the dialogue in their mind, instead of reacting from past trauma and beliefs, they can live in the present and respond to the current situation. Dovell was inspired by her own personal struggles and embarked on a journey that continues to shape her life and ultimately the lives of others.
Most people, however, are professional avoiders and react instead of respond. It’s easier to avoid feelings instead of dealing with them.
Dovell recognizes that unravelling the trauma from the past is an inside job and given how busy society is, understands it is easy to bypass to the point people actually feel uncomfortable when they slow down. Those that are able to do their personal work and find an inner calm can then navigate in the world around them with reduced drama and the ability to self-nurture.
Learning to be present helps a person become more aware of thoughts, patterns and actions. Being present means people are aware of what their body is feeling and what inside story they are telling themselves. In the mental health world this is defined as emotional intelligence. If people are aware of how they think and how it affects others, they can choose how to respond.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) is defined as any experience that occurred before the age of 18 such as physical abuse, witnessing domestic violence and neglect. This creates a fight or flight reaction in the brain. Increased cortisol is produced and after the incident, the brain usually returns to a rested state.
Repeated incidents of trauma can actually cause the cortisol level to remain in a heightened state. Brain trauma is the equivalent to a brain injury.
Dovell, would tell you that ACEs leave invisible messages that are engraved in our minds by the age of six. These messages then unconsciously creep into thinking, actions and behaviour.
Dovell, working as a coach, uses a combination of all her trainings to help a person learn to recognize their own thoughts and move into their uncomfortable emotion instead of pushing them away, blaming others or avoiding themselves. When a person can recognize their repetitive patterns, their feelings and how their body feels, they can learn to change their life.
“Inner healing is an inside job” is a message Dovell will consistently share.
Some of the events Dovell either hosted/hosts or offers include:
•Individual sessions;
•Imagery, inner child work, meditation, massage and reiki;
•Group sessions, classes and workshops;
•Meditation classes
•Retreats: she has twelve years of experience facilitating retreats, guiding groups of women, businesses, school children, teachers and families;
•School presentations, teaching children how to recognize emotions and how to respond in a healthy way, encouraging children to nurture their experiences instead of fearing them;
•Parent sessions on how to support their children and navigate when they are bullied, struggling with self-confidence, anxiety, depression and social media;
•Public speaking for events and groups, both small and large, sharing messages of empowerment, mental health and well-being. Feeling empowered increases self-confidence and self love;
•School workshops: working with may schools in southeast Saskatchewan, Dovell educates on issues such as emotional intelligence, behaviour and communication;
•Teacher sessions: Dovell supports school staff with their own mental health support. How do they keep their cups full?
•Business and corporate retreat: how to navigate stress in the workplace.
Dovell is a firm believer in supporting all mental health modalities and believes in empowering others.
For the eighth year in a row, Dovell has arranged Soul Feast, a two-day healing event with the vision of bringing natural healing and holistic products, services and workshops to the community, offering alternative options to complement the traditional healing systems.