Get to Know: Heather Doidge-Sidhu
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in wellness and holistic health?
A: Working in the wellness realm is a career change for me, and even kind of a second career change. I was initially a high school teacher, and coached basketball and soccer, having been a basketball and soccer player myself. I love sports, so of course was always curious about health. When it became clear that teaching was not my calling, I turned towards physiotherapy as a career. In the first six months, I became fascinated with the intimate connection between the mind and the body, and determined my "point of intervention" would be at the mind. It really "blew my mind" that emotions, thoughts, feelings ... that these could affect the body so dramatically. Five minutes into my first Masters in Counselling class I took a deep breath of relief, knowing I'd found my calling.
Q: What are some common misconceptions about your field that you'd like to address?
A: It's slowly changing, which is wonderful, but there's still a stigma about seeking help for mental health that I wish was gone! Seeking help is such a strength; it indicates that you have tuned in to yourself and recognized that something isn't right, and then you've taken the brave step towards doing some personal work to improve things.
Q: What's your favourite piece of advice to give to your patients?
A: Counsellors cringe at the word advice, haha. But one thing I recommend to my clients pretty much across the board is to SIGH. Often people who are feeling very anxious are told to "just breathe", but this is actually a very stressful thing to ask someone who is breathing shallowly and feeling very tense and could inspire self-judgement and even panic. Instead, I say, let the body do the work for you. Sigh out some of your stress, deeply, and, if you're comfortable, audibly, loudly! This will queue your diaphragm to do its job and you will, without conscious effort, take in a deeper, healing breath.
Q: Can you share a bit about your own daily wellness routine?
A: A big contributor to my wellness is gratitude. My family sits at the table each night and talks about something we were grateful for each day. If nothing else as far as personal wellness can happen, gratitude can keep me afloat.
Q: What's your favourite relaxation or stress-relief technique?
I can stare at the ocean forever. I love looking at it, watching and listening to the waves, and thinking about how powerful it is, how both permanent and impermanent it is.
Q: What is one book or resource you often recommend to your patients for self-care and wellness education?
A: I recommend the app "Sleep Easily" for clients who are struggling to quiet their minds at bedtime; I recommend my own Youtube video on the Thought-Emotion-Action cycle for clients who are feeling depressed and want to challenge their negative self-talk; and I recommend any book and/or video by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Q: What is one wellness trend you're excited about right now?
A: I'm excited about how much people are becoming aware and supportive of neurodiversity, and efforts to create a more inclusive society. I see this in my Master's students at City University - a real tone of support and celebration for difference.
Q: How has your understanding of wellness evolved throughout your career?
A: Counselling is a learning profession. I am constantly learning new ways to help people, new reasons why people struggle. I am constantly amazed and inspired by the courage and strength within my clients, and I try to really hone in on strengths.
Q: If you didn't work in wellness, what would be your dream job?
Professional sea glass collector! And sports trading cards afficionado.
Q: If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only bring three items, what would they be?
A: A solar-charged reading device with unlimited books ... seeds to plant a delicious garden ... is there wifi? I'd want to be able to Facetime my family and friends, so an Ipad ... If there's no wifi, I'm going to say my guitar.
