Biography

Meet Dr. Olena
Dr. Olena Gill, Naturopathic Physician, Reg. Acupuncturist,  Intuitive 

Hello and welcome! My name is Dr Olena Gill but most people call me Dr. O or Dr. Olena. I am a Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturist and holistic health practitioner. I have been primarily practising acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine since 2001 and Naturopathic Medicine since September 2016.

Philosophy

Since I was about 10 years old, deep down in my heart, I wanted to be a doctor. I also knew that I was very attracted to natural approaches to improve health and wellness. My Eastern European and farming family background served as the backdrop and inspiration for living organically and healing naturally. My earliest education around the value of nature and living off the land was from my grandmother, who invoked my deep love of plants, food, and herbal medicine. I dived into the field at a young age, for both my own health and growth,  but understanding that this was part of my larger soul purpose as well.

At 23, I became aware that I had a strong draw to being helping others within the healing arena. This includes many levels – health issues, emotional and mental health levels, as well as the spiritual arena.  I have made that my primary focus no matter what modality service I am providing, in order to help you dig through the ‘inner muck’ in order to achieve harmony and wholeness.

I now practice in Oceanside- Parksville, Nanaimo, and also on Gabriola Island, BC

A little more about me:

My educational journey has been an extensive one – rich with diversity. I started long ago at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music/Arts then progressed to another Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology/Liberal Studies at the University of Victoria, with the intent of continuing into counselling psychology. Doors opened for me and my interests took me down the road of alternative medicine. With a variety of modalities training under my belt, I opened one of the first multi-modality holistic health clinics in Nanaimo, BC, in 1995, called The Mind-Body Connection Centre. Mind-Body work was the core of everything I practised as I have always been passionate about identifying and treating the root causes of illness. As the clinic name suggests, I have long held the view that the roots of many illnesses originate from suppressed emotions and unhealed trauma. Health and wellness is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and that wellness depends on fully integrating and addressing all levels of person – from the physical, to emotional, mental, and spiritual. In my office, you will get nothing less than that.

Fast forward a few years. I went back to school again, became a Registered Acupuncturist in BC, and expanded my practice further. But that wasn’t enough after a while. I heard the call again to stretch my inner self, and in 2014 graduated from the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine as a Naturopathic Doctor. I owe Naturopathic Medicine a great debt of gratitude as it helped me immensely when I struggled with my own health issues for many years. Now I was in a better place to help others and connect with their pain and challenges that they go through. I am currently coming full circle and finishing what I started 25 years ago, and pursuing a Masters in Counselling Psychology. Always room for more learning and growth in my books.

My passions in a nutshell

I believe intuition is inherent part of all people and not something to be ignored or hidden.  As a young child I had many profound ‘esoteric’ experiences and am currently writing several books on the subject.  I love talking about it and definitely find joy in helping people tap into these deeper parts of themselves and unleash their own intuition.

I also believe integration of both conventional and complementary medicines is necessary for a more comprehensive approach to health care.  I enjoy the scientific and investigative part of being a Naturopathic Doctor but also hold the view intuition and treating the patient as a whole. I understand that people’s health is in most cases, multifactorial, and my primary focus is to create a space for my patients to be heard, supported and understood. Bringing in mindfulness into people’s daily life, and assisting the each individual in discovering their own Mind-Body Connection brings joy to me.

Next to intuition, education is part of my life purpose too – not just for me, but for others as well. I am on the Faculty of the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in Nanaimo, BC. Since 1995, I have taught many seminars, and given public talks on a wide range of health topics incorporating the Mind-Body Connection concepts, Awakening Intuition workshops, and other natural health modalities. These include herbal seminars, and farm-to-table/back to basics cooking and living. Education is a large component of my time spent in patient consults. When your consult with me is over, you can be rest assured that you leave armed with lots of information and insights to help you.

When I’m not ‘Doctoring’

When not in the clinic, I spend much of my time on my hobby farm and growing lots of wonderful organic food, pursuing my artist side with mandala paintings and graphic design, and simply being in nature and in the mountains. Joining me on these pursuits, are my two children an energy-filled granddaughter, and a handful of four-footed pets.


Copyright 2023  Dr. Olena Gill, R.Ac., ND – Indigo Integrative Health Clinic