If you have chronic pain, you’ve probably tried every recommendation you’ve ever been given by a doctor, family friend or stranger on the bus, including but not limited to visiting:

A chiropractor
A massage therapist
An acupuncturist
An osteopath
A physiotherapist
An occupational therapist
A reiki healer
Maybe even a hypnotist

I know this because I’m someone who has lived with chronic pain for over 20 years and I’ve tried almost every recommendation I’ve ever read or heard. It’s normal to want to live pain free and try different modalities until you find something that works – this costs time, energy and money that many living in pain do not have access to.

For me, I’ve found osteopathy and acupuncture help me the most. With the help of the trusted professionals I have found, I’ve been able to experience hours, days and more recently, whole weeks where I am pain free. The issue I’ve found over the years, is the cost of maintenance. Manual therapies can cost anywhere from $50 to $150 a session after taxes. With chronic pain or a chronic illness, you may need to work with more than one practitioner at a time; you may need weekly appointments to manage your pain. If you are like me and do not have workplace health insurance, you will have to pay out of pocket for the fees.

Recently, a local community health clinic opened in my hometown of Guelph. They offer Massage Therapy, Reflexology, Acupuncture and Reiki at sliding scale fees. This allows folks that could not normally access care to afford treatment. The clinic is out of the Shelldale Centre in Guelph.

Worries I initially had about attending the Clinic (that have since been dispelled):

I don’t qualify to attend the clinic, I’m not low income – I have a steady income but still struggle to cover my out-of-pocket medical expenses because of my disability and the amount of support my body needs to function. I was worried that I would be taking a “spot” away from a low-income patient. After a couple weeks of hesitation, I booked an appointment. The sliding scale fees provide flexibility but most importantly accessibility. In the past few months, I’ve been able to get treatment that I would have otherwise never been able to afford. I have been feeling so good physically as a result and am seeing the benefits of sustained treatment. On days when I can afford more, I pay more.
I was worried it would be strange or greedy if I booked more than one appointment. I wanted to try hand reflexology to see if it would provide any relief to the rheumatoid arthritis I have in my hands. I had been seeing an acupuncturist at the clinic for a few weeks and was worried it would be greedy to book with more than one practitioner. Turns out this worry was unfounded! Many clients book and see multiple practitioners at the clinic.

I wanted to share about my experience at the clinic because I’m so grateful for the care I’ve received. I’m hoping that sharing about my experience will encourage others with chronic pain and chronic illness to try it out, and hopefully find some relief.

Whenever I meet another person who has a chronic health condition, like me, I never say “I hope you feel better.” When I was a kid on heavy pain meds and someone would say that to me, it always made me feel worse. “What if I never get better?” I would think. So many chronic conditions have no cure, no end in sight. Relief, however, is something I can believe in. Everyone deserves relief from pain, even if it’s just a few days.

For more information on Affordable Acupuncture Plus, visit their website here: affordableacupuncture.ca

Usually when people plant a garden, their goal is to beautify their front lawn or save money at the grocery store by growing their own tomatoes. When Sharon Stewart started The Julien Project, a local community garden, she had a much different goal in mind.

The Julien Project is a charitable organization, located out of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre in Guelph, ON. It uses gardening to add social and therapeutic value to the Guelph community. Eight years ago, Stewart started The Julien Project because she was inspired after working with a local marginalized youth named “Julien.” To this day, helping marginalized youth is still a top priority for the project.

“When we first started the garden, it was important to us to introduce plant materials that would best serve our populations,” says Stewart. “Every plant in our garden is intentional. Each one provides something for our programming or for aesthetics, or brings birds and bees and butterflies.”

Rachel Farahbakhsh, the organization’s Project Manager, also pointed out that the layout of the garden strategically organizes the plants by their purpose. For example, there is a section of roses that they’ll use to make potpourri and a section with peppers and tomatoes for salsa.

This intentionality is important to the project’s practice of horticultural therapy. “In our programming, we deal specifically with adults and youth with special needs, so when we work with different populations we ask them how they want to engage with the garden’s features,” says Stewart.

With consideration of the diversity of their participants, The Julien Project’s garden is completely accessible. “We not only work with people of all gardening skill levels, but we also meet participants at their current state; whether that’s their physical state or their emotional state,” says Stewart.

Over the years, Stewart and Farahbakhsh have learned that there is a great need for their programming with males aged 14 to 17 from marginalized populations. “We’ve seen many angry, young men out there that don’t have dads or role models,” says Stewart. “When they work with our staff in the garden, they learn what it means to have a healthy relationship. Its those healthy relationships that help them develop confidence and a sense of safety and security.”

The Julien Project not only helps young men with their personal development but it also provides them with professional development training. “We noticed that for these young men, it’s especially hard for them to approach employers and gain employment. When they come to the garden, we have the opportunity to work with them and help them develop employability skills. Not only do they learn skills that they can add to their résumés, but we can write reference letters and make introductions for them with members of the community,” says Farahbakhsh.

Aside from helping marginalized youth, The Julien Project has also helped remedy local cycles of food insecurity. This summer, for example, they partnered with various neighbourhoods across Guelph and developed capacity to create community based sustainable urban gardening spaces.

“By teaching local families how to plant and harvest their own vegetables, we provide them with a way to sustain themselves,” says Farahbakhsh. “When we teach them how to cook what they harvest, they also learn about nutrition.” The project has also worked to combat local food insecurity by donating their vegetables and baked goods to the Salvation Army and other local food pantries.

Despite all the good work that The Julien Project has done and the impact that they continue to make in Guelph, the project is in need of funding. “We are always stretched when it comes to funds, and never know how we’re going to keep our programs going,” says Stewart. As a small local charity, they receive very few private donations and stress their need for a corporate sponsor. “Every cent is stretched here; we recycle, we reuse, we don’t waste anything. We practice the lessons of sustainability that we teach to others.”

“As far as I know, there’s no other model like this in Canada,” says Stewart. “What makes us different is that we’re open to all diverse populations, whether it’s persons with autism or dementia or someone with developmental needs.No matter what, we meet them where they’re currently at. We build strong, healthy relationships first and everything else unfolds like a flower.”

To support The Julien Project donate at CanadaHelps.org.

Story and Photos by Faith Cameletti

A Clinic that Cares: Affordable Acupuncture Plus

Worries I initially had about attending the Clinic (that have since been dispelled):

The Julien Project: A Garden that Grows Community & Nurtures Marginalized Youth